Apple Cider Vinegar
This is a quick recap on the process of making apple cider vinegar. The next time I make it, I will include more photos and videos.
I have collected apple scraps over time. I had stored them in a freezer bag in my freezer until I had enough to start my apple cider vinegar recipe.
You will need apple scraps, white sugar, some apple cider vinegar, clean and sanitized mason jars, and distilled water.
Make sure you rinse all apple scraps before you place them into your sanitized mason jars.
Fill the jar about 2/3 of the way up with the apple scraps.
Pour distilled water into the jar to fully submerge the apples. I use distilled water so that there is nothing else in the water (minerals, chemicals, etc) that might have a reaction as I let the apple cider vinegar ferment.
Pour sugar into the water. 1 tablespoon for every one cup of water. Make sure you stir up everything in the jar.
Put a coffee filter over the jar top and hold it down with the jar’s metal ring. The filter is to let air in, but keep dirt, bugs, and other contaminants out.
Place the jars in a warm but dark place. Be sure to check it every day and stir up the mixture so that everything gets moved around.
Let it sit for at least two weeks. Over time, you should begin to see some bubbling in the jar. This is good. That means the bacteria are feeding on the sugars in the apples as well as the sugar you added. It only took two to three days before I started to see this happen in my mixtures.
Continue to check and stir daily. Eventually, it should begin to smell like vinegar.
At this point you will strain out the apple pieces. They are no longer needed so you can compost them.
Next you will pour the liquid vinegar into mason jars and continue to let it sit.
