At Positive Med we look for the best natural remedies for almost everything. There are many health benefits to apple cider vinegar, but many people complain they cannot find it at stores near them. If you have this problem, it may be best to make your own. Here are some recipes for apple cider vinegar you can easily make at home and derive the benefits:
Recipe #1
This recipe makes use of apple scraps, leave them in the open so they can turn brown. Take a wide-mouth jar and add apple scraps to it. Add water to the jar to cover completely. You can add more apple scraps to the jar depending upon your quantity requirement. If you intend to add scraps at later stages, make sure that you do not fill the jar completely with water.
After adding the scraps, cover the jar with cheesecloth and keep it in a warm dark place. Storing it in a kitchen cupboard is ideal. After a few days, the contents of the jar will start becoming thick and gray scum will appear on the top. Once you notice this change, stop adding further scraps and leave the jar for one month to allow fermentation. Once the fermentation completes, taste the vinegar to ensure it is strong enough for you. Once you are satisfied with the taste, take the scraps out and put the vinegar in a separate bottle.
Recipe #2
This recipe makes use of whole apples. The recipe is similar to above but takes more time. Take cider from the apples and add them to a container, you can also add sugar. Partially fill the container leaving some space at the top. Make sure the apple pulp you are using does not contain much juice. You can add yeast to speed up the fermentation process but its not mandatory. Yeast can be obtained from biological labs and wine-making shops. Pour the liquid into a different clean container and leave the container open. Stir the mixture every alternate day and keep the container away from direct sunlight. The ideal temperature for fermentation is 60 to 80 degree F. It will take 3 to 4 weeks for the mixture to ferment fully. The smell of vinegar becomes very strong by the end of fourth week of fermentation. Let the mixture ferment until the desired strength is achieved. The final step is to filter the vinegar using cheesecloth. Filtering removes the sediment cloudiness which avoids spoilage and further fermentation.
Storage of Apple cider vinegar
Storing apple cider vinegar is easy. It remains in good condition for a long time if pasteurized. For pasteurization heat the vinegar to 140 degree, make sure the temperature does not exceed 160 degree F. After heating, store the vinegar in sterilized containers that are properly capped.
Finally, here is a cocktail recipe with apple cider vinegar from our friends at PositiveFoodie:
How to Make Your Own Apple Cider Vinegar
By Divya Shree
Edited by Stephanie Dawson
Sources:
Earthclinic.com– PositiveFoodie:
