Buzz
Although buying a bottle of vinegar from the store is easy, you will be delighted by the process of making your own – and it tastes great too! All you need is a clean jar, some alcohol, a 'vinegar mother' (the culture needed for fermentation), and at least two months to let the vinegar work its magic. Once you understand the basic method of making vinegar from any alcoholic drink, you can experiment with other types of vinegar, such as wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, rice vinegar, or if you're willing to wait at least 12 more years, you could even create balsamic vinegar.
Ingredients
- The vinegar mother (either store-bought or homemade)
- 350 ml of wine and 350 ml of distilled water
OR
- 710 ml of beer or alcoholic cider (with at least 5% alcohol content)
Steps
Pour the alcohol into the prepared jar.
Wash a wide-mouth 2-liter jar thoroughly with soap and water. You can use a ceramic jar or even an old wine bottle for making vinegar, but wide-mouth jars are easier to find and work with. Remove the lid and rubber ring (the lid is not needed here), then clean the jar well with soap and warm water.
If you prefer a smaller batch of vinegar, use a 1-liter jar and reduce the amount of alcohol (and water) by half.
Sterilize the inside of the jar with boiling water. Boil a pot of water, place the jar in the sink, and carefully pour the boiling water into the jar. Once the jar cools enough to handle, pour the water out – it should take about 5 minutes for the jar to cool enough for you to touch safely.
- Make sure the jar is not cold when you pour the hot water in – sudden temperature changes can cause the jar to break. If necessary, you can rinse the jar with warm water beforehand.
- This sterilization method is not safe enough for canning or food storage, but it is adequate for making vinegar.
Pour 350 ml of wine and 350 ml of water into the jar. Vinegar is created through the action of bacteria that convert alcohol (ethanol) into acetic acid. This process works best when the liquid has an alcohol content between 5%-15%, ideally 9%-12%. Most wines have an alcohol content of around 12%-14%, and combining wine and water in a 1:1 ratio – 350 ml of each – will balance the flavor and acidity of the final product.
- Use distilled water instead of tap water to minimize the risk of off flavors.
- For a lighter vinegar flavor, use 240 ml of wine and 470 ml of water. For a stronger taste, use two parts wine to one part water.
- You can use either white or red wine, but ensure it is free from sulfites (check the label on the bottle).
Use 710 ml of beer or hard apple cider instead of wine. You can make vinegar with any alcoholic beverage containing at least 5% alcohol. Check the label on the beer or cider to ensure it meets the requirements, then pour it into the jar without adding water.
- Other alcoholic beverages with a higher alcohol content can also be used, but you'll need to dilute them with water to lower the alcohol level to 15% or less.
Add the vinegar mother and store the jar.
Add the store-bought vinegar mother to the jar. The vinegar mother contains the bacteria necessary to convert ethanol into acetic acid. The mother may form naturally in an open bottle of wine, appearing as a slimy, round disc on the surface. You can purchase the vinegar mother in gel or liquid form – look for it in homebrew stores or natural food shops, or order it online.
- If you're using the gelatin form, follow the instructions on the package for the proper amount to use – simply drop the vinegar mother into the jar.
- If you're using the liquid form, pour 350 ml into the jar unless the package specifies otherwise.
Use a vinegar mother you’ve saved from a previous batch, if available. Each time you make a batch of vinegar, a new vinegar mother forms. If you've made vinegar before or obtained a mother from someone else, you can use that one for your new batch. Just remove it and drop it into the new jar.
- This process can be repeated year after year if desired.
- The mother from one type of vinegar (like wine vinegar) can be used to make another type (such as apple cider vinegar).
Cover the jar with cheesecloth or a breathable fabric and secure it with a rubber band. Simply place a piece of cheesecloth or any breathable fabric over the top of the jar, then secure it tightly with a rubber band. The covering must allow air to enter the jar.
- Do not leave the jar open. Dust could fall in, and you may end up with a bunch of drowned fruit flies floating in your vinegar!
Place the jar in a dark, well-ventilated area with moderate temperature for 2 months. Find a spot on a shelf, in a cupboard, or somewhere that's relatively dark and airy. The fermentation process will occur at temperatures between 15°C and 34°C, but ideally between 27°C and 29°C – so choose a warm location if possible.
- If you can't find a dark spot, wrap the jar in a thick kitchen towel – just don't cover the jar opening with cheesecloth or paper towels.
- Do not shake, stir, or move the jar (if possible) during the first 2 months. This allows the vinegar mother to form and work properly.
- You may notice a vinegar-like smell or even some odd odors coming from the jar. Just leave it alone for the full 2 months.
Taste and bottle the vinegar.
Use a straw to sample some vinegar after it's fermented for 2 months. Remove the rubber band and fabric covering the jar's mouth, then insert the straw into the liquid without disturbing the vinegar mother floating on top. Cover the top of the straw with your thumb to trap some vinegar inside. Lift the straw out of the jar, place it over a small cup, and release your thumb to let the vinegar drip into the cup.
- You can use either a plastic straw or a reusable one for this.
Taste the sampled vinegar and wait longer if necessary. Take a sip of the vinegar. If it's too mild (the fermentation process hasn't fully developed) or too harsh and strong (the vinegar hasn't mellowed enough), cover it back up and let it ferment for another 2 weeks.
- Continue tasting the vinegar every 1-2 weeks until it reaches your desired flavor.
Remove the vinegar mother if you want to reuse it for a new batch. Carefully take the vinegar mother floating on the surface and place it in another jar with a liquid base for vinegar (for example, a wine and water mixture at a 1:1 ratio). This way, you can keep making new batches of homemade vinegar!
- Alternatively, you can slowly pour most of the vinegar out, leaving a small amount at the bottom with the vinegar mother. Then, add more alcohol to the jar to start a new batch in the same jar.
Pasteurize the vinegar for long-term storage. After removing the vinegar mother from the fermenting jar (or leaving it in), pour the vinegar into a medium-sized pot. Place the pot over medium heat and use a food thermometer to monitor the temperature. When the temperature reaches between 60°C and 71°C, remove the pot from the heat and let the vinegar cool to room temperature.
- This pasteurization process ensures that the vinegar can be stored indefinitely in a glass jar at room temperature, away from direct light.
- You can skip this step if you prefer, and the vinegar will still last for several months or even years without losing its quality or flavor. However, this simple step guarantees the long-term preservation of the vinegar you've made.
Pour the finished vinegar into bottles using a funnel and filter paper. Place a coffee filter into a funnel, then set the funnel over the opening of a clean, sterilized glass bottle – an old wine bottle works well for this purpose. Slowly pour the vinegar through the filter into the bottle. Seal the bottle with a cork or screw cap.
- Wash the bottle with soap and water, then pour boiling water into it and let it sit for 5-10 minutes to sterilize.
- Label the bottle with the type of alcohol used to make the vinegar and the fermentation time. This is especially useful if you want to give it as a gift or add it to your personal collection!
Do not use homemade vinegar for canning, food storage, or room temperature preservation. Homemade vinegar is excellent for salad dressings, marinades, and other cooking uses, or for refrigeration. However, due to potential variations in its acidity (pH), homemade vinegar is not safe for canning or room temperature food preservation.
- If the acidity is too low, the vinegar won't be effective in preventing harmful bacteria, such as E. coli, in the foods you're trying to preserve.
- This applies even if the vinegar has been pasteurized. However, vinegar (whether pasteurized or not) can still be safely stored at room temperature or in a cooler, dark place.
Other Recipes
Try making maple vinegar for a unique flavor. To make 710 ml of maple vinegar, combine 440 ml of maple syrup, 150 ml of dark rum, and 120 ml of distilled water. Follow the same steps as described in the basic vinegar-making process above.
- Maple vinegar has a rich, distinctive flavor that's perfect for drizzling over roasted squash or chicken.
Skip the alcohol to make basic apple cider vinegar. Grind 1.8 kg of apples using a food processor, then strain the pulp through cheesecloth to extract 710 ml of apple cider vinegar base. You can also use organic, pure apple juice. Follow the steps outlined in the basic vinegar-making recipe.
- While this recipe doesn't include alcohol, the sugars in the apple juice will provide enough “food” for the vinegar mother to thrive. However, you may need to wait a bit longer for the mixture to ferment to your desired taste.
Try making honey vinegar as another alcohol-free option. Boil 350 ml of distilled water and pour it into 350 ml of honey. Stir to combine and allow the mixture to cool until it's just warmer than room temperature (below 34°C). The following steps are the same as the basic vinegar-making process.
- Just like with apple juice vinegar, the sugars in the honey are enough to nourish the vinegar mother and support fermentation.
Things You'll Need
- 2-liter glass jar
- Cheesecloth or paper towels
- Rubber band
- Plastic or reusable straw
- Medium-sized pot
- Food thermometer
- Clean, empty wine bottle with a cap
- Funnel
- Coffee filter paper
