making apple cider vinegar

we have an apple tree in the garden with lots of nice apples. so Hive account@hindavi decided to make apple pies and applesauce. since there were lots of scraps i decided to use some of them to make a batch of apple cider vinegar.

this pot full of apple scraps is enough for more than 4 l / 1 gallon. since we still have some from last year i am only making 2 liters. there are almost now worms in the apples this year which makes the process more enjoyable.

so i use about half the scraps and compost the rest. organic apple cores, seeds, peels are all good. brown spots are fine, they help speed up the fermentation. i filled a 3 l jar about 2/3 full of the apples. not more

then dissolved 2 tbsp organic sugar in warm water. when dissolved i added it to a pot altogether 2 liters. do not be tempted to leave out the sugar or use other sweeteners. since there are traces of chlorine in our water i just fill the pot a day in advance to let it dissipate. the more chlorine in the water, the more important it is to remove it either by filter, boiling or like i do.

then filled the jar with the sugar water

then poured 2-3 Tbsp active apple cider vinegar from last year. this speeds up the fermenting. if you don't have any it's ok but will take longer. the vinegar must be active with no preservatives.

after a good stir i covered the jar with two layers of cloth to keep the fruit flies out. then wrapped the whole jar with a kitchen towel to keep it dark. and placed it beside the refrigerator which gives off a little heat. if you are in a warmer climate just keep it room tempeture.

within a couple of days the fermentation is underway. it is a good idea to stir it every couple of days because the apples float to the top and those exposed to air turn brown. also if there is any sugar that settled to the bottom it should be stirred enough to dissolve it. this fermentation should go on for at least two weeks. maybe more if there were no brown spots on the apples or you didn't add vinegar to start.

then it is time to remove the apple scraps (no photo) using a strainer but of course saving the liquid. pour the partially fermented cloudy liquid into bottles for finishing.

the first ferment has yielded a mix of alcohol and vinegar. the finishing fermentation will convert the alcohol into vinegar. it will take a couple of months or more. the bottles need to be loosely covered. i put the lid on but don't seal it. then i cover it with a small piece of cloth held in place with a rubber band. i store these bottles in the cabinet over the stove so the stay warm. i will taste test them in the beginning of december and when they are ready i will seal them properly. they keep for several years.

the benefits of this amazing stuff are too numerous to go into here. do a little research. and now that you know how easy it is there is no excuse to delay making your own.