apple cider vinegar-so easy even a hillbilly can do it

vinegar

mother

Today I finally strained off our apple cider vinegar that I made after we made jam and sauce from the apples last fall. It looks lovely and we got a bit over five gallons of healthy for you, raw, unpasteurized, product.

To make all that is needed is a container of some sort to hold the peelings, water and a piece of cheese cloth. After peeling and coring your apples set them out to get air for a day or two to brown and then toss them into your container. Add water enough to cover all peels but leave enough room that the vessel does not overflow. I like to weigh the peelings down so that they remain under water. Cover with a piece of cheesecloth to keep bugs and junk from entering and sit in a cool dark place. Let ferment.

The mixture will get a funky covering over it which is a whitish gray mass, this is the mother so leave her be. You will smell vinegar as the process occurs and after 4-6 weeks you can taste test it and see if it is strong enough for your liking. I let mine go 12 weeks with this batch and it is quite strong. When it is to your liking strain and bottle. It will likely be cloudy and sediment will drop to the bottom. This is fine, however, if it is bothersome, strain it through a coffee filter to remove the majority of it.