Question about recipe ingredient.

[Arkansas Granny]

This recipe looks very interesting, but I don't understand the addition of white vinegar. What exactly does it do for the pie?

French Coconut Pie
Ingredients
3 whole Eggs, Beaten
1-½ cup Sugar
1 cup Flaked Coconut
1 stick Butter, Melted
1 Tablespoon White Vinegar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 pinch Salt
1 whole 9" Uncooked Pie Shell
Preparation Instructions
Mix filling ingredients well and pour into the pie shell. Bake at 350F for 1 hour.

I'm definitely going to try this, but was curious about the vinegar.

[intrepidity]

1. Good question

Only thing I can think of is to tenderize the coconut?

[drray23]

2. Its used to control the sweetness of the pie.

You could use another acid, like lemon juice to achieve the same goal, which is get your pie to the sweetness level you want, not too sweet, just right.

[Irish_Dem]

5. My grandmother and aunts always added a bit of lemon juice in their baked goods containing fruit.

For the reason you cite.

[ProfessorGAC]

6. That Would Work

The acetic acid in vinegar is slightly stronger than the citric acid in lemons, but at a lower molecular weight, dissociated into the water a bit more easily. (Citric is 50% soluble in water; acetic is infinitely miscible)
But, the carboxylic esters in vinegar are more plenitful, which adds another floral fragrance & taste that citric acid can't.
It all boils down to a taste preference.
I'm big on using vinegar to offset both heat & sweet. But, that's a matter of taste.

[EYESORE 9001]

3. Just guessing here

The intention may be to cause some reaction between vinegar and egg that is beneficial to the recipe - perhaps to thicken the mixture.If it were simply added as a sour flavor to offset the other ingredients, I think lemon juice would be better, but pay no mind to my idle musings.

[cachukis]

4. Balance the sugar. My mother used to sneak

vinegar into pie crusts to counter the sweetness of sugared fruits.