Basic Stuff - Apple Cider Vinegar

Making Apple Cider Vinegar:
Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is ridiculously easy to make. At the base is simply apples and a sugar water mixture left to sit for a few weeks.

I have that dying Spire Apple tree on my property. It is still fruiting and we are nursing it along until we have another producing apple tree to replace it. I’m also in the process of several attempts to clone it. Even in it’s current condition it gives us over 500 apples a year. They are small and often blighted, as you've seen, however, good enough for critter feed and vinegar.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Normally you would make a few apple based desserts reserving the peels and cores in the freezer till you have enough to fill up a jar.

2) Fill your container with apple peels, cores or pieces to about an inch from the top. If you have some “mother” put some of it in the middle of your container so apple bits are on top of it.

“Mother” is the slimy, gelatinous, usually white-ish, goo that grows in top notch vinegar. It accelerates vinegar creation and is a source of threads of probiotic-dense and enzyme-rich bacteria that are great when you’re making a new batch.

3) Mix 1 Tablespoon sugar for each cup of water that you use.

4) Pour the sugar water over the apple pieces until they are covered. Make more sugar water if you need to get the water level up to about an inch above the apple pieces.

If you have fermentation weights, now is a good time to use them (I don’t have any and my vinegar turns out great every time)

5) Cover with a cloth and rubber band, or similarly, such that the gasses can escape and bugs can not get in.

Store in a cool dark place like the back of your cupboard for two weeks. Mark it on your calendar.

6) After two weeks strain the vinegar (if there is a “mother” present, store it in the fridge in a separate jar filled with enough vinegar to cover it). It should smell like vinegar and taste like weak vinegar. Re-bottle the strained vinegar and put it back where it was for another two weeks. Mark it on your calendar.

7) After the second two weeks you should have a wonderful tasting vinegar. If it isn’t as tart as you want you can set it back for another week, otherwise store in the refrigerator or cellar.

I will use pear peal and cores mixed in with my apples whenever I have them. You can make vinegar from a WIDE variety of fruits and veggies. Go ahead and experiment, if you don’t care for the taste of your new vinegar it can always be used in critter water and for cleaning.