How to Make Apple Scrap Vinegar
These step-by-step instructions on how to make apple scrap vinegar are so easy and doesn’t take a lot of hands on time. It’s a frugal way to provide countless benefits to your family and homestead. The best part is, since it is from the scraps you would normally toss out, it is basically free! It’s also another great forgotten skill to add to your arsenal if you are trying to become more self-sufficient. I hope this will inspire you to give it a try!
Apple scrap vinegar is one of those staple items to always have on hand. It is also well known for it’s health benefits and has a whole host of uses in the kitchen and on the homestead. So, in the fall when apples are abundant and I am busy peeling and coring apples for canning applesauce, dehydrating apples, or making apple pies, there is one thing I am always left with an abundance of…apple scraps! You can of course feed them to your chickens or send them to the compost bin, but why not use them to make apple scrap vinegar instead?
Apple Cider Vinegar Vs Apple Scrap Vinegar
Through my research I have found there is a difference between apple cider vinegar and apple scrap vinegar. The instructions I am giving here is for apple scrap vinegar and will have a slightly different flavor (but a good one in my opinion!) It still has all the wonderful health benefits and many uses as a true apple cider vinegar, but the process for making it differs.
Basically apple cider vinegar is made from pressed apple cider that is fermented first into a hard cider and then continues fermenting into a vinegar. Apple scrap vinegar ferments the scraps in water with some added sugar and goes from an alcohol mixture to a vinegar. If you want to learn to make hard apple cider and turn it into a true apple cider vinegar click HERE.
Can I Use This Vinegar For Food Preservation?
Store bought vinegars always have a minimum of 5% acidity, while homemade vinegars will result in lesser and inconsistent acidity levels. Therefore, DO NOT use this vinegar for canning recipes or other preserving methods.
Can I Make Other Fruit Scrap Vinegars?
Yes! You can absolutely make scrap vinegar from any fruit scraps you may have using these same instructions. I have made a lovely peach scrap vinegar and was quite pleased with the results! It is fun to experiment with different fruits since each will yield a unique flavor. Some good options to try are plums, pears, mango, pineapple, peaches, grapes, berries, persimmons, cherries and oranges.
Can I Use Frozen Apple Scraps?
Yes! Just throw your scraps in a freezer bag and continue adding until you have enough to get a batch going. You do not even need to thaw them before using, pretty convenient right?
Ways To Use Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is widely known for it’s health benefits and has an endless amount of uses in your kitchen, household or on the homestead in general.
Some uses include:
- salad dressings
- marinades
- homemade mayo
- immune boosting fire cider (use store bought vinegar due to acidity levels)
- pickled eggs (use store bought vinegar due to acidity levels)
- soaking beans and grains for better digestibility
- homemade bone broth
- household cleaner
- fabric softener
- homemade bug spray
- hair rinse
- foot soak
- skin toner
- fruit fly traps
- add to chicken’s water to boost immune health
- spray to keep cats away from plants in garden
- garden pest spray for slugs and snails
- natural weed killer
- ant repellent
- boost soil acidity levels
- and so much more!
Now that you know just how useful this stuff is, let’s get to making it!
Ingredients You Will Need:
- organic apple scraps- peels, cores, and/or apple pieces
- sugar- use 1 tablespoon per cup of water or 1 cup per gallon of water
- non chlorinated/filtered water
Tools You Will Need:
- glass jar- size depends on the amount of scraps you are using. I like to use half gallon mason jars or these gallon jars.
- breathable cloth with rubber band– flour sack towel, old cotton shirt, tea towel, or triple layered cheesecloth are all great options
- mesh strainer
- cheesecloth– for straining apples
- non metallic lid– fitted for glass jar for long term storage
How to Make Apple Scrap Vinegar
Fill a glass jar 3/4 of the way full with apple scraps
The scraps can consist of peels, cores, seeds, or even mushy apple parts (mushy, not rotton). You can of course use regular cut up apple pieces as well. Just make sure you are using scraps from organic apples, since the pesticide residue can interfere with the fermentation process.
Fill jar to the top with filtered water
You want to make sure you are using a good non chlorinated water. Most city water sources have chlorine added which can interfere with the fermentation process. It’s best to use a good filtered water. I love my Berkey water filtration system. Make sure to leave a few inches of headspace at the top.
Add sugar and stir.
Give it a good stir to evenly distribute the sugar throughout the jar. Try to make sure the apples are fully submerged to prevent molding.
Cover with a breathable cloth and secure with a rubber band. Let it sit for 4-6 weeks out of direct sunlight.
You need to use a breathable cover for your jar to allow for the gas build up to be expelled. A flour sack towel, tea towel, or cut up old cotton t-shirt are all great options. They are very breathable, yet have small enough holes that won’t allow for fruit flies to enter. You can use a cheesecloth, but I recommend double or even triple layering it to make sure fruit flies cannot get into the jar and spoil your ferment.
Stir everyday for the first 2-4 weeks.
The apples will somewhat stick out of the water in the beginning, but don’t fret over it. This is why stirring is so important. As the weeks go by and the apples start breaking down, they will slowly start to sink down to the bottom of the jar.
Strain out apples after 4-6 weeks
Strain out the apples using a mesh strainer. Then, run it through again with a cheesecloth lining the strainer. This will ensure you have removed even the smallest of solids from the liquid.
Add a splash of apple scrap vinegar or apple cider vinegar
This will help jump-start the process of turning your ferment into a vinegar. Use a splash of apple scrap vinegar from a previous batch you have made or from a good store bought apple cider vinegar that contains the “mother”.
Re-cover glass jar with a breathable cloth and secure with a rubber band. Let sit for 2-4 months out of direct sunlight.
Place in a cool dark place, but most importantly out of direct sunlight. You don’t need to do anything at this point except wait! You can check on your vinegar after a few months and give it a taste. The longer you wait, the stronger vinegar taste you will get.
You may at this point have noticed a whitish jellyfish looking substance (yes very technical description I know). This is the colony of healthy bacteria known as the “mother”. Don’t throw it out! You can just leave it in your vinegar and it can be added to the next batch you make to jump-start the process.
Secure lid on jar and move to cold storage
Once you are happy with the taste of your vinegar, you can cap it with a non metallic lid and store it in your refrigerator. This stuff will pretty much last forever, but I bet you will use it up before then!
How to Make Apple Cider Vinegar- Using the Scraps
Equipment
- glass jar
- breathable cloth with rubber band (flour sack towel, old cotton shirt, tea towel, or triple layered cheesecloth)
- mesh strainer
- cheesecloth (for straining apples)
- non metallic lid
Ingredients
- apple scraps peels and cores
- sugar use 1 tablespoon per cup of water or 1 cup per gallon of water
- filtered/non chlorinated water
Instructions
- Fill a glass jar 3/4 of the way full with apple scraps- use peels, cores and pieces from organic apples. See Note 1 Below
- Fill jar to the top with filtered water- leave a couple inches of headspace. See Note 2 Below.
- Add sugar and stir- Give it a good stir to evenly distribute the sugar throughout the jar. Try to make sure the apples are fully submerged to prevent molding.
- Cover with a breathable cloth and secure with a rubber band. Let it sit for 4-6 weeks out of direct sunlight in a cool dark place- A flour sack towel, tea towel, or cut up old cotton t-shirt are all great options. See Note 3 Below.
- Stir everyday for the first 2-4 weeks- this will prevent any mold from forming on apples that may not be completely submerged. See Note 4 Below.
- Strain out apples after 4-6 weeks- Strain out the apples using a mesh strainer. Then, run it through again with cheesecloth lining the strainer.
- Add a splash of apple cider vinegar- This will help jump-start the process of turning your liquid into a vinegar. Use a splash of apple cider vinegar from a previous batch you have made or from a good store bought apple cider vinegar that contains the "mother".
- Re-cover glass jar with a breathable cloth and secure with a rubber band. Let sit for 2-4 months in a cool dark place- You can check on your vinegar after a few months and give it a taste. The longer you wait, the stronger vinegar taste you will get. See Note 5 Below.
- Secure lid on jar and move to cold storage- Once you are happy with the taste of your vinegar, you can cap it with a non metallic lid and store it in your refrigerator.
Notes
- Make sure you are using scraps from organic apples, since the pesticide residue can interfere with the fermentation process.
- You want to make sure you are using a good non chlorinated/filtered water. Most city water sources have chlorine added which can interfere with the fermentation process. It’s best to use a good filtered water. I love my Berkey water filtration system.
- You need to use a breathable cover for your jar to allow for the gas build up to be expelled. You can use a cheesecloth, but I recommend double or even triple layering it to make sure fruit flies cannot get into the jar and spoil your ferment.
- The apples will somewhat stick out of the water in the beginning, but don’t fret over it. This is why stirring is so important. As the weeks go by and the apples start breaking down, they will slowly start to sink down to the bottom of the jar.
- You may at this point have noticed a whitish gelatinous substance forming on the top of your vinegar. This is a colony of healthy bacteria called the “mother”. You can just leave it in your vinegar and it can be added to the next batch you make to jump-start the process.
I hope this was helpful to you and encouraged you to give this a try! Let me know how it goes or what other types of vinegars you have been experimenting with in the comments below. Thanks for stopping by the homestead and have a blessed day!
