Homemade Apple Cider Vinegar

We all know Apple Cider Vinegar is the cure-all for what ails you. Don’t believe me, try a teaspoon with water or another drink when an upset tummy hits. It’s a miracle worker! Every time I hear about someone not feeling well, I take a teaspoon to keep my tummy healthy. Mixing it in with sweet tea helps hide the taste rather well, I think. Making your own Apple Cider Vinegar is super easy and only requires 3 ingredients!

Making Apple Cider Vinegar

After seeing the price for a small bottle of organic apple cider vinegar at the store and reading how easy it is to make, I started a batch in September to see if it would work for me. I’ve wanted unfiltered apple cider vinegar for a while now and I just couldn’t see spending the extra money on a small bottle, so I knew I had to give this a try.

For this batch, I didn’t make organic vinegar because it was a test batch but I’m sad now that I didn’t go that route since it turned out. Oh well, live and learn.

I used the apple peelings and cores from when I made a batch of Taffy Apple Salad. I packed two quart size mason jars with peelings and cores and poured sugar water over it, covered the jars and placed them in my pantry. Every day I would stir the peelings and push them down in the liquid. I did this for two weeks and then removed the peelings and cores, placed the jars back in the pantry and waited.

Every time I would go in the pantry I could smell the makings of vinegar. I couldn’t help but think of the Baldwin sisters, Emily and Mamie and their "recipe" from The Waltons when going in there. :) Once a week I would taste the vinegar to see if it was working. The taste changed a little, but it wasn’t until yesterday that the vinegar taste was there and it was strong.

During the past two weeks, I noticed a jelly film around the top of the vinegar – that is the makings of “the mother”. I was super excited about finding this, although it didn’t continue growing, so when I poured the vinegar in clean jars, I scraped it into the new jars. I covered the jars with lids to keep the vinegar from continuing to work; it’s strong enough at this point and I hoping the mother will continue to grow.

What I use ACV for other than in cooking and drinking; a hair rinse - I doubt I’ll be using homemade ACV in my hair rinse because I can purchase a very cheap bottle to use for that. I use it as an astringent by diluting ACV in water and pour it over cotton balls and keep it in small container in the bathroom. It helps control facial oil without drying out your skin.

Here’s the recipe I used:

apple peelings and cores
1 Tablespoon sugar per cup of water
filtered water

Pack jars with peelings and cores, leaving enough headspace to stir the mixture. Mix sugar and water and pour over apple pieces. Press pieces down below the liquid. Cover with several layers of cheesecloth, a jelly bag, or coffee filter, place the ring on the jar to hold the cover down.

I have several old worn out jelly bags that I use to cover my sourdough jars with and I used one on a jar. With the other jar, I tried something different, I cut the foot off a pair of new pantyhose long enough to slip over the mouth of the jar and then back up over the ring. I was surprised to find it worked better than the old jelly bag. Who knew pantyhose has another purpose other than driving their wearer mad?

Have you ever made Apple Cider Vinegar?

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