Home Made Apple Cider Vinegar

~ Instructions as given by Elzbieta Mioduszewski

October 3, 2015

INGREDIENTS:

  • apples
  • pre-boiled and cooled water
  • sugar or honey

EQUIPMENT:

  • pot or kettle
  • cutting board
  • paring knife
  • medium bowl
  • food processor
  • glass or earthenware container(s) for fermentation
  • cheesecloth
  • elastic bands or string

BASIC AMOUNTS & DESCRIPTIONS:

  • 1 kilo of apples to 1 liter of water
  • You can use dropped, bruised or 'deer apples', instead of 'wasting' good clean ones because they are just as good for this purpose of making vinegar.

INSTRUCTIONS ON THE DAY:

  1. Have a big pot of pre-boiled and cooled to room temperature water ready.
  1. Do not peel your apples (the skin contains a yeast that is beneficial to the fermentation process): only halve them and take out the core and seeds. Cut off any bruised and/or darkened bits.
  1. Throw chunks of apples into a food processor, and process until it is finely chopped. Add pulp to a glass or earthenware (not plastic) container until the container is half full.
  1. Now mix your sugar and water together. Ela says she has seen various and varied amounts for how much sugar to use in ratio with the water. You can do it whatever way you want, anywhere from 1 tablespoon per liter to 2 tablespoons per coffee mug. We did it in the way that Ela always did it: 2 tablespoons to one coffee mug of the pre-boiled and cooled water.
  1. Fill the second half of the container of apple pulp with this water and sugar mixture. Mix with a spoon.
  1. Cover container with a cheesecloth, and not a tight lid, as airflow is needed. You can fasten the cheesecloth with an elastic band, or by tying it with string.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE NEXT 5-6 WEEKS:

  1. Everyday, unfasten the cheesecloth and stir the apple pulp and water mixture. You will find that the fermentation process will push the mixture to float to the top and the liquid will be at the bottom. Push the mixture down daily as best as possible as you stir. This will continue to float up for about 2-3 weeks. When you notice that the apple mixture comes down, this will mark the end of the first stage of fermentation. Soon after, you will notice a 'skin' forming on the surface at the top.
  1. Once the skin forms, it is no longer necessary to stir and push down daily. Simply allow your vinegar to sit in a dark spot, away from direct light, covered over with the cheesecloth until 5-6 weeks are up (to clarify: 5-6 weeks from the day you first covered the apples over with the water; not 5-6 weeks from the skin forming). A good place is underneath your sink, or in some cupboard or pantry.
  1. You can start sampling your vinegar after 5 weeks to see if you like the taste it has acquired. If you like your vinegar very strong, allow it to sit and ferment for longer.
  1. Once desired taste is reached, pour off the vinegar to separate it from the pulp. You may filter the vinegar through various means if you wish, such as a coffee filter, or leave it with the sediments floating in it. The pulp can be thrown into your compost bin.
  1. Bottle and cap the vinegar at your desired taste. It can last for a very long time once you bottle it.

Enjoy the taste of your handiwork!