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    Home » Foraging & Sustainable Living

    Homemade Apple Cider Vinegar

    Published: Oct 6, 2021 · Modified: Oct 16, 2022 by Chef Tripti · This post may contain affiliate links

    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.

    Two bottles of apple cider vinegar sat on a tree trunk slice platter.

    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.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients and Equipment
    • Instructions
    • 📖 Recipe
    • FAQ
    • Food Safety

    Ingredients and Equipment

    Equipment for making apple cider vinegar: Big jar, small jar, elastic band and muslin cloth.
    Equipment
    Ingredients for making apple cider vinegar: Apple cores and peels, raw cane sugar and water.
    Ingredients

    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.

    A large glass jar containing tightly packed apple cores and peels for apple cider vinegar.

    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.

    A large jar containing apple cores and peels in water, covered with a muslin cloth, secured by an elastic band.

    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.

    Pouring apple cider vinegar into a glass dish through a sieve to separate from the apple cores/peels.

    After three weeks, strain the apple cores/peels.

    A glass bottle sealed with a muslin cloth containing strained apple cider vinegar.

    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.

    Two tall glass bottles containing apple cider vinegar.

    After three weeks, decant into separate bottles if you wish.

    📖 Recipe

    Two bottles of apple cider vinegar sat upon a tree trunk slice platter. 

    Homemade Apple Cider Vinegar

    Chef Tripti
    Utilise your unused apple cores and peels by making this easy apple cider vinegar. Love your leftovers!
    No ratings yet
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 0 mins
    Fermenting Period 42 d
    Total Time 42 d 15 mins
    Course Salad, Side Dish
    Cuisine International
    Servings 84 tablespoons (1.5 litres)
    Calories 7 kcal

    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

    Calories: 7kcalCarbohydrates: 2g (1%)Protein: 0.03gFat: 0.02gSaturated Fat: 0.003gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.01gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.001gSodium: 0.2mgPotassium: 13mgFiber: 0.3g (1%)Sugar: 2g (2%)Vitamin A: 6IUVitamin C: 1mg (1%)Calcium: 1mgIron: 0.02mg

    NOTES

    The nutritional information is for guidance only, generated by the Spoonacular API. The values are per tablespoon of apple cider vinegar.
    Some people are a little worried about using apple cores because of the pips that contain toxins. You can remove them if it eases your mind; however, you will not be eating or crunching on/crushing the pips, and they will be strained out during the straining process. Also, you would need to eat many pips to get ill.
    You can save some of the "mother" for next year, it will speed up the fermentation process and result in better-quality vinegar.
    The colour and flavour of the vinegar are dependent on the apples. I used crab apple this year, hence the pale rosy colour.
    Keyword homemade, salad dressing, vinaigrette
    Tried this recipe?Please leave a review & rating
    Mention @kitchenandotherstories or tag #kitchenandotherstories!

    FAQ

    What is apple cider vinegar good for?

    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.

    How much apple cider vinegar can I drink a day?

    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.

    Is apple cider vinegar safe for everyone?

    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.

    Spread The Love. Thank You So Much!

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    Chef Tripti

    Hi! Tripti here. I am a Michelin trained chef with over 20 years experience in the industry. My mission is to have you cooking fresh, nutritious food with simple recipes that deliver on creativity and taste. Food with heart and soul.

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