A homemade vinegar that turns apple scraps into a useful pantry staple. Makes 1 gallon.
Prep Time:10 minutesmins
Fermenting Time:28 daysd
Total Time:28 daysd10 minutesmins
Equipment
Large container (gallon-sized and preferably glass)
Cheesecloth
String or rubber band
Wooden spoon
Canning weight (or sandwich bag filled with water as a weight)
fine mesh strainer
Jar with a fermenting attachment
Ingredients
8cupsapple cores and peelsor cut-up apples
½cupgranulated sugar
8cupswaterfiltered, warm
Instructions
Fill a jar with apples. Wash a large gallon-sized jar with hot, soapy water. Add enough apple scraps to fill the jar halfway (about 8 cups when using a gallon-sized container).
Add water. Fill the jar with about 8 cups of warm (not hot) filtered water, leaving about 1 ½ inches of headspace.
Add sugar. Add the sugar and stir well. You will ultimately want 1 tablespoon of sugar per cup of water. If it took the full 8 cups to fill the jar, ½ cup is perfect. But if you only used 7 cups, just use 7 tablespoons .
Cover and sit overnight. Cover the mouth of the jar with a piece of cheesecloth and seal with a string or rubber band. Let the mixture sit overnight at room temperature.
Add canning weight. The next day, stir the apple mixture. Place a canning/fermenting weight on top (this pushes down the apple scraps to keep them in the water and helps prevent mold from growing). If you don’t have a canning weight, you can use a sandwich bag filled halfway with water to use as a weight.
Store. Store the mixture at room temperature in a cool, dark place, stirring 1-2 times daily. After 2-4 weeks, you should notice the apple scraps starting to sink to the bottom. This is when it is time to strain the mixture.
Strain. Place a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and pour the mixture into the strainer, removing the apple scraps.
Ferment and store. Transfer the liquid to a jar with a fermenting attachment and let the mixture sit until bubbles stop forming. You will want to “burp” the mixture every other day by loosening the lid, allowing the gases to escape, and quickly tightening again, limiting exposure to new oxygen. Once the bubbles are gone and the liquid has a distinct vinegar smell, you can transfer the liquid to a jar for long-term storage.
Notes
Using filtered water is essential. Chlorinated tap water affects the good bacteria that we need.