Apple cider vinegar is a very versatile product to have at home. It can be used in your cooking and has potential health benefits. You can drink it (diluted!), use it as a salt alternative, a salad dressing, or a home cleaning spray! Making your own is easy. It is a very effective way to use apple cores and scraps.
I enjoy making apple chutneys, jams, tarts and crumbles during apple season. However, I end up with unused parts of the apple - the peels and cores. They can be repurposed for this easy-to-make apple cider vinegar recipe. I'm a champion of reducing food waste, so this recipe is close to my heart.
If you are an apple fan, I have a few apple recipes for you to try. A delicious topping for your porridge or breakfast cereal could be my crab apple butter. My spiced apple chutney goes well in a cheese sandwich. Or perhaps you want to say "I love you" to your sweetheart by making my edible apple roses.
Ingredients and Equipment
Equipment
- Large jar for fermenting
- Small jar for weighing down the apple scraps
- Muslin cloth
- An elastic band to secure the muslin cloth
Ingredients
- Apple scraps: Cores and peels
- Water
- Raw Cane Sugar
Instructions
First, sterilise the jar in which you intend to ferment your apples. Please don't skip this step; otherwise, your apple cider vinegar may spoil as it develops.
Heat the oven to 100ºC. Wash the jar in warm soapy water. Rinse and dry and place the jar in the oven for thirty minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool.
Now add the apple scraps, adding any smaller bits like peels first, then add the cores. Pack it all in the jar as tightly as possible so that nothing floats up.
Remove any bits that float to the surface. Add the water and the sugar. Then place a small jam jar or pickling weights onto the apple scraps to keep them completely submerged. Cover with a muslin cloth and use an elastic band to keep it in place. Set aside the jar in a cool, dark place for three weeks.
After three weeks, strain the apple cores/peels.
Transfer the vinegar into a sterilised glass bottle and cover it with a muslin cloth. Secure it with a string or rubber band. Set aside for another three weeks.
After three weeks, decant into separate bottles if you wish.
📖 Recipe
Homemade Apple Cider Vinegar
Equipment
- 1.5 Litre glass jar
- A small glass jam jar that fits into the mouth of the large jar
- Muslin cloth
- 1 litre Glass bottle with a lid to store vinegar
Ingredients
- 1 kg Apple scraps
- 25 gms Raw Cane sugar
- 1 Ltr Water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 100ºC
- Wash the jars with hot soapy water and sterilise in the oven for 30 minutes
- Boil one litre of water and set aside to cool.
- Once sterilized, cool the jars to the touch.
- Now add the apple scraps, adding any smaller bits like peels first. Then add the cores. Pack it all in the jar as tightly as possible so that nothing floats up.
- Add the sugar.
- Pour in the water. At this point, if any bits are floating, remove them.
- Press down the smaller jar, or pickling weights if you have them, on top of the apple scraps to ensure nothing is floating, and everything is submerged. If scraps are floating, remove them. Otherwise, they will get mouldy and spoil the vinegar.
- Cover with the muslin cloth and use a rubber band or string to keep it in place.
- Set aside the jar in a cool, dry, dark place for three weeks.
- After three weeks, remove/strain the apple scraps and transfer the vinegar into a sterilised glass bottle and cover with a muslin cloth, secure with a string or rubber band.
- Set aside for another three weeks.
- After three weeks, check the vinegar and taste. It should be ready to use.
- Remove the muslin cloth and secure the lid.
- With time, the vinegar will mature, and the colour and flavour will change.
Nutrition
NOTES
FAQ
Apple cider vinegar has quite a reputation for its health/medicinal benefits. Little research has been conducted to prove its benefits. However, some small-scale studies have shown promising results. The primary source of its health benefits comes from the acetic acid produced during the fermentation of the apples. Here are some potential benefits of consuming apple cider vinegar:
Control blood sugar levels: Studies have shown that taking with a meal can help improve insulin function and lower blood sugar.
Digestive aid: My apple cider vinegar is unpasteurised, unfiltered, and contains a substance called "mother". It gives the apple cider vinegar its cloudy appearance. The mother contains friendly bacteria that may be good for the gut.
As a cleaning agent: Apple cider vinegar, with its high acetic acid content, can effectively work on dirt and grime. It can be used diluted as a surface cleaner. As an eco-cleaner, it can be a good option. Try one part apple cider vinegar to two parts water.
Following a search around the web, it appears that the suggested intake for potential health benefits is 1-2 tablespoons daily, diluted. Undiluted apple cider vinegar has 5% acetic acid content. That is acidic! Take it diluted in water and use a straw to help avoid the risks associated with taking it neat. Taking it neat will likely erode your tooth enamel and may cause burns to your oesophagus.
I think the best way to use it is on your food, perhaps as a salad dressing, a salt substitute, or roasting your vegetables.
Disclaimer: I am not a medical expert; I am a chef! You must do your research.
Please be aware that apple cider vinegar can interfere with some medications. Consult with your doctor if necessary before taking it regularly. For instance, apple cider vinegar can potentially help prevent diabetes; however, taking apple cider vinegar regularly may interfere with diabetes medications.
Disclaimer: I am not a medical expert; I am a chef! You must do your research.
Food Safety
In a professional kitchen, food hygiene and safety are top priorities, and from the beginning of my training, I practised good habits and routines. Of course, practising good food hygiene and safety at home is also essential. Here are some fundamental practices to adopt in the kitchen.
- Wash your hands regularly while preparing, handling and cooking food.
- Wipe down countertops and high-contact points regularly.
- If you cook meat and fish, do not use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched raw meat. Use separate chopping boards for meat and fish. Wash your chopping boards immediately after use.
- Thoroughly cook food to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C).
- Don't leave food at room temperature for extended periods (more than 2 hours).
- Store food correctly.
For more details regarding food hygiene and safety in the home, visit the UK Government's Food Standards Agency webpage.
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