Apple cider vinegar is a natural product that is used in large quantities, whether you drink it for health benefits or use it to clean your house. If you use a lot of apple cider vinegar, buying it can be very expensive.
Ingredients
Apples
Water
Sugar or honey
Making Cider Base
Choose apples. Even if left to ferment for a long time, the apples you choose can significantly enhance the flavor of your finished vinegar.
Wash your apples in cold water. Wash your apples and rinse with cold water to clean anything you do not want in your vinegar.
The more you use, the more vinegar you will get. If you are just starting to make your apple cider vinegar, try using 3 apples in your first batch.
Cut the apples into small cubes. If you expose the top of the apple, the vinegar will boil faster. Use a clean knife to cut your apples into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes, keeping the peel and navel in place.
When using residues from something or a large object it should work well.
Never use stainless steel to fertilize your vinegar. As an apple boil, the vinegar acid can damage the iron, or give the metal flavor to your vinegar which may alter its taste.
Cover the apples with water. Make sure the apples are completely covered with water, as any exposed apples will start to rot instead of fermented into vinegar. For best results, use filtered water or minerals that will be free of contaminants that could damage your vinegar.
To get a quart jar with three apples, you will need about 800 milliliters (27 fl oz) of water.
It is always better to add more water than enough.
Add a teaspoon (4 grams) of raw sugar per apple. Mix the mixture well to make sure everything fits perfectly. Crude sugar works best for this, but you can use honey or any other sugar if you like.
Cover the jar with a cheesecloth. As apples ferment into cider and eventually vinegar, the mixture will still need to be able to breathe. Use a piece of cheesecloth held in the mouth of the pot with a rubber band. This will keep everything from getting into the pot but still allow the gases to release during the fermentation process.
Fermenting Your Vinegar. Store the pot in a warm, dark place. Find a place where you can leave the vinegar to ripen for a long time, where you will not be disturbed unnecessarily.
Mix the mixture once or twice a day. Stirring the mixture will aid the fermentation process, as well as turning the apples around the pot. Mix cider with a wooden spoon once or twice a day for the first week or two.
Wait for the apples to sink into the pot. As you check the apples daily or more, keep an eye out for bubbles that indicate a fermentation process. After a week or two, the apples will sink completely into the bottom of the pot. This indicates that the apples are boiled and no longer needed to make vinegar.
Strain the apples from the cider and pour the cider back into the pot. Use a plastic filter or other cheesecloth to sift the apples into the cider. As with all other measures, avoid using metal as this can damage the fermentation process. Pour the cider back into the pot, cover it with a cheesecloth covered with a rubber band, and return it to the same warm, dark place.
Leave the cider to boil for 3 to 6 weeks, stirring every few days. This is where apple cider will start to turn into apple cider vinegar. Add stir the pot every 3 to 4 days, just to stir the vinegar a little as it boils.
At this point, the sweet smell of cider should begin to develop a slightly sweet smell.
If you give the vinegar a long time, the taste and tang will be stronger. After about 3 weeks of fermentation, begin to taste the vinegar every few days until you reach the taste and acidity you want.
Transfer ripe vinegar to a glass jar with lids and store. Store vinegar in your refrigerator and should never be spoiled.
Storing the vinegar in the refrigerator should stop the fermentation process, but if left for long enough it may continue. If the vinegar is too thick, add a little water to clean it and lower it to the desired acidity.
Although you can safely store apple cider vinegar at room temperature, it will continue to boil if you do.
If a gelatinous blob forms on the surface of your vinegar, this is a cause for itching rather than anxiety. This is known as “mother” vinegar and can be used to skip future collections of apple cider vinegar.
