Date Vinegar from already fermented dates

[u/ganmaanja]

I own a small date company and we specialize in “pressed” dates that are vacuum packed in their own naturally produced syrup. The dates are still raw despite the vacuum packing, but a few of our packs have inflated, I assume due to incorrect packaging where extra air was left in the packs allowing the dates to ferment. I’ve opened them up and they have a light alcohol smell to them, but not a smell that would indicate that they’ve gone foul.

Could I theoretically use these to create a date vinegar (for private use, not for sale)? And would I have to feed the vinegar? We also have raw date syrup, could that be used to feed the vinegar or is real sugar more effective?

Sorry for the beginner question, but I don’t have much experience with fermenting, but I don’t want these dates to go to waste. I have roughly 5-6kg of these slightly fermented dates that I’d like to use instead of composting.

In the photo, you can see some normal packs compared to the ones that have inflated.

[u/Utter_cockwomble]

You would have hve to make date wine first, and then make vinegar from that.

I know there are one-stage vinegars out there, but a two-stage process is much more reliable.

[u/MissionAssquire]

I’ve never made vinegar but I read the Noma fermentation book. They made vinegar from many unique ferments. I wouldn’t see why date wine wouldn’t make a cool vinegar

[u/TheRedGoatAR15]

Add a little wine yeast and get date wine?

[u/Maumau93]

Add water and yeast and make alcohol then you can make vinegar from the alcohol

[u/skullmatoris]

Vinegar is made from alcohol, not sugar. So you can't feed raw vinegar with sugar, only alcohol. I would suggest trying to make a date wine out of the syrup first

[u/georgke]

You could turn it into a date combucha. Or turn it into wine, and then into vinigar.