Apple Cider Vinegar Recipe
Learn how to make apple cider vinegar with whole apples or leftover cores and peels. Sugar and water feed natural fermentation, creating tangy vinegar with the mother. Great for dressings, marinades, or daily health routines.
Ingredients
- 5-6 whole apples or cores and peels form 8-10 apples
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 4 cups water
Instructions
- Coarsley chop 5-6 whole apples into chunks and fill the jar about ⅔ to ¾ full with apples.
- Sprinkle ¼ cup granulated sugar over the apples.
- Add 4 cups water to the jar ensuring the apples are completely submerged. Stir the apples, sugar, and water with a wooden spoon.
- Cover loosely with a kitchen towel. If your scraps float to the top of the jar, add a fermentation weight on top to push them to the bottom.
Ferment - Stage 1 - Alcohol Phase
- Set the jar in a warm, dark place for 2 weeks. Stir once daily to prevent mold from forming and to ensure oxygen reaches the apples. After about a week or son, you should start to smell a slight alcohol or hard cider scent.
Strain & Ferment - Stage 2 - Vinegar Phase
- Strain the apple pieces and compost. Return the liquid to the jar. Cover the apple cider vinegar again with a kitchen towel and allow it to sit at room temperature for another 3-4 weeks for it to ferment further. Stir occasionally. You'll notice a vinegary smell develop as acetic acid forms.
- Once it tastes tangy and vinegary to your liking, transfer the finished apple cider vinegar to a bottle with a lid. Store it in your fridge.
Notes
This recipe will yield approximately 1 quart.
Storage: Store the fermented ACV in a tightly sealed bottle in the fridge for up t0 12 months. You can also keep it at room temperature and it will continue to develop flavor over time. Always use a clean spoon or measuring cup when handling ACV to prevent contamination.
Helpful Tips:
- Use ripe apples or scraps - you can use whole apples or cores and peels from previously used apples.
- Ensure the apples are submerged - use a fermentation weight to keep floating apple pieces under the liquid to prevent mold.
- Stir daily - don't forget to stir daily during the alcohol phase to ensure oxygen reaches all the apples for even fermentation.
- Taste test - the second fermentation (vinegar phase) can take 3-4 weeks or longer. Taste occasionally until it reaches the tanginess you like.
Nutrition
Calories: 666kcal | Carbohydrates: 175g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 57mg | Potassium: 975mg | Fiber: 22g | Sugar: 145g | Vitamin A: 491IU | Vitamin C: 42mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 1mg