Apple Cider Vinegar - DIY Simple

Make your own Apple Cider Vinegar from apple scraps, spare or old apples

Apple cider vinegar is such a pantry and cleaning staple in any home. While it's not the most expensive thing in the world to buy, if you eat a lot of apples, you might as well make your own. The taste of fresh Apple Cider Vinegar is quite different to store bought, even the organic variety, and it's so easy to make.

You can create an endless supply of Apple Cider Vinegar for free by simply using the scraps you are currently composting or tossing in the bin. Not only is it is incredibly simple, but making it yourself gives you control over the contents. If you use Apple Cider Vinegar a lot in cooking, you will really notice the fresher more delicate taste. 

How to make Apple Cider Vinegar

You will need a jar (preferably wide mouthed), your organic apple peelings, cores and scraps and a piece of breathable cloth to secure over the jar opening. (Minus the seeds.)

1. When you are ready to go with your first scraps, leave them out in the air for a few hours until they turn brown, then place them in the jar and top it up with filtered water, leaving enough for incoming extra scraps.  
2. Cover the jar opening with the cloth, tie with a rubber band and put into a warm dark spot. You can continue to add scraps over the next week. Just make sure you have allowed room for the extra scraps with the water level.
3. When you notice that a grey coloured film has started to form on the top of the water, don't add any more scraps and leave the jar to do it's thing.
4. After a couple of months, the vinegar will have fermented enough to start testing it. The longer you leave the potion to ferment, the stronger the vinegar will become, so don't worry if you forget it for several months.
5. When your vinegar has reached the strength you want (this may take another month), strain the scraps and your vinegar is made!

Vinegar lasts for ages so if you can have a number of jars in various stages of fermentation at any time so that you have a constant supply.

You can of course use your whole fresh or old apples in exactly the same way as scraps. The smaller you cut them, the faster your fermentation.


Image: Wiktory/Shutterstock

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