October 11, 2019

How To Make Raw Apple Cider Vinegar from Scraps

Amy | Our Amyable Farmhouse Ferments and Cultures, Homesteading, Simple Food 1 Comment

After making a scrumptious batch of homemade applesauce or apple butter, easily turn those cores and skins into a frugal, raw apple cider vinegar from all those scraps.

How to make raw apple cider vinegar from scraps to treasure

To know me is to know I love a bargain. Frugal living is a passion. Thrifting and second-hand shopping is second nature. In fact, I’ve become so tight I squeak. Funny, since I used to tease my husband for the same fault when we first met. When I was young and, shall I say, less seasoned, I was the “spender”. He was the “saver”. I have completely made a 180 in my seasoned years, as I like to call them. Seasoned with plenty of salt. If ya know what I mean, wink wink. So naturally, making raw apple cider vinegar suits me.

When I learned that I could use what I’d normally compost to make something that I use on a daily basis (do you drink it?), I jumped right in. I mean, I couldn’t call myself a wanna-be homesteader until I got as crunchy as arriving to the party with my jug of vinegar — so to speak.

The Simple Steps

In my last post, I showed you the oh-so-simple way I like to make applesauce here in our humble farmhouse. You can find that post here: Farmhouse Applesauce. I take you through the easy, FAST steps of making this pantry staple with an Instant Pot and my new favorite kitchen tool I use to slice, peel, core, and zoodle all kinds of garden-fresh goodness.

All right. Here it is. You ready?

Step 1: save all those apple scraps!

Making applesauce? Score! Apple pie, crumble, muffins? Bam! See? Opportunities everywhere.

apple scraps to raw vinegar with mother culture

Step 2: shove them into a glass jar.

I may enjoy this part just a bit much. Like after a long, homeschool day. As in my nerves are…wait, what nerves?

Shove away, dear mama. Shove. Uh. Way.

Step 3: pour non-chlorinated water over the scraps. Optional: add 1 TBL raw apple cider vinegar (from the store) to each quart-size jar to give it a jump start.

Jump start? Yes, please. Not that I couldn’t be patient. But then again, who am I kidding?

Step 4: cover jars with a cloth (tea towel, cheesecloth, coffee filter all work well) and patiently wait (there’s that word again). Usually around 3 weeks your batch of raw apple cider vinegar is ready to store, depending on how warm your kitchen is. Simply store in your pantry just like any other vinegar.

Congratulations! You’ve just entered the crunchy ranks of a homesteader. Hey, I say as long as you look good doin’ it, it’s all good. 😉