Homemade Apple Cider Vinegar
Learn how easy it is to make Homemade Apple Cider Vinegar using your apple scraps. It takes a few simple ingredients and time and you can make your very own apple cider vinegar.
Our apple trees are wonderful producers of apples that I put away for apple pie filling, applesauce as well as just to eat. When making applie pie filling and applesauce, I end up with so many scraps. While my chickens love the scraps, I wanted to find a way to use them ourselves. I’ve been using apple cider vinegar for awhile now for various reasons (I’ll explain below), and it dawned on me that, rather than continuing to buy it from the store, I may as well learn how to make it myself. And WOW, what a simple thing to do!
What is Apple Cider Vinegar?
Apple Cider vinegar is a type of vinegar made from fermented apples. It is used as an ingredient in salad dressings and other culinary uses and for the suspected health benefits. According to WebMD, Apple Cider Vinegar may help with blood sugar issues as well as aid in weight loss.
I’ve been adding it to my warm water for a while now that I sip as like tea. I was going through store bought apple cider vinegar quite regularly. It wasn’t until one fall day when I was making Apple Pie Filling that I looked at the scraps and decided to make my own apple cider vinegar.
Ingredients
There are a few simple ingredients needed to make your own apple cider vinegar. They are:
- apple scraps – this can include peels, cores or any other apple chunks
- sugar (the real stuff…no other sweeteners)
- filtered water
How Do You Make Homemade Apple Cider Vinegar?
Begin with approximately 4 cups of apple scraps. You can cut up apples if you would like, however, it works perfect to use scraps from making applesauce or apple pie.
Next, them in a half gallon jar. Push them down with the back end of a spatula or wooden spoon. Top with sugar and filtered water.
Then, stir the mixture well until all the sugar appears to have dissolved. Some people like to put a coffee filter upside down on top of the jar and put a band around it. However, I like to put a cloth on there and a ponytail holder.
Place in a dark place to allow to ferment.
Stir once a week. Bubbles will begin to appear and that is what we want!
After a couple weeks, a ‘mother’ will appear on the top. It can be described as sludge like material. Once that forms, you do not need to continue stirring once a week.
Keeping in covered, allow it to ferment for two to three months.
Once the fermentation process has gone on for those 2-3 months, strain out the apples and the mother from the liquid vinegar. Use the vinegar in place of the store bought apple cider vinegar.
Save the mother for the next batch of homemade apple cider vinegar.
Store the vinegar out of direct sunlight at room temperature.
What is the ‘Mother’ in Apple Cider Vinegar?
The mother is a collection of good bacteria and enzymes that were formed during the fermentation process. It will form with high quality apple cider vinegar and proves that it is safe to consume.
Homemade Apple Cider Vinegar
Equipment
- 1 half gallon jar
- 1 wooden spoon
- 1 cloth for top
- 1 rubber band
Ingredients
- 4 cups apple scraps or more to fill the jar
- 1/2 cup sugar use real sugar
- 1/2 gallon filtered water
Instructions
- 1. Place the apple scraps in the jar. Push them down with the handle of a wooden spoon to be able to get more in the jar.
- 2. Put in sugar.
- 3. Pour enough filtered water to reach the top of the jar.
- 4. Stir to dissolve all of the sugar.
- 5. Place in a warm, dark place.
- 6. Stir once a week until the 'mother' appears on the top. This will be around the 2-3 week mark.
- 7. Let the apple cider vinegar continue to ferment for another 2 months.
- 8. Filter the apples and mother out. Save the vinegar and store in an airtight container in a cupboard. Save the mother for the next batch to speed up the process.
