Making apple cider vinegar at home is easy and almost free using the scraps and peels from organic apples.
Start with a very clean glass jar that is large enough to hold your apple scraps. This could be a one liter mason jar or a larger four liter jar.
Fill the jar with apple scraps and cover with filtered water (or instead of filtered water leave a pitcher of tap water on the counter overnight to allow the chlorine to evaporate).
If desired, add sugar to the filtered water which speeds up the fermentation process as the beneficial bacteria feed on the sugar. If you wish to use sugar, use one tablespoon of organic cane sugar to every cup of water. I don’t add sugar to sweet apples.
Make sure all of the apples are submerged under the water to prevent mold growth. You can place a small glass jar or weight on the apples to prevent them from floating out of the water. Check for mold growth weekly.
Cover the jar with a clean cloth or unbleached coffee filter and secure with an elastic band to keep out fruit flies.
Store the jar in a room temperature kitchen cupboard for about 3 weeks. The mixture will become bubbly, indicating it is fermenting. Strain the apple scraps and compost them. Pour the apple liquid back into the jar, cover and store for three or four weeks. Every week the apple liquid will become more tart as the fermenting bacteria feed on the natural (or added) sugar.
When the vinegar has become tart as desired, you can bottle it for use. The vinegar can be stored in in a cool dark room for up to a year.
After several weeks, you will notice a gelatinous mass forming in the vinegar. This is a colony of beneficial bacteria similar to a kombucha scoby. The vinegar scoby is called a ‘mother’ and can be added to future batches to speed up the process.