In this article we will show you the best method we've ever seen for making your own organic Apple Cider Vinegar. It might just be the easiest recipe we've ever shared on Organic&Healthy!
What Are You Going To Need?
Yep, you guessed it..the main ingredient is Apples, and as always, get them organic! We can't stress enough the benefits of going organic and using 100% organic produce in your Apple Cider Vinegar. You'll also need a knife, surely you can find one of those in the kitchen! You'll need to find a big jar, empty it and clean it and you're pretty much set. We're going to ferment the mixture for quite a while to give us a whole lotta bacterial goodness!
The Secret Is In The Apples...
This recipe calls for whole apples. Organic whole apples.
We're about to make something that has so many incredible health benefits...Why would we taint it with harmful chemicals hidden within non-organic produce from pesticides and fertilizers?
In reality, you can use any part of the apple that you have. You'll be happy to know that you can make ACV using just scraps like the cores and peels. Yep, you can eat your apple and ferment it too. So if there’s any apple pies baking in your near future, make sure you keep those scraps and put them to good use.
It's also good to remember that the fermentation process is dependent on the season – less during summer and a bit longer during colder months.
You will know your vinegar is ready when you will notice a dark, cloudy bacterial foam – this is called the Mother and can easily be noticed when holding the vinegar to light. This is bacteria we love and cherish! Because it’s full of enzymes and minerals that over-processed vinegars do not have.
Homemade Organic Raw Apple
Prep time: 5 mins
Total time: 2-3 months
Ingredients
· 3 small organic apples (core and peel included, no stem)
· 3 tsp raw fairtrade and organic sugar (we used muscavado) filtered water to cover
Instructions
1. Wash and chop your apples into medium sized pieces (or use the peels and cores of 6-7 small apples after making a pie). Place them in a clean, rinsed and sterilized wide mouth jar.
2. Mix the sugar with 1 cup of water and pour on top of the apples.
3. Add more water if needed to cover the apples.
4. Cover the jar with a paper towel or a cheesecloth and secure it with a band. This keepsbugs and pests away while letting the liquid breathe.
5. Place the jar in a warm, dark place for 2-3weeks. In your pantry is fine
Now It's Time To Ferment!
Now It's Time To Ferment!
1. After the mix has been left in a dark place for about 3 weeks, strain out the liquid and discard the apple pieces.
2. Return the liquid to the same jar and cover it again (same paper or cheesecloth).
3. Return the jar to the same warm, dark place and leave it to do its thing for roughly 4 to 6 weeks, stirring with a plastic or wooden spoon every few days or so. We’ll be honest with you, we weren't that organised with our stirring (oftentimes forgot), but the vinegar still lovedus!
4. After the first 4 weeks, you can begin to also taste your vinegar and once it reaches an acidity you like, you can actually transfer it to a bottle with a lid and begin using it.
5. When you clean and sterilize your jar, please make sure you rinse the jar well to avoid having residue soaps or anything. This can spoil your brew.
And there you have it, your very own Apple Cider Vinegar! How easy was that?
Tips To Improve Your Batch:
3. Return the jar to the same warm, dark place and leave it to do its thing for roughly 4 to 6 weeks, stirring with a plastic or wooden spoon every few days or so. We’ll be honest with you, we weren't that organised with our stirring (oftentimes forgot), but the vinegar still lovedus!
4. After the first 4 weeks, you can begin to also taste your vinegar and once it reaches an acidity you like, you can actually transfer it to a bottle with a lid and begin using it.
5. When you clean and sterilize your jar, please make sure you rinse the jar well to avoid having residue soaps or anything. This can spoil your brew.
And there you have it, your very own Apple Cider Vinegar! How easy was that?
Tips To Improve Your Batch:
The jar needs to be sterilized prior to use and if it has small indentations on the bottom that you cannot thoroughly clean (as ours did), we prefer to pop it into a bpa free plastic zip lock bag. We then cover the entire set up with cheesecloth and secure it with a band. You can also use a small plate if it fits or a cup – anything you can thoroughly clean and sterilize that will keep the apples submerged.
Bubbles mark the start of the fermentation process.
The white scum that forms on top of your ferment is good. It is a natural outcome of the fermentation and it is what forms the mother in few weeks time.
Any other scum of any other color (green, blue, grey, black) is not good. Generally we woulddiscard it and feed the apples to the compost. When bad mold is on any type of food, it’s good to know that it is not located only where you can see it with the naked eye. It has the ‘magical’ power of spreading very well and fast and infesting it all. Safe is to discard, learn from your mistakes and try again with a new batch. If you are a beginner, start with a very small batch so not to be sorry if something goes wrong.
We used a stainless steel sieve to strain the apples and it is in contact with the ferment for very brief time. We didn't notice it affecting the fermentation process at all. However, for the stirring that we need to do more often, we would recommend a plastic, wooden or ceramic spoon.
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