Apple Cider Vinegar Recipe

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Directions

• Fill a clean, sterilized quart jar 3/4 full with apple scraps. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine sugar and water, and let stand until sugar is fully dissolved. Pour over apple scraps in jar. If scraps aren’t fully submerged, add enough additional water to cover.
• Place a fermentation weight or a small glass jar filled with water inside the quart jar to weigh down the apple scraps.
• Cover jar with cheesecloth or a coffee filter, and secure with a rubber band.
• Store jar in a dark place at room temperature for 3 weeks. Check daily to make sure the scraps are still submerged, and that no mold is present. Skim off any scum that may form on top.
• After 3 weeks, strain scraps out, and discard them or feed them to your chickens.
• Return liquid to jar. Cover again with cheesecloth or a coffee filter, and secure with a rubber band. Let stand in a dark place at room temperature for another 3 to 4 weeks, stirring daily. After 3 weeks, begin tasting the mixture for desired tartness.
• When desired tartness is reached, transfer the vinegar to a jar with a lid, and begin using it. Store in refrigerator.

Photo by Getty Images/Madeleine_Steinbach

Yields 1-1/2 pints.

NOTE: The “mother” will float to the top of the mixture as the vinegar ferments. You can either remove it and store it separately, or you can leave it floating in the jar. When you’re ready to make your next batch of vinegar, add the mother to the jar with the apple scraps.

For more delicious apple recipes, see Apple Recipes From the Autumn Harvest. And to learn more about fermenting, subscribe to our newest sister publication, Fermentation.

Traci Smith is a Capper’s Farmer editor. She enjoys doing crafts and DIY projects, hanging out with her Labrador retrievers, and trying new recipes.