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Apple cider vinegar is a completely natural product with nearly endless uses, from drinking it for health benefits to using it as a household cleaner. If you frequently use large amounts of fresh apple cider vinegar, you could end up spending a significant amount of money. However, by learning to make apple cider vinegar with precise proportions and allowing it to ferment for the appropriate amount of time, you can save quite a bit by turning apples into vinegar with relative ease.
Ingredients
- Apples
- Water
- Sugar or honey
Steps
Fermenting Apple Juice
Choose fresh, high-quality apples. Even though the apples will ferment over a long period, the ones you select can significantly influence the vinegar's flavor. Opt for the best apples available to ensure a superior final product.
- For a more complex and robust flavor, consider mixing different apple varieties. Use two sweet apples, such as Golden Delicious or Gala, combined with one tart apple, like McIntosh or Liberty, to give the vinegar a slightly sharper taste.
- Instead of using whole apples, you can repurpose apple scraps from other recipes. The leftover pieces from two apples roughly equal one whole apple. Save the peels, cores, and scraps in the freezer for future vinegar-making.
Wash the apples in cold water. It’s always a good practice to rinse fruits before consumption, and this holds true even when using them for cooking or fermentation. Scrub the apples thoroughly under cold water to remove any unwanted residues.
- You can use any quantity of apples for making vinegar. The more apples you use, the more vinegar you’ll produce! If this is your first attempt, start with three apples. This will yield a decent amount of vinegar without risking too much if things don’t go as planned.
- If using apple scraps, ensure you wash the whole apple before cutting it into pieces.
Cut the apples into small cubes. A larger surface area speeds up the fermentation process. Use a sharp knife to dice the apples into 2.5 cm cubes, keeping the peels and cores intact.
- If you’re using apple scraps, there’s no need to cut them further.
Transfer the apples to a glass jar. Since the apples will ferment for about three months, use a wide-mouthed, sterilized glass jar. Fill the jar no more than three-quarters full, so a 1-liter jar or slightly larger is ideal.
- Avoid using stainless steel containers for fermentation. The acidic nature of vinegar can damage the steel or impart a metallic taste, altering the vinegar’s flavor.
Pour water to fully submerge the apples. Every piece of apple must be completely covered by water, as any exposed parts will rot instead of fermenting into vinegar. For the best results, use filtered or mineral water to ensure no impurities interfere with the fermentation process.
- If using a 1-liter jar with 3 apples, you’ll need approximately 800 ml of water. Adjust the amount as necessary.
- It’s better to add too much water than too little. Excess water will result in a slightly milder vinegar and a longer fermentation time, but insufficient water may leave some apple pieces exposed, leading to rot and spoiling the entire batch.
Add 1 teaspoon (4 g) of raw sugar per apple. Stir the mixture thoroughly until the sugar dissolves. The sugar will ferment and convert into alcohol, which will eventually turn into vinegar. Raw sugar is ideal, but you can use honey or any other sweetener of your choice.
Cover the jar with a breathable cloth. The mixture needs airflow during the fermentation process as the apples transform into vinegar. Secure a piece of cheesecloth over the jar’s opening with a rubber band. The cloth will prevent contaminants from entering while allowing gases to escape during fermentation.
Fermenting the Vinegar
Store the jar in a warm, dark place. Find a spot where the vinegar can ferment undisturbed for an extended period. Place it in a cupboard, on a shelf, or in a corner of the kitchen away from direct sunlight. Every home has a suitable area for this.
- Keep the jar at room temperature, ideally around 21°C (70°F).
Stir the mixture 1-2 times daily. Stirring helps promote fermentation and ensures the apples are evenly distributed in the jar. Use a wooden spoon to stir the mixture once or twice a day during the first 1-2 weeks. Don’t worry if you miss a day, as long as you maintain a regular routine.
- If any apple pieces rise above the water, use a fermentation weight or a clean, heavy object to keep them submerged.
Wait for the apples to sink to the bottom of the jar. As you check the mixture daily, you may notice bubbles forming, a sign of active fermentation. After 1-2 weeks, the apples will sink to the bottom, indicating that fermentation is complete.
- If a film forms on the surface, simply skim it off and discard it.
Strain the apples from the fermented liquid and pour the liquid back into the jar. Use a plastic strainer or another piece of cheesecloth to remove the apples. Avoid using metal utensils to prevent interfering with the fermentation process. Return the liquid to the jar, cover it with cheesecloth, and secure it with a rubber band. Place the jar back in a warm, dark spot.
- Discard the apples after straining, as they are no longer edible.
Allow the liquid to ferment for 3-6 weeks, stirring every few days. This is the stage where the liquid transforms into apple cider vinegar. Stir the mixture every 3-4 days to keep the fermentation process active.
- During fermentation, the sweet aroma of apples will gradually develop into a tangy, vinegar-like scent. This indicates that the fermentation is progressing as expected.
- The longer the fermentation, the stronger and more complex the vinegar’s flavor will become. After about 3 weeks, taste the vinegar every few days until it reaches your desired level of acidity and flavor.
- Fermentation time varies depending on climate conditions. In summer, the process is faster, while in winter, it may take longer.
Transfer the vinegar to a sterilized glass jar with a tight lid for storage. Use a sterilized glass jar with a secure lid to halt fermentation and preserve the vinegar’s freshness. Vinegar stored in the refrigerator will never spoil.
- Refrigeration stops fermentation, but if left too long, it may resume. If the vinegar becomes too strong, dilute it with water to achieve your preferred acidity.
- You can store apple cider vinegar at room temperature, but it will continue to ferment.
- If a gelatinous mass forms on the surface, don’t worry—it’s a “vinegar mother.” You can use it as a starter for your next batch of vinegar by adding it to fresh apples to speed up fermentation.
Warnings
- Avoid using homemade vinegar for pickling, as this process requires a precise 5% acetic acid concentration. It’s difficult to measure the exact acidity of homemade vinegar, so store-bought vinegar is the safer choice for pickling.
- If you notice green, gray, black, or brown mold forming on the surface during fermentation, discard the batch and start over. This could indicate the presence of harmful bacteria.
What You’ll Need
- Apples
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Glass jar
- Water
- Sugar
- Cheesecloth
- Rubber band
- Wooden or plastic spoon
- Glass jar with a lid for storing vinegar
