Kick starting your own Apple Cider Vinegar

In the past, I’ve written a little about the various ways of making your own ACV. As it’s a popular topic of discussion in workshops, I thought I’d go over a super basic way to start your own for free again. Apple Cider Vinegar is a simple to make kitchen ferment that is one of the ferments covered in detail on our fermentation page.

I had some leftover apple cores and bits and pieces from my drying preparation today. The apples from our own tree, it’s too early for that. I’d bought a bunch from the local grocery store. I was thinking ‘shall I feed them to the chickens or to the worms or put them into the Bokashi bin‘?

All of those were great ideas but they meant that the apples only got 2 uses. I thought, can I get an extra use out of them befits they go out? The answer was diy Apple Cider Vinegar! Dried Apples, ACV and then feed the leftovers to the critters…3 uses, that’s got to be pretty good!

So here’s the ultra complicated way to make your own ACV –

• Put your bits in a jar and cover them with water.
• Put something on them to keep them below the surface of the water  I’m using a scrunched up bit of cling-wrap (washed and reused, of course). You can remove that after a couple of days.
• Cover the whole thing with some cheesecloth or net to keep the bugs out.

• Put it somewhere warm and out of full sunlight.

• It’ll ferment, and bubble and a rubbery layer will form over the surface. That’s the Mother and is a colony of microbes and yeasty things that convert Apple juice to vinegar.
• When you see that, leave the jar for a few more days and taste until the taste is gloriously vinegary!
• Keep the Mother aside in a little of the vinegar. When you next get some apple juice , add the Mother to some and viola! You’re making your own vinegar!