How to Make Scrap Apple Vinegar

One of the most used products in our house is vinegar, mostly white distilled vinegar. I use this for cleaning and as a fabric softener and I can buy in huge quantities which means it lasts for at least a year. It is not recommended to ingest white vinegar so I previously bought apple cider vinegar to add to cooking or take as a health supplement.

You can make your own apple cider vinegar which you can use for all of the above. It is simple to make, low in waste and saves you money.

Recipe:

Peels and cores of minimum 5 apples.

Enough water to cover the apple scraps.

1 tbsp of granulated sugar for every cup of water.

A sterilised container (if you are not going to ingest the vinegar then no need to sterilise)

Method:

The next time you are making an apple pie or crumble or some apple sauce you can keep the cores and peels and place in a wide mouth jar.

Fill with cups of water until the apples are covered.

Next add 1 tbsp of sugar per 1 cup of water and give the mixture a good stir to help the sugar dissolve.

I added a weight in the form of a jam jar inside as this makes sure that the apples stay submerged under water.

Place a light breathable cloth over to keep the dust and flies out but let oxygen in and place in a warm, dark part of your home. I keep mine in the corner of the kitchen away from direct sunlight.

Over the next few days stir the mixture multiple times everyday. Anytime I'm in the kitchen and I think of it, I give it a stir.

After a few days to a week, there should be loads of bubbles. This means it is working!

When the bubbles are visible you can reduce the stirring to once a day or whenever you think of it. This process will last for another week or two.

The mixture will go from alcohol to acetic acid which is vinegar.

When the bubbles have subsided you can filter out the apple scraps using a sieve and cheese cloth.

At this stage you can close the lid and once a day open to release any build up of pressure due to the fermentation process.

The mixture will be smelling and tasting like vinegar by this stage. Don't worry if it doesn't smell strong. Every fermentation process depends on the warmth of the room and how dark it is etc so some batches may take longer than others.

The vinegar will continue to get stronger as the following weeks and months pass by.

I burp the bottle every so often.

I use the vinegar for cleaning, fabric softener, in cooking and as a health supplement.

I hope this has broken it all down for you. It is easier than you think and you don't need anything other than apples, water and sugar.

Thanks for reading.

Video below...