Are you curious about How To Make Apple Cider Vinegar? Well, a DIY Apple Cider Vinegar is actually a lot easier than you would think. The hard part is the waiting! My childhood friend, Elysse, is going to share how she makes her own homemade Apple Cider Vinegar.
Guest post by Elysse
Every year I would go to the orchard and get my yearly allotment of apples to can my homemade apple sauce and make the traditional apple crisps that Dad requests every year for his birthday. It’s a good thing that his birthday is in October and fresh apples are readily available.
Don’t throw all of the apple away, here’s what you can do with the peels and cores! Make ACV!
A few years ago a friend mentioned that she never spends any money on apple cider vinegar because she is always making it at home, and I thought, “Hey, that sounds like something I could do!”
Check out this apple corer tool that is very effective!
Note from Cassie: This is the EXACT apple corer/peeler we have! It does both jobs in a super slick fashion! Check out this affordable tool HERE (I also use it for potatoes). And now I have a use for these apple peels!
Each time I have an excess of apple peels and cores, I pop them in to a clean quart jar. Add 2.5 tablespoons of sugar, cover them with water and then pop a coffee filter over the top of the jar. Secure the coffee filter with a rubber band. I set it on my counter where I can daily monitor the progress of fermentation.
Most importantly, I set an alarm on my phone to check the vinegar mixture in 2 weeks. Usually your Apple Cider Vinegar will be done in 2 weeks. Throughout those two weeks you might find a little film or SCOBY forming on top of your vinegar. That is completely normal. Don’t worry, just scoop it off when the liquid is completed. At the end of two weeks, simply taste and make sure it is strong enough. If not, give it a few more days of fermenting. If so, drain the liquid and store in your fridge.
I toss my now-fermented peels and cores in my compost pile or feed to my chickens. They love to eat it even after it’s been fermented!
Note: Your Apple Cider vinegar may not look as brown as you are used to. I’ve found it all depends on the apples that you use for fermenting. My last batch turned out a lovely pink!
How much does homemade Apple Cider Vinegar cost to make?
I figure that the only real costs I have with this are the costs of a few coffee filters and some time. But, the returns are great! I have a plentiful supply of apple cider vinegar to use for cooking and cleaning. In fact, I usually have so much that I share or sell to friends and family. Best of all, my vinegar is raw, not processed.
One time I was curious how much I was saving, so I did some price checking and a quart of raw apple cider vinegar was somewhere between $6-$12. Not only do I save that, I make a little selling to friends and family! The best of both worlds – making money and saving money!
Cassie’s Comments:
This isn’t something I have thought of, and I am not sure why because I make my own carrot kraut, sauerkraut, kombucha and kefir. Yet, I am still buying Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar?!? I think another frugal change is going to happen in our home and it costs nearly nothing and you are using every part of your apple!
Thanks to Elysse for sharing this trick and recipe with us all!
Here’s a printable version of this recipe on:
How To Make Apple Cider Vinegar
| Do It Yourself Apple Cider Vinegar | | Print |
- Enough apple peels and cores to fill a quart size jar
- 2 TBSP of sugar
- Water
- Add the peels and cores to the jar
- Add sugar
- Add water to fill the jar and cover the fruit
- Cover the jar with a coffee filter and rubber band to keep it secure
- Let it sit at room temperature to “ferment” for at least two-weeks
- Once it is finished, drain the liquid and store in the fridge for several weeks
- Use for cleaning, cooking and drinking like you would any ACV
If you are growing your own apples (like we are), don’t forget this rule we shared so you have have nice, big, juicy apples naturally!
Pin this image so you find this for future reference!
Resources: Don’t Waste The Crumbs
Sarah
This is so neat! I have a few friends that have been drinking apple cider vinegar mixed with water for health purposes and I have been thinking of trying it too. It needs to have the “mother” in it, so with making this on your own, does this have the “mother” in it?
Elysse B
Sarah, thanks for your question. Usually each jar forms a “mother” or a SCOBY on the top as it ferments. Hope that helps!
Evelyn Marie Mayer
Need the Rule for Amazing Fruit Even from young trees. Please
Laurinda
You don’t show a photo of the apples fermenting, so I’m wondering how much apple scraps & water you’re using. Is it just enough water to cover the apples? Twice as much water to apples? I’m not asking for exact measurements, just a rough ratio (or a photo)
Lauren Ritz
Is anyone else battling fruit flies with this process? 🙁
Wendy
My “granny” used to make her own apple cider vinegar. BUT………..she used a gallon jar………. I don’t remember what the liquid was that she put into the jar, but I’m guessing it was apple cider. Then she put in a piece of brown paper from a brown paper bag. Then she put the lid on and put it in the cabinet under the sink. That piece of brown paper bag became the “mother” and looked NASTY but it stayed all in one piece and didn’t get into the vinegar. I wish I knew enough more about how she did it but I was too young to have paid attention and that’s all I remember. If using for pickling, you want to be sure you have at least 5% acidity for safety.