Homemade Raw Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar

苹果醋

Apple cider vinegar is vinegar made from fermented apple juice. We use apple cider vinegar a lot at home and thus it makes economic sense to make it at home as store bought apple cider vinegars are expensive (around S$15 for 1 litre). Fter going many youtubes and articles, I've distilled the following recipe. 

Ingredients:

Apples*

Sugar (approximately 1 teaspoon for 1 small-medium sized apple)

Enough water to cover the apples. I use boiled & cooled water. Use bottled drinking water if you have. Chlorine from tap water will kill the naturally occurring microbes that perform the fermentation.

Method:

1. Sanitize big glass jar with hot water.

2. Thoroughly wash the apples and cut it into small pieces. Remove the apple core and seeds but it is not necessary. Put the cut apples into the big glass jar.

3. Dissolve sugar in water based on ratio of 1 teaspoon to 1 apple. If you are using 4 apples to make ACV, add 4 teaspoons of sugar to the water. Pour the sugared water into the big glass jar. Weigh the apples down with a small cup so that all the apples are under the water. Cover the jar with a breathable cloth or kitchen towel (to release carbon dioxide, a by-product of fermentation) and a rubber band. Place the jar in a cool dark place (e.g. kitchen cupboard) to ferment for three weeks. Note: If you have store bought raw/cultured/unpasterised ACV, you can jumpstart the fermentation (as well as prevent mold from forming) by adding a little bit of dark floating bits that settle at the bottom of the ACV. That is the vinegar mother and it contains acetic acid bacteria that converts ethanol (alcohol) into acetic acid (vinegar). 

4. For the first week, stir the apples every day with a plastic or wooden spoon to aerate the ferment, encourage microbial activity and help to prevent formation of mold.  You will see bubbles formed in a few days. This is a good sign that the fermentation is well under way. Below is a picture if my ACV after 4 days.

5. For the second and third week, stir the apples every two to three days.

6. At the end of third week, strain the apples into a clean jar using a non metallic strainer. Lightly cover the jar with a lid (do not close it tightly) and place it back in the cool dark place for second fermentation for another four weeks. Keep the cultured apples separately.

7. At the end of four weeks, the fermentation is complete and the ACV is ready for use. Pour the ACV into a clean jar and close it tightly. There will be a rubbery disk floating on top of the ACV, and it is referred to as vinegar pellicle (combination of vinegar mother and cellulose). Filter the solution if you like clear ACV. I like mine raw and unfiltered. Keep the 'vinegar mother' separately to culture future batches of ACV.

* Other ways of making homemade ACV:

• Using freshly squeezed apple juice (3 cups) and vinegar mother (1/4 cup) based on this recipe from fermentingforfoodies. Steps are the same as above. I've tried this method using juice from 4 red apples and some mother from store bought ACV. It works.
• Using freshly squeezed apple juice and cultured apples (step 6 above).
• Using apple scraps and vinegar mother.