No, Lisa, the vinegar in the grocery stores is not fine.
Here's an excerpt from a site on this subject, which
goes into the qualities of natural organic ACV and why
the stuff on the grocery shelves is not the same thing:
http://www.lacetoleather.com/wondrugpag2.html
ACV – MOTHER NATURE'S PERFECT FOOD
Natural (undistilled) organic, raw ACV can really be called one of Mother Nature's most perfect foods. It is made from fresh, crushed apples which are then allowed to mature naturally in wooden barrels, as wood seems to "boost" the natural fermentation. Natural ACV should be rich, brownish color and if held to the light you might see a tiny formation of "cobweb-like" substances that we call the "mother." Usually some "mother" will show in the bottom of the ACV bottle the more it ages. It never needs refrigeration. You can also save some "mother" and transfer it to work in other natural vinegars. When you smell natural ACV, there's a pungent odor and sometimes it's so ripened it puckers your mouth and smarts your eyes – these are natural, good signs.
WHY HAS NATURAL APPLE CIDER VINEGAR DISAPPEARED FROM GROCERS' SHELVES?
The blame for the disappearance of natural raw Apple Cider Vinegar from supermarkets lies on the shoulders of the general public, as well as the producers of vinegar.
Most people buy food with their eyes, not thinking of good nutrition. The vinegar producers failed to enlighten the public on what powerful health qualities were locked within natural ACV. Why? Because most of them had not the slightest knowledge of the health values of natural, raw, organic, unfiltered, cloudy (and to some, less attractive-looking) Apple Cider Vinegar with the "mother." They produced pasteurized, refined and distilled vinegars because the public demanded the clear look. It was simply filling current supply and demand.
POWERFUL HEALTH QUALITIES REMOVED
You cannot completely blame the producers of vinegar. They are not nutritionists, nor are they biochemists. Their business is to give the customers what they want. Most people purchase vinegar for flavoring, also for pickling and marinating their foods. Some women use it to rinse their hair after shampooing, as it leaves it squeaky clean, softer and much easier to manage.
ACV is also a germ fighter in the home, lab, etc. Some mix it with water to wash windows, as it removes sludge and keeps them sparkling clean. ACV has hundreds of uses and its versatility is legendary as a powerful household cleansing and deodorizing agent free of dangerous chemicals.
ACV HAS POWERFUL HEALTH QUALITIES
Both the general public and the producers of vinegar have been informed as to the powerful health qualities of organic, raw, unfiltered, fully ripened ACV. Ignorance isn't always bliss! When most people see natural apple cider vinegar with the brownish color and the tiny, cobweb "mother" floating in it, they think it looks unappetizing. The general public has been educated and brainwashed to want everything they purchase to have perfect eye appeal!
To meet this demand that vinegar must be clear, light colored and free from the brownish, cobweb "mother" is the reason producers distill their vinegar. In distilling, the vinegar is turned to steam by heating. Therefore it destroys the powerful enzymes and distills out the life-giving minerals such as potassium, phosphorus, natural organic fluorine, silicon, trace minerals and pectin as well as many other powerful nutrients! Distilling also destroys the natural malic and tartaric acids which are important in fighting body toxins and inhibiting unfriendly bacteria.
You can see how the public, with their obsession for eye appeal foods, reacts. The producers of Apple Cider Vinegar, who agreed to sell their product for a profit, put a "death warrant" against healthy, organic, raw, fully ripened ACV. The public got what they wanted – a clear, appealing, but dead ACV. When natural ACV was hard to find, other strange vinegars began to appear on grocery shelves. The first was malt vinegar, a refined vinegar. It's clear and acceptable to the public. It tastes like vinegar, but has none of the healing qualities of natural, raw ACV.
COMMERCIAL VINEGARS ARE REAL TRAGEDIES
Then came the real tragedy: a food chemist produced an imitation vinegar from coal tar! It looked clean, white and tasted like vinegar. Today it's the most popular vinegar in supermarkets. It's cheaper than distilled vinegar or malt vinegar. Most people buy these worthless vinegars. there's nothing good about commercial vinegars, except they look clean and taste like vinegar. They have no health value! They don't contain the health values of organic, raw ACV with the mother. Millions worldwide never get the health benefits of this natural ACV as Hippocrates used in 400 B.C.