Apple Vinegar

[Shani Tan]

How does one make apple vinegar?

[Bridge Scully]

Hi Tracey, is a vinegar mother much like a kombucha or is quite different? Cheers, Bridge.

[Tracy Dennison]

Hi. I don't know has never grown kombucha, but i think it may be.

[Ngaire Wallace]

Have a recipe for making Apple Cider Vinegar from scratch. It is a bit fiddly to begin with but once started it really does its own thing for 9 months before using.

[Isabell Strange]

hi Ngaire; I was wondering if you could copy and paste your recipe here as a few people might be interested?

[Ngaire Wallace]

Apple Cider Vinegar

3 Gallons good water (4.5 litres = 1 gallon)
Whizz/grate 7lb apple, skins and all (removing blemishes).
Put all into a food grade plastic bucket and cover with tea towel.
Stand 10 days, stirring twice daily with a wooden spoon.
Strain into a large container (I then compost the apple remains)
Add 3lb sugar and stir for 3 days.
Let mature for 8-9 months, store in a cool place.

*When put into plastic bucket it begins to froth on the second day and froth
dies down on the 10th day.
*When Froth dies down it is ready to strain and add sugar.
* If boiling water first let it cool before adding apples. I have a bucket marked on the outside for 10 litres of water and get a local firm which supplies mineral water "Crystal Valley Water"
and just get them to fill the bucket to the 10 litre mark.
*I don't tend to use the tea towel on top of bucket but leave the bucket lid on.
*After a couple of months you will find that the vinegar has started to form a "mother"
*After 9 months I put the vinegar into bottles, I like to put mine through filter paper. You will find that the bottom of the bucket will have a layer of "sludge" which I usually try not to stir up
to much when bottling vinegar.

[Megan]

hello Ngaire,
do the apples have to have the pips removed or is it ok to leave them in?
How many bottles will this recipe yield?
Does a sweet apple vs tart apple give you a different tasting vinegar?
Hope you don't mind all these questions, am keen to try your recipe out.
Many thanks for sharing your recipe.

[Ngaire Wallace]

Hi Megan

No apples don't have to have pips removed - just put whole lot (minus blemishes) through the food processor.

Sorry have not counted how many bottles I get from this, it all depends on the size of the bottle.

I haven't tried out sweet apples vs tart apples sorry.  Just tend to use what apples I have at hand at the time.

[Megan]

thanks Ngaire, will try this recipe soon as the apples are ready.

[Rochelle chambers]

Hi thanks for the recipe have just doubled it and made two batches, hope it will work,  picked two recycling bins of apples yesterday. do you pasteurise your vinegar before you bottle it

[Lisa]

I made cider that I was not fast enough to bottle. I have put some in a small bucket and now have a vinegar mother.  I am so proud. Now what?

[josephal]

Very good for you acv, been having a tsp full in a glass of water everyday and no colds through winter. Where the rest of my family have.