David wrote:

> My parents always used to say they'd just added vinegar, but that
> wasn't the case. I later discovered that the stuff they sold in bulk to
> restaurants from the local cash-and-carry in big gallon containers was
> exactly what they put out on the tables.
>
> I've already tried watering the Heinz stuff down with malt vinegar and
> sugar, but with no luck. Sure, you can get the right consistency, but
> there's definitely some ingredient in there that's either not there or
> not so prevalent in the Heinz-style products. Possibly it's some
> variant of vinegar, or perhaps corn syrup rather than sugar.
>
> Damn - this has been bugging me for years!
>
I think but can't be sure that Heinz uses corn syrup. I have one recipe
that uses one that uses granulated sugar and I've seen some using brown
sugar. Each would give a different flavour. The variety in ingredients
will change the flavour. Have you tried cidar vinegar or white vinegar
rather than malt vinegar?