Making Apple Cider Vinegar from Scratch........

Sorry for dropping the ball yesterday folks.

Especially when some of you were waiting for the tutorial on how to make your own ACV (apple cider Vinegar). With starting school this week, it has been a challenge to keep everything balanced, and you know that this occasionally is the one thing that falls off the plate when needed. :) Have to get back in the habit of writing a lot earlier in the week and just posting when I am really busy/ :)

I decided this year with the blessing of all sorts of apples, that I am going to try to make my own apple cider vinegar, and so far, it is coming along according to plan,

 bubbling, and turning darker by the day.

This post is going to actually be a half post because I do not have the finished product yet, 

and will share that with you in six weeks.

However, it is so incredibly easy that I simply could NOT not post about it for you, because I know some of you have apples waiting at home to be processed, and because I told you to hang onto those cores from making applesauce. You can also use the leftover crabapples from making apple juice, making them do double duty......as I have done at this point and have them "cooking in a jar" on top of my cupboards.

To make apple cider vinegar you need to have very clean, sterilized jars that you are using. As always, I pulled out one of my glass gallon jars, washed it really well, then sterilized it with boiling water from my tea kettle. Since you are going to be fermenting something, just like with sauerkraut, then you need to make sure that all the bad stuff is history to give room for the good bacteria to thrive.

Take your apple cores and place them into the sterilized jar.

Fill jar with distilled water to the top.

Place something (here I used my 2 cup glass measuring cup) to block any air flow and to create a seal with water around the top of the jar. This keeps any yuckies, such as bugs or bad bacteria, from invading your ACV while it is fermenting. Since I have two of those, it works perfect as a weight that is just enough to keep the apples below the surface, and a water seal around the top of the jar.

You can also use a pint jar weighted with water and then cover the top of the jar with cheesecloth, a cotton towel, or whatever. Right now mine has a tea towel tied tightly around the neck of the jar, and I put it in a dark place so that it can continue to ferment for the six weeks.

You do need to check it periodically, pull any scummy looking stuff off, and just let it go. Place it in a warm dark place, and leave it for six weeks. Not too long from now, and you will have beautiful, strong, homemade ACV.......just like our grandmothers used to make throughout the fall and winter for their families. :)

Blessings to you and yours,

~Heather

Tomorrow I have a couple amazing apple recipes for you for Simple Saturday Pleasures, so be sure to check back!

Here was the link that I got my idea to make Apple Cider Vinegar from:

Shared with Upside Down Kids Apple Link up,