You are on page 1of 128

11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Tales of a Kitchen Healthy eats. Raw bits. And occasional indulgence.

MY COOKBOOK ABOUT RECIPE BOX SEASONAL PRODUCE MY KITCHEN

Get recipes by email


Homemade organic raw apple Email Address

cider vinegar
Go!

Chris August 19, 2014 Raw, Sauces, preserves


and condiments, Vegetarian/Vegan

Hi, I'm Chris! I create plant based


recipes that are usually simple,
quick, and require minimum
equipment. I have a raw dessert
business @rawbychris And a
vegan deli @littlerawdeli. Also
wrote a cookbook NOURISHING
NOODLES available on Amazon.
Dabbling with a tiny (but super cool)
YouTube channel.

Raw Dessert Business

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 1/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Close

Vegan Deli

Cookbook
Username or Email

Password Forgot password?

Log in

Like smoothies, lemonades and Don't


few pantry
have anstaples,
account?turns
Sign up
out the best apple cider vinegar is homemade! This amber
liquid gold is so tasty that every now and then I nd myself
having a tablespoon of it, on its own. Yeah, a tablespoon of
vinegar, go gure.

I cant say that I was not happy with my previousACV. It


was raw, un ltered and quite tasty, in a mouth puckering
sort of way. Available just across the street and at a
relatively a ordable price. Youd think Icant ask more
from a vinegar. Yet here I am telling you that there is TalesofaKitchen |
BETTER. Much much better. And if you were using a
Instagram

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 2/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

re ned, distilled, heated, ltered apple cider vinegar, brace


yourself for some pretty amazing new avours!

Best news that comes with this recipe? Kitchen skills play
absolutely no part. Its a fool proof waiting game that
anyone can play.

Browse Recipes by Photo

Making your own ACVis a dead easy a air to tackle and


hilariously inexpensive to boot. It might just be the easiest
recipe ever shared on TalesofaKitchen. And the most
useful at a world wide level no matter the season, no
matter the country or the continent, I know there must be
some cheap, organic, local apples you can get your hands
on. And a knife, surely you have one you can dust o . And Most read this month
http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 3/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

then just empty a big ol jar, clean it really well and brace Homemade organic raw apple cider
yourself with some patience. These babies need to ferment vinegar
for quite a while to give us a whole lotta
Grapefruit mint juice without a juicer
bacterialgoodness.
Easy home made Mediterranean
The recipe I used calls for whole apples. Anything you can preserved olives
nd, really. But youd be happy to know you can make ACV
Quinoa and chia porridge with stone
using just scraps like the cores and peels. Yep, you can eat fruits
your apple and ferment it too. So if theres any apple pies
baking in your near future, make sure you keep those Carrot pasta with a creamy zesty
garlic sauce
scraps and put them to good use.
Onion and turnip soup
Also good to know is that the fermentation process
Super Green Super Vibrant
depends on season less during summer, bit longer
cucumber apple and ginger
during colder months. You will know your vinegar is ready
smoothie
when you will notice a dark, cloudy bacterial foam this is
called the Mother and can easily be noticed when holding Life changing quinoa avocado bread
the vinegar to light. This is bacteria we love and cherish! buns

Because its full of enzymes and minerals that over- Carrot and sweet potato soup with
processed vinegars do not have. ginger and coriander

Raw carob chocolates

Copyright
I put a lot of e ort, time, resources
and heart into maintaining this blog.
If you'd like to use any of the photos
or content, please be nice and ask
me rst. Keep the good karma
owing! x

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 4/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar


Prep time: 5mins
Total time:2-3 months
Ingredients
3 small apples (core and peel included, no stem)
3 tsp raw sugar (I used muscavado)
ltered water to cover I used about 800ml, you might
need to use more or less depending on what
jar/container you use, its shape and how the chopped
apples sit in it; the most important thing is to add just
enough water to cover the apples and ensure they are
submerged.
http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 5/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Instructions
1. Wash and chop your apples into medium sized pieces
(or use the peels and cores of 6-7 small apples after
making a pie). Place them in a clean, rinsed and
sterilized wide mouthjar.
2. Mix the sugar with 1 cup of water and pour on top of
the apples.
3. Add more water if needed to cover the apples.
4. Cover the jar with a paper towel or a cheesecloth and
secure it with a band. This keeps nasties away while
letting the liquid breathe.
5. Place the jar in a warm, dark place for 2-3 weeks I
just kept it in my pantry.
6. Strain out the liquid and discard the apple pieces.
7. Return the liquid to the same jar and cover it again
(same paper or cheesecloth).
8. Return the jar to the same warm, dark place and leave
it do its thing for roughly 4 to 6 weeks, stirring with a
plastic or wooden spoon every few days or so. Ill be
honest with you, I wasnt that organised with my
stirring (oftentimes forgot), but my vinegar still loved
me.
9. After the rst 4 weeks, you can begin to also taste your
vinegar and once it reaches an acidity you like, you can
actually transfer it to a bottle with a lid and begin using
it.

*LATER UPDATE *

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 6/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

1. When you clean and sterilize your jar, please make


sure you rinse the jar well to avoid having residue
soaps or anything. This can spoil your brew.
2. If your apples tend to oat to the surface in the initial
few days and you are not using a special fermentation
jar with an insert to keep foods below water level, you
can improvise as in the photo above. I tend to ferment
in a big glass jug these days as its the only large
recipient with a wide enough mouth that I own. I have
a jar that is roughly the size of the jugs mouth and I
use that to keep the apples submerged. The jar needs
to be sterilized prior to use and if it has small
indentations on the bottom that you cannot
thoroughly clean (as mine did), I prefer to pop it into a
bpa free plastic zip lock bag. I then cover the entire set
up with cheesecloth and secure it with a band. You can
also use a small plate if it ts or a cup anything you
can thoroughly clean and sterilize that will keep the
apples submerged.
3. Organic vs non -organic. If using organic apples, you
can use the whole lot core, peel, everything, as long
as theres no rotten bits. If using conventional apples, I
would discard the peel as that retains a lot of
pesticides.
4. Bubbles mark the start of the fermentation process.
5. The white scum that forms on top of your ferment is
good. It is a natural outcome of the fermentation and
http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 7/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

it is what forms the mother in few weeks time.


6. Any other scum of any other color (green, blue, grey,
black) is not good. I would personally discard it and
feed the apples to my compost. When bad mold is on
any type of food, its good to know that it is not located
only where you can see it with the naked eye. It has
the magical power of spreading very well and fast and
infesting it all. Safe is to discard, learn from your
mistakes and try again with a new batch. If you are a
beginner, start with a very small batch so not to be
sorry if something goes wrong.
7. I use a stainless steel sieve to strain the apples and it is
in contact with the ferment for very brief time. I did
not nd it a ects the fermentation process at all.
However, for the stirring that we need to do more
often, I would recommend a plastic, wooden or
ceramic spoon.
8. Types of sugar. If you want to start a mother from
scratch, meaning youre making this recipe for
example, best to use a raw sugar. There were
questions about honey it works, but not as well I nd
process is slower and the end vinegar not as strong.
If you have 1/2 cup leftover vinegar from your rst
batch or a mother and can add that to a second batch
of vinegar, you can use honey to ferment. It will do the
job. However, I nd best to alternate feeding the
mother with raw sugar as well it likes it more than
honey. Best to do one batch sugar, one batch honey,
one batch sugar again etc. , thats if you want to use
honey as well.

SUBSCRIBE to my YouTube channel here, for quick 60


seconds video recipes.

All plant based whole foods.

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 8/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

My cookbook
Nourishing Noodles
is available for sale
on Amazon US and
Amazon UK,

for Australia and


everywhere else Book
Depository .

Also Waterstones and


Barnes and Noble (UK),
Indiebound, Indigo
(Canada).

You might also like:

Fermented hot chili Dill cheese dip Homemade soft Middle Eastern Apple tart with
sauce (minus the cheese) coconut yogurt rainbow salad cinnamon and
honey

Linkwithin

Share 5.2K

Apple Apple cider vinegar

373 Responses to "Homemade organic raw apple


cider vinegar"

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 9/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Ellie says:
August 19, 2014 at 7:50 pm

So you dont put a lid on it for the rst few weeks?


Just the cheesecloth?
Does it smell?

Would it work if I did put a lid on it? I feel like Im de nitely going to
knock it over! Eeek!

Reply

Naomi says:
September 16, 2014 at 4:10 am

You probably dont want to put a lid on if


while its fermenting, otherwise the gases
wont be able to escape. Ive made other fermented
vegetables, like sour kraut havent tried apple cider vinegar
yet. It does smell a bit when you have to stir it in this case
(with sour kraut you push it down). The smell isnt too strong
though. And after a few days it starts smelling pretty nice.

Reply

Chris says:
September 30, 2014 at 10:50 pm

Hi, Ellie. As Naomi said, no lid, the


gases need to escape. I simply put it on
the highest shelf in the pantry to make sure I dont
knock it over or something. As for the smell, I actually
dont nd that it smells bad at all. Its not like other
fermented products. Hope this helps. x

Reply

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 10/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Rusty says:
August 15, 2015 at 4:02 pm

Isnt the reason you leave o the


lid to allow natural yeasts in the
air to enter the system? This is the case with
making a sourdough mother. The cheesecloth
lters out dust and larger spores but allows in
bene cial bacteria

Reply

John Brewer says:


September 18, 2015 at 10:28
pm

Note: One of the reasons


for the breathable covering is to prevent
the gas build up from the fermentation
process from creating so much pressure
that it causes the container to BURST.

Ludovic says:
November 8, 2015 at 10:58
am

Exposure to air during


fermentation is to prevent alcooholic
fermentation. Putting a lid on the mix
would make it airtight and eventually give
you some hard cider, assuming your
container resists the gas pressure.

nat says:
August 11, 2016 at 9:53 am

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 11/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

how to make apple cider


in just 2 weeks?

Jessie says:
July 13, 2017 at 11:18 am

How much does this


recipe make? I would like
to make 3L

Craig says:
January 4, 2016 at 4:37 am

Aloha!
I made some acv and bottled it
and it was great and tasty. After about 6 weeks I
opened it and it zzed like mad and tastes like
cider now. Did I bottle it too early or what? If so,
any way I can salvage it? Ta

Reply

Chris says:
January 5, 2016 at 10:28 pm

Hi Craig.
I personally never bottled
any. I have a continuous brew, only make
and use what I need for about a month,
then o to the next batch.
Hopefully some of the other brewers
know more about bottling.

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 12/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

anil uttarkar says:


March 20, 2016 at 8:24 pm

i am anil in india
recovering my health i
have a lot about apple cider bene ts and
decided to make it at home as apple cider
is not available here in mumbaii
purchased a lot of sweet apples washed
them thouroughly clean dried them with
a cloth peeled them chopped them into
snall cubes brought a new clean glassjar
and placed all these cubes in the glass jar
added some water and closed the jar with
a cloth tightly eevery2 days i removed the
cloth and stirred it all with a clean
woodden ladle its 10 days now wnow a
sweet aroma i get please someone be my
guru and please tell me is the cider done
or how long should i keep on stirring
there are some bubbles and a faint
aroma of ferment.please tell me is the
cider doneor how long in days should i
wait and stir it everyday and lid it please
tell me the next steps now later i intend
to addm garlic cinnamonand ginger but
when should i go for that as for the cider
will someone tell me how to know its
done and ready
anil in india,

Marla says:
January 3, 2017 at 7:10 am

Think I made Hard


Cider.didnt think to look
at anything rst, just tried to remember
Mammaws recipe. She had cider, she had
ACV mixed a cup of the acv in the gallon
of cider and sat it in the cellar in a gallon
canning jar. Put a lid and at on it loosely

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 13/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

checked on it when she went down for


canned goods, it would seal though,
eventually.
Things just sort of appeared on the table
after that. She used it everyday in
something and it beautiful when the light
was on her jars. like cloudy honey. And
mines beautiful, golden when it settles,
smells like apples and NOT vinegar. Hmm
if I take the like o and add a breathable
top, do you think it will make? Or do I just
drink it and go blind or something.. its
very tastey.

Jack says:
January 21, 2017 at 6:21 pm

What will happen if I put the lid?

Reply

Jack says:
February 13, 2017 at 4:14 pm

What is the white scums look


like?

Reply

Shawn says:
June 4, 2017 at 12:09 am

Jack there are pictures of


the white scum in the
article

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 14/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Jack says:
February 13, 2017 at 4:16 pm

Hi chris please notice me.

Reply

Jack says:
February 13, 2017 at 4:17
pm

I badly need your help. its


for our Investigatory project Please
help me

Emerson says:
April 20, 2017 at 11:52 pm

Hi Chris,

How do you make another batch one your rst


one is done?

Thanks.

Emerson

Reply

edd says:
September 19, 2017 at 3:06
am

Have you had any reply


yet Emerson?

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 15/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Based on 2 liters. Use 1/4 apple pieces +


3/4 water (25%-75%). Add one cup of live
ACV and 1 cup of sugar. Use a resealable
bag with water in to submerge the apple
pieces and stop them going mouldy at
the top.

Depending on temp. leave for 4 weeks


(stirring and testing for taste each day)
then strain and leave covered with a cloth
for a further 2 weeks.
Then test for taste and bottle if needed.
Di erent areas of the world/seasons take
longer/sooner.

Enjoy.

Theresa Marie kelley says:


September 26, 2016 at 12:18 am

It needs to breath

Reply

Jackie says:
December 7, 2016 at 2:03 am

If you put a lid on it youre essentially making


a bomb. It will blow up. If you want to close it
o go to a home brew supply and get a bubbler. But
vinegar needs o2 to be able to do is thing if you cut out of
from the air youre just gonna get hard cider which isnt bad
either

Reply

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 16/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Aditya says:
February 3, 2017 at 11:55 pm

Hey wouldnt the water evaporate from


the vessel if I dont cover it with a lid?
Help needed. Thanks

Reply

Lorne says:
December 9, 2016 at 12:39 am

If you dont have cheesecloth you can also use


plastic wrap and poke holes with a toothpick

Reply

Marina says:
December 11, 2016 at 11:20 am

Dont remember if I wrote this before,


but I save old pantyhose, well-washed,
and use for everything under the sun. Currently, I have
a batch of vinegar doing its thing on top of my fridge.
No cheesecloth, using the bottom couple inches of
pantyhose foot works great.

Reply

Mindy Dahl says:


January 30, 2017 at 2:13 pm

I usea co ee lter on a quart jar.


Secured wjh with a rubber band .

Reply

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 17/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Julia the Homemaker says:


May 3, 2017 at 7:04 pm

I dont use plastic for anything, since


they dont make non-toxic varieties
(anymore). Plastics of any kind are choke-full of
hormone disruptors that have no taste and no smell. If
you get exposed to them regularly (as we all do and
hardly by choice), the plasticizers are going to ruin your
endocrine health in more or less subtle ways. It is not a
question of IF, but a question of HOW MUCH. My
humble advice: whenever you have the choice, stay
away from plastic, its not worth the price itll make you
pay.
I use stone pottery, lead-free&cadmium-free glass,
wood, my hands thats about it.

Reply

Nathan Putbrese says:


October 20, 2017 at 10:41 am

Co ee lter

Reply

Fred says:
April 29, 2017 at 9:35 pm

The best cover is a co ee lter secured with


rubber-bands. Breathes very well but is tight
enough mesh to keep out most everything except air.

Reply

Sarmad Alsaadi says:


May 9, 2017 at 5:44 am

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 18/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

If you do not let gases to escape, your mixture


will turn to alcohol in ve days.

Reply

Kris says:
May 15, 2017 at 7:06 am

They make special fermenting lids that let the


gas out but not air or bugs in. They are for
wide mouth Mason jar lids I use

Reply

Cat says:
October 7, 2017 at 7:39 am

You can use an airlock lid, which I use when I


ferment.

Reply

stephen dickerson says:


October 17, 2017 at 1:45 am

i have a lot of plums .can i use those for


vinegar?

Reply

Ren says:
August 19, 2014 at 9:48 pm

It sounds amazing! Thank you:)

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 19/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Reply

Chris says:
September 30, 2014 at 10:51 pm

Glad you like it Ren.

Reply

jane kennedy says:


August 20, 2014 at 3:34 pm

Didnt realise this could be so easy, thank you

Reply

Chris says:
September 30, 2014 at 10:52 pm

Super easy! Have fun with it Jane. x

Reply

marycrispine87 says:
October 6, 2014 at 9:01 pm

hi Chris..Im from Philippines.. its hard to nd


organic apples here coz apples dont grow in our
country..can I still use it even if its not organic..does it a ect the
health bene ts that we get from acv..thank you and god bless you
always..

Reply

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 20/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Chris says:
October 7, 2014 at 7:05 am

Hi Mary! Yes, you can de nitely make it. Just


make sure you wash them really well and peel
the skin o and discard it. Only use the esh and the core.
Have fun and let me know how it goes xx

Reply

Amanda says:
November 11, 2015 at 5:58 am

You can also use any other fruit available


locally!

Reply

margo says:
October 19, 2014 at 3:09 am

I started a batch a month agobut missed that part


about straining out the solids. So, I have a few
buckets and bottles full of apple mush that I am faithfully stirring
twice a day. Any chance you know if it is going to separate at some
point? It is just a nice smelling mush at this point
Any pointers would be greatly appreciated!

Reply

Chris says:
October 20, 2014 at 7:05 pm

Hi Margo! Oh, so hard to say, cannot know


without seeing or smelling the mush. And it is
fermented foods were talking about so tricky if not done
right.

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 21/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

I think it de nitely needs straining and better do it as soon as


possible.
Not sure if it can still be consumed though!

Reply

margo says:
October 21, 2014 at 9:08 am

Well, good news! I strained it- ended up


with two gallons- and it de nitely
smells and tastes like tasty vinegar. It is not very
strong, though, so I will leave it for a couple more
weeks to see if it gets stronger. At what point does the
mother form? Also, does the vinegar ever get clear, or
does it stay cloudy?

One thing I thought was odd- when I strained the


mush, the solids quickly turned dark, with the outside
part that had touched the metal strainer turning black.
The liquid did not seem to be a ected, but it was
rather disconcerting to see the solids turn so quickly.
Does yours do that as well? The last little bit I used a
plastic strainer with a cloth in it and it did not turn
black. It is stainless steel, which normally does not
react to acidic foods. Any ideas?

We are pressing more apple cider again next week,


and I think I will try another batch with the leftoversit
will make a fun Christmas gift

Reply

margo says:
October 22, 2014 at 8:59 am

Another question: what is the


white scum that forms on the
top of the vinegar?

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 22/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Reply

Chris says:
November 21, 2014 at 9:52
pm

Oh, that is a natural side


e ect of the fermentation process. You
can leave it or discard it, depending on
how much you have. I never get too
much.

Chris says:
November 21, 2014 at 9:50 pm

I so enjoy reading your acv


adventures Margo! I wish I could
answer all your questions, but am not an expert
at it! The only way Ive made it so far (and
done so a lot) is by sticking to this recipe.
The acv will stay cloudy and you want it like that.
It means its un ltered and that it has the good
bacteria.
I hope your family and friends enjoy their
healthy homemade gifts xx

Reply

Margo says:
January 25, 2015 at 7:35 pm

I thought I would update a


bit: I have kept the acv on
the refrigerator, and it has gradually
become clear as it has settled.On the next
batch, I did not remove the white scum
that formed on the top, but just gently

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 23/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

pushed it to the side when I stirred it


every day or two. It turns out that that
white lm was the beginning of a mother,
not mold. After several weeks it became
thick and rm. This has been a very
interesting project!

LadyGray says:
December 10, 2015 at 5:37
am

Ferments are fantastic for


your health and fun to learn and make!
No ferments like metal. Stainless is
supposed to be okay, but Im pretty sure
many things (esp from China) are labelled
as such, but are not. Really acidic foods
like vinegar probably cant tolerate metal
at all, so use nylon or fabric. Glad I found
this page, as our teacher for ferments
was not all that great. I will be starting my
ACV today, as the one I started 6 weeks
ago, has little acidity. I think I used to little
apple. So Im o to try this one.
(My ke r, kombucha, yogurt and veggies
(krauts) are all great!)

Jac says:
June 13, 2017 at 12:37 pm

Chris, can you use any


apple green possible, also
can you mix fruit skin of other like
oranges bananas pineapple?

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 24/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Bruce Meister says:


June 27, 2017 at 10:00 am

Chris, I have just gotten


interested in making ACV
and have been reading the questions
others have had. One question that many
have had was if it was ready. Braggs ACV
has been diluted to 5% acidity. I do not
know where it was before it was diluted
but would be interested to nd out. To
nd out if yours is ready, I would wait
until the acidity is 5%. To do that you can
get some PH test strips and check the PH
of you vinegar. 5% has a PH of about 4.6.
I havent made any yet but when I do I am
going to let it ferment until it reaches a
PH of at least 4.5. Also, the nutritionist at
the VA says ACV is very good for your liver
and other organs and it is good to drink
the Mother. That is the reason it says to
shake well on the bottle of Braggs.

Mike Harmon says:


September 24, 2016 at 2:49 am

There are many kinds and


grades of stainless steel. SOme
will rust. Use 316 or better grade and you
should heave no problem.

Reply

Margaret says:
March 19, 2015 at 1:42 pm

put that mush thru a cheese cloth over


a strainer and press it thru.. It will
appear more like un ltered ACV and not have the
http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 25/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

clarity of pulling the fruit earlier. It will taste the same


and have a wonderful smell. Good luck and enjoy that
Vinegar.

Reply

ThatMan says:
August 28, 2015 at 5:46 am

And it is fermented foods were talking


about so tricky if not done right.

Psyche. Fermented foods are deadass easy. If its not


moldy it is good and proper to eat at any time. There is
not an easy food than a fermented food. Its got TONS
of probiotics too

Reply

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 4:45 pm

I appreciate your feedback.


Though, if one is a beginner at
fermentation and cannot tell good mold from
bad mold, eating fermented foods that went
bad can be very bad for the body and can have
serious health consequences (think really bad
food poisoning with vomiting and diarrhea).
Fermented foods are easy once you get the
hang of it, thats very true!

I will leave that sentence there and hopefully


people will continue to ask questions when
unsure. Better safe than sorry!

Reply

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 26/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Emily says:
November 18, 2014 at 2:43 pm

Can you use honey in place of the raw sugar?


Thanks.

Reply

Chris says:
November 21, 2014 at 9:54 pm

I think you can, but havent tried it myself. Let


me know if you do xx

Reply

Lian Meaney says:


April 14, 2015 at 10:57 am

I used raw honey, and its coming along


beautifully.

Reply

Marce says:
October 5, 2015 at 11:34 pm

HI Emily

I am not an expert at all, but I know honey kills bacteria and


you are trying to create (good) bacteria, so I would assume
that honey is not good for this type of project.

Reply

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 27/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 4:52 pm

Hi everyone! Im coming back to this


question after having tried few batches
of fermented products with few types of sugar.

If you want to start a mother from scratch, meaning


youre making this recipe for example, best to use a
raw sugar. Honey works, but not as well I nd
process is slower and the end vinegar not as strong.
(PS: The mother is the white lm/mold that will begin
to form on top of your vinegar after few weeks!)

If you have 1/2 cup leftover vinegar from your rst


batch or a mother and can add that to a second batch
of vinegar, you can use honey to ferment. It will do the
job. However, I nd best to alternate feeding the
mother with raw sugar as well it likes it more than
honey. Best to do one batch sugar, one batch honey,
one batch sugar etc. if you want to use honey as well.

Hope it helps x

Reply

Zach iroz says:


September 5, 2016 at 3:06 am

Honey is a natural anti microbial which is why


it is di cult in this or any fermentation.

Reply

Jackie says:
December 7, 2016 at 2:12 am

It is possible Think mead, its


fermented honey and water but it
takes a very long time to complete fermentation. Wine
http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 28/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

and beer can be nished in as little as a few weeks


depending on batch size but mead can take up to a
year or more

Reply

Shauna says:
May 27, 2017 at 1:28 am

Mead ferments because its


diluted (1 gallon of water per
pound of honey) and because a starter of some
sort is used to start the fermentation, even if
youre doing a wild ferment (as opposed to
commercial yeast).

It takes a year not to ferment (actually, it only


takes a couple of weeks to ferment to
somewhere around 14% ABV), but to age. Mead
is a wine, and like its grape-based cousins, gets
better with age. As a general rule of thumb, 9-12
months is the minimum mead needs to age
before it acquires a good avor pro le, though
some varieties need longer (though it rarely
hurts to let it continue to age).

Reply

Edd says:
May 27, 2017 at 8:46 am

Hi Hun.
fermentation + aging
makes a good wine /malt whiskey and
Port.
YOU HAVE IT SPOT ON.

Not sure what you are asking or


complaining about as it looks like you
have the knowledge spot on.

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 29/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

The best stu takes time. The strong stu


just takes more sugar.

Kind regards

Edd says:
May 27, 2017 at 8:51 am

Hi Hun.
Fermentation + aging
makes a good wine /malt whiskey and
Port.
YOU HAVE IT SPOT ON, HUN.
Not sure what you are asking or
complaining about as it looks like you
have the knowledge spot on.

The best stu takes time. The strong stu


just takes more sugar.

Regards.

edd says:
September 19, 2017 at 3:36
am

They tend to
pasteurize/homogenize everything now
and that kills of all the good bacteria as
well as the bad.

When you kill o all small amounts of


bacteria!
Your body has no natural defense.

Just look at cowpox

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 30/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

More than 200 years ago, in one of the


rst demonstrations of vaccination,
Edward Jenner inoculated a young English
boy with cowpox material from a
dairymaid and showed that the boy
became resistant to smallpox.

The dairymaid was immune due to small


everyday contact with cows!!!

Organic Oil and Vinegar says:


November 27, 2014 at 12:55 am

You pointed out very well the bene ts of this


product. For sure, its a good idea to include it in our
diet for a healthier life. Its better to prepare it at home: healthier
and testier!

Reply

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 4:53 pm

Thanks! Couldnt agree more

Reply

Regina says:
December 4, 2014 at 10:49 pm

I just found your post, out of all the others. So, I


used cores and peels of local farmers market
apples. Almost every farmer Ive ever asked has said, if another
farmer tells you he doesnt use pesticides hes lying! I live in N.C
So, my apple cores an eels arent organic. What do you think will
happen to my nished products bene ts. Now that Im thinking this
I just hope theyre not GMO apples! So, I processed half of cores and
http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 31/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

peels in a vitamix, and the other just shoved in jar. I think I have too
many cores and peels BC looking at it, the apple parts oating are
over half the amount of water that is on the bottom of the jar. Will
that be a problem?

Reply

Chris says:
January 25, 2015 at 9:41 am

Hi Regina,
Cant really say about the bene ts of your
apples. I wouldnt go for peels of sprayed apples as they
retain a lot of the chemicals. There are farmers that dont
spray for sure. Look for those apples that are not as perfect
or as shiny.
As for the vinegar, make sure the apples or apple pieces stay
submerged at all times. If theyre oating around, they might
form the nasty type of mold that you wouldnt want to eat.

Reply

Karen says:
April 22, 2015 at 8:10 pm

How do you keep the apples


submerged? Ive added enough water
to cover but they oat!

Reply

Sarah says:
July 24, 2015 at 3:21 am

Theyre supposed to oat! When


they sink you know that theyve
passed the rst stage of fermentation and then

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 32/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

you can strain them out and wait for the mother
to appear.

Reply

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 5:44 pm

Hi Karen, I just posted an update


to the blog post to help with this!
Hope youre a master brewer by now xx

Reply

Linda says:
July 24, 2015 at 8:46 am

Hi, Im Linda from the Philippines, I will


try your recipe. My question is, can I
used a clay jar to start my recipe and can I use not so
fresh apple because we dont grow apples here. Its
cheaper if I can use some old apples but not rotten?
Thanks!

Reply

Amanda says:
September 21, 2015 at 12:38 am

Hey Linda, hope Im not too late


but I think those apples will
work! Im not an expert, Ive just started my own
rst batch as well. I dont see why they wouldnt
just make sure you add some boiling water into
the jar to clean it

Reply

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 33/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 5:47 pm

Hi Linda, thats a very good


question. I reckon the clay jar
should work well as long as air can escape. Im
making sauerkraut in clay
And yes to old apples. As long as theyre not
rotten they should work just ne. xx

Reply

Bob says:
October 25, 2016 at 6:57 am

Have you posted a recipe


for sauerkraut?

Jo says:
December 8, 2014 at 8:59 am

Hey, I forgot to stir and the rst part of the


fermenting didnt go so well, a white mould grew on
top shall I even bother to try salvage it? or just chuck it?

Reply

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 5:48 pm

Hi Jo, depends how that white mold looks and


smells. I just posted an update to the recipe,
please check the end to the blog post.

Reply

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 34/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Leanne says:
January 4, 2017 at 4:32 am

Chris,

I had the same thing happen. It happened because I


could not get the apples to sink, since I had nothing
that would t in my jars. :/ It smells just ne, even
sweet and nice, but there are white and green spots on
the apples themselves (the ones poking out of the
water). Is this okay, or should I begin again?

Reply

So Delicioso Apple Cider Vinegar says:


January 6, 2015 at 9:35 pm

[] use the Homemade Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar recipe


from Tales of a []

Reply

Kean says:
January 11, 2015 at 2:23 am

How large a jar does 3 apples make in terms of


volume?

Reply

Urban Apples and Cider Vinegar | Pure Pabulum says:


January 15, 2015 at 11:13 pm

[] making cider vinegar, I recommend the following recipe. I will let


you know how this current batch comes []

Reply

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 35/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

susan says:
January 21, 2015 at 8:17 am

Hi I hope you are still replying to comments. I just


went to take the apples out after the two weeks and
I had greenish yuck on top growing. Normal or bad and toss?

Reply

Samantha says:
August 9, 2015 at 1:10 am

You want to skim that out.

Reply

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 5:51 pm

Id say de nitely toss (sorry I wasnt able to get


to this sooner!)
I just uploaded an update to this recipe. Please check the end
of the article. Hope it helps, hope it answers some questions
xx

Reply

Jill says:
January 25, 2015 at 2:34 am

i have the same problem with mold type stu on the


top apples. The water must have settled because
they werent in water. Is that ok?

Reply
http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 36/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Margo says:
August 13, 2015 at 5:17 am

In case someone else is perusing the


comments: that thin white lm on the top is
not mold- at least not the bad kind! Just stir it in. That is the
beginning of your mother. I have 14 jars started right now,
and at 7 days, the lm began. Once you strain out the solids,
the white lm will begin again. Just push it gently to the side
before you stir (I stir daily) and it will thicken into a lovely
mother over a period of weeks.

Reply

jeana says:
September 27, 2015 at 8:55 pm

I have used a mother with kombucha


making, but what can I use if for with
ACV? Do I save it for another purpose? Thanks! Im so
excited to make up a batch

Reply

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 5:55 pm

You can use your acv mother to


make more acv. You can also try
it with di erent fruits, not just apples! Have fun
Jeana xx

Reply

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 37/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Deanna says:
July 2, 2017 at 6:41 pm

Hi, Ive made a batch acv.


Now I have the mother,
how do I use that to make more acv?. Just
add more water and sugar? If so what
ratio mother:water: sugar do you use?
Deanna

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 5:54 pm

Thanks for helping out Margo! Hope


others found your advice useful xx

Reply

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 5:53 pm

Hi Jill, please see comment above. Depends


how your mold looks and smells.
I just uploaded an update to this recipe. Please check the end
of the article. Hope it helps, hope it answers some questions
xx

Reply

Kathy says:
February 5, 2015 at 12:55 am

Hi Chris,

Speaking of fermented foods, have you ever made kimchi? With all
new food allergies, trying to get as much of the good bacteria as

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 38/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

possible. Thanks

Reply

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 5:57 pm

Hi Kathy! Yes, heaps, all the time


Theres a vegan kimchi recipe in the recipe
box. Have you tried it yet? You should! xx

Reply

Patrick says:
February 16, 2015 at 5:11 am

My vinegar is almost done!!!! Can I use the mother to


make more, or would it be better to start over again
with new water sugar and apples? Thanks

Reply

Teresa says:
April 20, 2015 at 8:28 pm

If you include some from your completed


batch in your new batch, the fermentation will
occur faster.

Reply

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 5:58 pm

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 39/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Yes, you de nitely can, I do tht.


The fermentation will happen faster if you add a mother. Best
of luck.

Reply

Anne says:
February 17, 2015 at 8:16 pm

This sounds like a fantastic thing to try. I am


currently experimenting with various ferments. Can
you advise how long after the fermentation is complete that the
product will last and does it need to be refrigerated after
completion?

Reply

Teresa says:
April 20, 2015 at 8:22 pm

when you reach the taste you are looking for,


refrigerate to stop further fermentation. Once
you have reached full vinegar it does not need refrigeration
but I believe it will continue to become stronger vinegar if you
dont refrigerate it.

Reply

Teresa says:
April 20, 2015 at 8:24 pm

I like to drink mine by the glass full at


the just turned to vinegar stage. Holy
goodness!

Reply

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 40/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 6:01 pm

Hi Anne. I agree with Teresa, above.


Once done, if you leave it at room temp, it will
continue to ferment. If you refrigerate it, fermentation occurs
at a much slower rate which means avor will stay the same
for a longer time.
Vinegar keeps for many months, however avor might
changer with time, less sweet, more tart and de nitely
stronger.

Reply

Martha says:
March 12, 2015 at 8:22 pm

Hello from Switzerland


The problem is, that the apples are lighter than
water and swim on top when greenish mold is on the apples it is
unusable and toxic.
I have to try it again, stirring more often or use another jar

Reply

Teresa says:
April 20, 2015 at 8:16 pm

Martha, rinse jars well to remove all dish soap


residue, then give them a nal rinse with
distilled white vinegar. Stir your batches but dont use any
metal utensils. Dish soap residue and metal will sabotage
your fermenting e orts.

Reply

Chris says:
http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 41/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

January 2, 2016 at 6:04 pm

Hi Martha, sorry to hear about the green


mold.
I just uploaded an edit to the recipe, please
see the end of the article. Hope it provides some answers. xx

Reply

Dawn says:
March 22, 2015 at 11:55 pm

What size jar are you using? Quart, half gallon,


gallon?

Reply

Margo says:
March 23, 2015 at 8:16 pm

I use half gallon, and experimented with


quarts as well as a gallon plastic bucket- they
all worked perfectly. Also, green scum is bad, but the white
scum is the beginning of the mother. All sizes of jars ended
up with a mother, but I didnt realize what the white lm was
in the bucket (my rst attempt), so scooped it o each day.
Oops.

Reply

Joyce says:
April 1, 2015 at 10:03 pm

hello,
l would like to know if it is necessary to add sugar to
the vinegar

Thanks

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 42/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Reply

Margo says:
August 13, 2015 at 5:24 am

No- I didnt use any sugar last year and all


went well. This year Im experimenting, using
sugar in some, well water in some, cider instead of water in
some My thought is that the sugar just speeds things along,
but it also might depend on sugar content of the apples. I use
sweet apples (I use the leftovers from pressing apple cider),
and they are quite ripe. Sugar wont hurt, thats for sure!

Reply

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 6:07 pm

Hi Joyce & Margo.


Margo is spot on, you can skip the
sugar if your apples are super sweet. But sugar does
help the fermentation process. If you are concerned
about your sugar intake, just know that the bacteria
feeds on the sugar and not much is left once the
vinegar is done. You wont end up drinking sugar, but
bacteria needs it to grow and ferment faster.
Good luck! x

Reply

Ruth says:
April 12, 2016 at 7:08 pm

This answer helps. I made 3 jars


each jar has one tbsp of sugar, 3
apples and two glasses of water. Im worried
because sugar should have been 3 tsps in each
jar.

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 43/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

So far i discarded one jar bec of the grayish


moulds that grew after just a week.
The other two jars have the white bubbles. So
happy with the nice smell as well. I havent done
any stirring because Im afraid i might spoil the
contents. Its been two weeks. All i do is just
open and push the oating apples and check if
there are any gray moulds. Is it ok not to stir at
this point?

Reply

Ruth says:
April 12, 2016 at 7:14 pm

Sorry Ive put in 1tsp and


not 1tbsp sugar. Is it too
less? Can i still add sugar after two weeks
have passed?

Jim says:
April 2, 2015 at 6:52 am

Would you say that this is about a 1 quart jar? I was


reading another recipe and in a 1 gallon jar it called
for 1 cup sugar. That sounded excessive to me. Does more sugar
make it ferment faster? Is the sugar all consumed in the process?

Reply

Teresa says:
April 20, 2015 at 8:10 pm

Hi Jim, 1 cup sugar per gallon is the correct


ratio. 1/2 cup sugar for a half gallon jar, etc.
You need the sugar for the fermentation process, the end
product will have very little or no sweetness left. If it is a little

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 44/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

sweet, you have made hard cider, and if not sweet but
vinegary you have reached vinegar.

Reply

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 6:09 pm

Hi Jim & Teresa.


Teresa is pretty much on point.
(Thanks!)
Jim, you can also have a look at my comment above.
Enjoy brewing!

Reply

MerryMumma says:
April 8, 2015 at 10:36 am

Hi,
Ive now made 5 di erent batches (non of which are
nished yet) and theyre all a di erent colour/smell. One smelled
horri c and I tossed it the other 4 range in colour drastically. One is
dark brown, one is almost white and the other two are in-between.
None of them smell great and they all have varying amounts of
oating lm. Two jars were meant to be nished last week. Id love
to know what has gone wrong, and if in time theyll ever smell less
like rot and more like vinegar?
Thanks so much!

Reply

Teresa says:
April 20, 2015 at 8:00 pm

To MerryMumma, your ambition is admirable,


but you may have made afew mistakes, one
being leaving dish soap residue on the inside of your jars.

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 45/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

These need to be rinsed thoroughly and given a nal rinse of


white distilled vinegar. Any amount of dish soap left behind
will sabotage your fermenting e orts, and will allow for bad
molds to develop. A second mistake is using metal stirring
utensils as contact with metal will kill the mother of the whole
thing.
My homemade apple cider vinegar never smells bad at any
point from start to nish. I believe you need to start over with
some of you batches. I hope you do it right and succeed with
new ambition equal to that large ambition you started with!!!!

Reply

Catherine says:
September 7, 2015 at 11:16 pm

Seems like adding prewash with white


vinegar And dont use metal to stir
would be helpful to add to the original instructions. I
am reading the comments after I followed the recipe
and am concerned B/C I did not sterilize jar with white
vinegar and used metal to stir (but will not of course
continue).
Just a thought.
Thank you for your time.

Reply

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 6:22 pm

Hi Catherine. I just updated the


recipe and included this. Thank
you x

Reply

Chris says:
http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 46/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

January 2, 2016 at 6:21 pm

Hi MerryMumma. So sorry to hear.


I just posted an edit to the recipe with a bit
more advice. Please check the end of the
article, hope it helps!
Also, Teresas feedback is good! De nitely to keep in mind
with sterilizing and using metal.

Reply

Sandra says:
April 10, 2015 at 10:28 pm

Thank you so much for this information. I am


overseas and couldnt nd organic ACV with mother
anywhere, but found a lot of apples. So made it myself. Thank you
again. It works perfectly.

Reply

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 6:24 pm

Thats fantastic to hear Sandra! Enjoy your


homemade acv xx

Reply

grace says:
April 22, 2015 at 12:00 am

Hi! Im grace a lipina DH here im Malaysia My


employer have bought a juice extractor which
directly separate the fruit esh from the juice And i always feel
dont want just throw the extracted esh. So now, I am wondering
whether I can use the left over esh to do my own vinegar?

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 47/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Hope you can give me feedback as soon as possible bcoz i want to


start my 1st batch asap as my contract ends october. Thanks!

Reply

Margo says:
August 13, 2015 at 5:28 am

Grace, you can de nitely use that extracted


esh to make vinegar! That is what I use.

Reply

Anne Hosking says:


April 24, 2015 at 3:40 am

Anne from Australia


Hello , I was inspired by your recipe to use our home
grown apples and have the rst batch maturing in the pantry
cupboard , almost ready to use ! Ive also started 2 di erent batches
( the orchard has been very fruitful this autumn ) one of chopped
quinces and the other with halved crab apples , using a raw local
honey instead of sugar . They are happily bubbling away and smell
delicious , especially the quince . Has anyone else tried di erent
pome fruits ? I was wondering about using medlars next .

Reply

Karen says:
April 24, 2015 at 10:06 am

Hi Anne, we are down under too and have 2


trees laden with apples which is why I
checked out how to make apple cider vinegar. Homegrown
apples are perfect, especially since we dont use any
chemicals. Just wondering if you have any tips to keep the
apples submerged?

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 48/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Thanks,
Karen

Reply

Anne Hosking says:


June 3, 2015 at 6:46 am

Hi Karen , hope the brew is going well .


I just stir down the apple pieces on top
about twice a week with a wooden spoon . I was given
lots of very ripe medlars so have started o a bucket
batch of them , and they seem to be fermenting very
quickly and forming a solid top that I stir down more
often .
Cheers Anne .

Reply

Karen says:
June 3, 2015 at 7:50 am

Thanks for your response, Anne.


That was exactly what I did and
good news, the brew is going well. Now onto the
2nd stage of fermentation. I think Ive actually
added too much extra water when trying to
submerge the apples (they oated!). But it will
just be a bit more diluted, I guess. Will de nitely
do this again next apple season. Hope your
medlar vinegar is going well too!
Cheers,
Karen

Reply

Jutta says:
August 18, 2015 at 5:43 am

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 49/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

If you ll a quart jar with water & put a


plate on top of the apples with the jar
on top the apples will stay submerged
this method works for making pickles
& sauerkraut to keep things from
oating up top . If your batch is smaller use anything
that will weight it down . I have used hand weights on
top of a plate in the past .

Reply

Karen says:
September 1, 2015 at 7:33 pm

Thanks, Jutta. Good idea, Im


doing that now with the olives.
Beats having to stir daily

Reply

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 6:28 pm

Hi Karen, I just posted an update to the


recipe with a tip on how to keep the
apples submerged. Go have a sneak peak. Something
you can use next season x

Reply

Nancy @ Little Homestead in Boise


says:
August 12, 2015 at 11:54 pm

Honey may or may nor work since its a


natural anti-microbial. Most people dont ferment with it for
that reason

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 50/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Reply

ThatMan says:
August 28, 2015 at 5:51 am

Came here to say that. Raw honey has


its own bacteria and enzymes which in
the case of the former competes for food with the
lactobacilli and in the case of the later outright kills all
kinds of other microbes. It is not to be fermented with
unless your some hardcore fermenter with excess
resources just out to prove you can make such a food.
Its wasteful and counterindicated.

Reply

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 6:31 pm

Thanks for the thoughts. It does


actually work though

Reply

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 6:26 pm

Hi Anne, that is wonderful to hear. So jealous


of your quince brew! I bet that tastes
amazing. Ill have to try that myself as well. Enjoy your acvs!

Reply

Wilma Ashby says:


June 2, 2015 at 6:24 am

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 51/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Wilma from Tasmania

I have about 10kg of apples that I would like to turn


into ACV. I have a large plastic food grade tub that
has a lid which is loose so would allow gasses to
escape. Looking at your recipe, 3 apples, 3 tsp sugar, I am thinking
that would be a lot of sugar for 10kg apples. Can you give me some
tips on fermenting on a larger scale please. Many thanks

Reply

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 6:32 pm

Hi Wilma, unfortunately I havent fermented


on such a large scale. It might be useful
though to go through some of the comments above. Theres
other brewers here who brew large batches!

Reply

Jason says:
July 1, 2015 at 10:24 pm

Hello. I have followed your recipe. It is smelling a lot


like vinegar. However I used green granny smith
apples and they have not turned the usual brown colour. Has
anybody else tried this? I think everything is normal it is murky but
not the usual brown colour of apple cider vinegar.

Reply

Karen says:
July 2, 2015 at 7:54 am

Ive used a mixture of golden delicious and


fuji, and its a murky yellow colour too. So I
think it must be alright. Tastes alright to me.
http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 52/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Reply

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 6:34 pm

Hi Jason & Karen.


Yep, colour of apples gives colour of
nished vinegar. Also, the type of sugar in uences
colour (white vs very dark brown).

Reply

Nancy @ Little Homestead in Boise


says:
July 31, 2015 at 12:56 am

Great info! I have a bumper crop of apples


this year and will make some of this. Do you know whats the
shelf life of this, nished, capped and bottled?

Reply

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 6:36 pm

It should keep for many months. Im


only brewing what I need for about 1-2
months, then o to dig into another batch. I prefer the
taste of fresh vinegar

Reply

Noli S. Sula says:


July 2, 2015 at 12:35 pm

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 53/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Hi Chris. Im from Porac, Philippines. Its been 4


months that there is no available ACV even on every
nearby big supermarkets. That is why last May of
this year, I begin nding out how to make an ACV. I
have followed your recipe and procedures in making
my ACV and just harvest last night the rst batch of my ACV, then
make another batch. Thank you for the info Chris. God bless.

Reply

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 6:37 pm

Hi Noli, wonderful to hear youre making your


own! Enjoy brewing xx

Reply

Jeremie says:
July 15, 2015 at 1:12 pm

On the sugar part can any raw form of sugar work


like lets say dehydrated maple syrup to dehydrated
honey? Just wondering I am going to buy a hive ow for honey and
start tapping for syrup and I learned how dehydrate them

Reply

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 6:38 pm

Oh, never heard of dehydrated honey or


maple. Not sure. I tried brewing with honey
and it worked.
I just uploaded an edit to the recipe, please see the end of the
article, especially the part about using honey.
Hope that helps.

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 54/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Reply

Penny Yen says:


July 16, 2015 at 5:40 am

Hi from China! I recently made acv in the same way


you described. But then a mother scoby formed and
now want to use it in my next batch. I juiced many apples And
now? Do I just add in the mother and some starter acv like
kombucha? Or do I wait for the juice to ferment then add in the
mother?

Reply

Anne Hosking says:


July 22, 2015 at 4:23 am

Ive added mother from a previous batch at


di erent stages and it -so far! has had a
good outcome always , its always been after straining out the
fruit though , I dont know if anyone else has tried adding it
earlier ? I added some to some dessert wine that was taking
ages ( 6 months ) and it became a beautiful vinegar within
weeks .

Reply

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 6:40 pm

Hi Penny & Anne.


Yes, you can de nitely use the mother
with your new batches. I also add it after straining. It
speeds the fermentation process.

Reply

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 55/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Martin Nanna says:


July 19, 2015 at 7:25 am

We have used many di erent types of apples


rendering many di erent tastes and colors. But
cleaning with the vinegar is absolutely a dream and the cat and dog
we have dont mind when we rub it on and the eas say bye bye.
Thanks again.

Reply

Karen says:
July 22, 2015 at 6:55 am

Wow! Great advice, Martin. Im going to try the


vinegar on the dogs too when I get to make
more next season. Thanks for sharing!

Reply

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 6:41 pm

Thats such a great advice. Thanks! Hope


other brewers will see this

Reply

Hannah says:
August 2, 2015 at 2:58 am

What happens when youre near the end of your


rst batch? Do I need to start from scratch or can I
keep adding to it in some way to keep it going?

Reply

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 56/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Margo says:
August 13, 2015 at 5:32 am

It will need to go through the whole process,


but adding some of your last batch to your
new batch (after you strain) makes it go much faster!

Reply

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 6:42 pm

Hi Hannah. Margo is on point with this

(How many times can I thank you Margo?)

Reply

Dw says:
August 15, 2015 at 10:26 pm

Cant wait to give this a try. Lots of fantastic


questions and replies. How strong can I make ACV.
Im looking to use it as a topical skin treatment. Also,, how weak, as
a remedy for Acid Re ux.

Reply

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 6:43 pm

Hi Dw, I would not be able to advise on those


uses. Im not equipped or quali ed. Sorry x

Reply

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 57/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Silvia @ Ribas with Love says:


August 20, 2015 at 5:46 am

Hi Chris! I just came across your recipe after getting


bugged by my mother to make some apple cider
vinegar, I was trying to convince her that it would be too hard
(having a lazy kinda day), but your recipe made it impossible not to
try. It sounds so easy ! (besides the patience factor). One question
though, is there a better kind of apple for this recipe or will any kind
work well. Of course I would prefer the organic apples as opposed
to conventional. Thanks for the recipe, lovely picture and inspiration
too Chris. xoxo

Reply

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 6:45 pm

Hi Silvia (sorry for the late reply!)


Any apples will work, though the sweeter
varieties are best for this. They will make a sweet and
beautifully avored vinegar.
So happy your mum put you up to this enjoy brewing! xx

Reply

kris says:
August 26, 2015 at 12:59 pm

its been about three weeks since i started my acv.


Its my rst time, but my apples are still oating. its
not bubbling anymore but there is some white lm on top. I read
before that the apples should sink after a week. What did i do
wrong? Did i add too much water?

Reply

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 58/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

jolene says:
September 25, 2015 at 1:40 am

You should strain it and then re-cover the


bottle with your cheesecloth.

Reply

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 6:47 pm

Hi Kris. Sorry for the late reply, but Ill reply


nonetheless
I just uploaded an edit to the recipe that answers some
questions. Please see the end of the article.
If not bubbling anymore, sounds like its done. Even if apples
are still oating.
The white lm if similar to my photo, its good. If your
vinegar smells nice, all good.
Hope this helps x

Reply

K10 says:
August 28, 2015 at 11:23 am

My husband eats an apple a day if he wraps his


cores in plastic wrap and refrigerates them could I
use them after 6 days to start an ACV batch?

Reply

dan says:
September 21, 2015 at 7:48 pm

k10 As long as the cores do not rot then yes


thats ne

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 59/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Reply

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 6:50 pm

Hi. Rather than leaving them in the fridge


(chances are they will go brown and begin to
go bad and you risk sabotaging your brew), I would actually
start a very small batch with the rst 2 cores, but place it in a
larger jar and add sugar enough for 6-7 cores. Then I would
continue to add a core everyday for about a week lets say.
Then let it do its thing.

Reply

Cathi says:
September 7, 2015 at 3:21 am

I have 2 batches going. First one reached the strain


stage a week ago. Strained and white lm starting on
top but the vinegar is clear/whitish but smells like acv. Why isnt it
the brownish color? Second batch is same, no color. Did I do
something wrong? It smells ne.

Reply

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 6:52 pm

Hi Cathi. If it smells and tastes ne, then it


should be ok.
Colour is given by the type of apples (pink, dark red or green
apples will give di erent colours) and also by the type of
sugar (white, light brown or very dark brown).

Reply

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 60/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Jill Bevington says:


September 8, 2015 at 9:13 am

Hi. Thank for sharing this. I am starting my rst


batch tonight. I believe from others questions that I
dont need to do anything about apples sticking out of the liquid if I
stir it every day or two. True? Also, I am wondering if when the apple
pieces sink and I am to strain them out, do I squeeze them out in
cheesecloth or just pull them out with out squeezing or smushing
them? Thank you for your help.

Reply

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 6:53 pm

Hi Jill. Yes, stirring every day or two should do


it. You can also help keep them submerged
please see the later edit to my recipe, at the end of the
article.
I just strain the apples without squeezing and feed the
leftovers to my garden.

Reply

pam bayer says:


September 16, 2015 at 9:20 pm

I have an old (50-100yr?) apple tree that is very


fruitful never sprayed but the skin has a fungus
called sooty ash on it. The inside of the apples are a delicious rm
sour apple.. CAN i use the apples with skin on even though it has
this fungus or will it interfere with the fermentation? Wanted to juice
the apples and use mush for vinegar pealing is a pain
thank you
pam

Reply

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 61/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 6:57 pm

Hi Pam, I honestly could not say for sure. I am


not familiar with that fungus (or any fungus at
a matter of fact), wish I were!
I just quickly googled it though and by the looks of it, I would
say safest to peel it looks like the apples are damaged in the
areas with that fungus and they turn brown. Maybe other
apple growers and brewers can be of more help. x

Reply

dan says:
September 21, 2015 at 7:47 pm

Not being o ensive in anyway but if alot of you


actually read the whole article instead of just reading
what materials were needed to do it and a few of you remembering
to cater to the vinegar like is needed alot of these questions
wouldnt be asked. Also my guess as to why she quit responding.

Reply

kms50@hotmail.com says:
October 17, 2015 at 10:22 am

Thank you Dan for adding to the conversation


by putting us all in our place Maybe you
should turn to Politics,

Reply

Nicole Wei says:


September 22, 2015 at 4:48 am

(or use the peels and cores of 6-7 small apples after making a pie)

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 62/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

but only core and peels from pies making hihi

thanks for the tutorial! Im trying this now

Reply

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 6:58 pm

hehe just giving an example!


Hope your brew is coming along nicely x

Reply

Evelyn says:
September 30, 2015 at 5:50 am

Does it need to be refrigerated after it is done?


Thanks oodles

Reply

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 6:59 pm

Hi Evelyn, I just answered this in detail in a


comment above. Enjoy brewing xx

Reply

Bob Fever says:


September 30, 2015 at 9:53 am

Can this be canned?

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 63/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Reply

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 6:59 pm

Probably. I havent so could not advise.

Reply

Jackie says:
October 12, 2015 at 10:28 pm

Hello to all you guys and guyesses fro Kiev, Ukraine. I


am an expat from New Zealand ..apple land! I have
lived here for three years and at LONG LAST some very good
ORGANIC apples ( Praise the Lord!)grown in Western Ukraine have
nally appeared in our local supermarket bought 2 k and one half
kilos tod ay so I guess I will be busy from time to time! I am so
looking foward to embarking on this ACV WITH the MOTHER
adventure, tomorrow is the day I will start so wish me luck. I have
read through the recipe, advice and comments from end to end
very very carefully and takrn it all on board I yope. ll I hope is that
someone from this wonderful site will be able to give me some
encouragement from time to time. This would be so appreciated.

Jackie

Reply

Jackie says:
October 13, 2015 at 1:33 pm

sorry about the previous typing errors!

Reply

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 64/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 7:02 pm

Hi Jackie, sorry for my absence. I was


swamped with work!
Im back tho. I answered to heaps of comments above and
also uploaded an edit to the recipe, please see the end of the
article.
If youre running into trouble or need advice, feel free to
come back here and ask. But kindly check if the question was
asked and answered before. The thread is incredibly long by
now!
Good luck brewing! xx

Reply

Sweetremy says:
October 25, 2015 at 2:19 pm

Hi Id like to try it out, but my question is how much


acv does this recipe make?

Reply

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 7:05 pm

Hi! It makes a small bottle, di cult to be more


precise as this recipe is a couple of years old
and Im brewing bigger batches now. x

Reply

Adam says:
October 28, 2015 at 6:08 am

Hello,
So I forgot to stir my acv. I realized its been 5 weeks
http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 65/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

since I took the apples out.


I have a layer of what looks like mold on top. Is this alright? Or no?
I wish I could post a pic for u too c

Reply

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 7:06 pm

Hi Adam. I posted an edit to the recipe, please


see the end of the article.
If the mold looks like that, its ok, especially if the vinegar
smells good.

Reply

Catherine says:
November 3, 2015 at 4:40 am

Hi, I have tons of cooking apples but no eating


apples, can I use the cooking apples?

Reply

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 7:07 pm

For sure! Have fun brewing x

Reply

Roldan says:
November 4, 2015 at 11:43 am

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 66/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Very interesting information. I can make my own ACV without


buying from the stores which stock is not always available. Thanks.

Reply

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 7:08 pm

Enjoy brewing Roldan.

Reply

Toni P says:
November 9, 2015 at 7:47 pm

Just weighing in on some questions above. Many


questions are answered in these comments, so
please read the comments if you have a question.

Regarding color, I have had light-colored vinegar from yellow apples,


so maybe the skin color a ects this. I also wonder if I get better
color if I leave my apple scraps out to let them naturally brown for a
day or two before starting my vinegar.

I tried making vinegar from very tart, low sugar apples once without
adding sugar. It failed. Whether that was due to the sugar being too
low, or to a failure to get all my dish soap washed o my jar, I dont
know. Add the sugar. It helps.

The oating scum is either the Mother or the Scoby. Normal. Dont
worry about it.

Dont use metal utensils or a metal strainer.

Once you nish and use a sealed lid on your vinegar, it is basically
going to quit changing because of limited or nonexistent air
exchange. I have never refrigerated nished vinegar, and it has been
ne.

Reply

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 67/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 7:10 pm

Thanks for that Toni. Hope other brewers


found it useful.

Reply

Kendra says:
November 16, 2015 at 8:39 pm

Hi everyone, is it safe to place it in a 5-gallon plastic


container? Wont it melt the plastic due to acidity?
Im planning to create a small business out of this for my friends
and family. What things should i consider? Appreciate the feedback.
Godspeed

Reply

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 7:12 pm

Hi Kendra, if youre using food safe, bpa free


plastic, it should be ok.
If you want to start a business out of this, my rst advice
would be to contact your local health o cer and ask for
his/her advice on starting a business that involves fermented
foods. They are best equipped to tell you what conditions you
need to meet, H&S to be considered so you make safe food.
Best of luck! So exciting for you x

Reply

Kendra says:

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 68/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

November 17, 2015 at 10:50 am

Can i use a 5-gallon plastic container?

Reply

Noha eloataz says:


November 25, 2015 at 10:38 am

Dear chris.. Its my rst experience and the apples


has veen in the jar for 10 days now.. But seems like
apples started to go to the top of the jar and some apples went
beyond the water surface and got some mold on them.. Beyond
that the batch looks good and promising should i uncocer it and
puck up these ir leave everything till the end.. Or that means the
batch went bad and i should throw it away..
Thanks alot and by ur other recipes are amazing

Reply

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 7:14 pm

Hi Noha, I just uploaded an edit to the recipe,


please check the end of the article, especially
the bit about mold. If green, blue, grey or black I would
discard. Hope this helps x

Reply

Shah says:
December 6, 2015 at 12:55 pm

I started making this last week but within a few days


the apple pieces at the top of the jar have turned
very brown (like theyre spoiled) while the pieces underneath them
are still normal colour. So I have a layer of brown apples at the top

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 69/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

of the jar (about 8 pieces of apple) while the rest of the apple pieces
below are ne (about 25 pieces of apple).

Should I remove the brown apples at the top of the jar or leave
them in?

Reply

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 7:16 pm

Hi Shah, I just uploaded an edit to the recipe,


please check the end of the article, especially
the bit about mold.
If there was no mold and the brew still smells nice, I would
continue, but submerge the apples.

Reply

LadyGray says:
December 10, 2015 at 5:50 am

You can go a step further with ACV, and make


avored ACVs. Currently I am making Hawthorn ACV,
which has the added bene ts of that berry (widely available and free
from trees everywhere, but do be very sure of which berries you are
picking, you dont want to make a mistake) for the heart. Will start a
fennel ACV soon, too. You can look these up, but basically you ll a
jar with either hawthorn berries, or fennel, the latter small, cover
about 1/2 inch above the berries/fennel with ACV, weight the fruit
down (cabbage leaf and a washed stone/rock su ces), you dont
want any oaters, cover with fabric circle or co ee lter, or JCloth
or., and an elastic, let sit on counter 6 weeks, giving very gentle
shakes every few days to begin, then once a week to release the
bubbles. This is not a ferment as such. I found the info in the
fabulous book, All Good Things Around Us by Pamela Martin. You
can make other avours, I havent looked them all up yet, but they
all further the health bene ts of ACV and its avour. Thanks for this
recipe, Chris!

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 70/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Reply

LadyGray says:
December 10, 2015 at 6:35 am

correction: book is by Pamela Michael.

Reply

LadyGray says:
December 10, 2015 at 9:54 am

(too bad i couldnt go back and edit my


original post)
Pamela Michaels great book, told me many things to
do with Hawthorn Berries, but theres a website that
was where you can speci cally nd about the Vinegars:
wildcrafty.wordpress.com/2010/03/19/what-can-i-can-
do-with-hawthorn-berrries

give that a look and try out the vinegars!

Reply

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 7:17 pm

Thank you for all those ideas! Im so excited to


give them a go! xx

Reply

Andrea says:
December 11, 2015 at 10:55 am

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 71/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Could I use a pickling jar, which has the apparatus to


let the gasses escape, instead of cheesecloth? I dont
use papertowels and dont have cheesecloth. Are
there any other alternatives?

Reply

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 7:19 pm

Hi Andrea, I havent tried a pickling jar, so


would not be able to say.

Reply

Ryan says:
December 25, 2015 at 1:22 am

When I make ke r and kombucha, I never let my


stu touch metal. Heard it somewhere and have just
adopted it. When I ferment veggies, I usually do it in glass, ceramic
or plastic.

What are you all using to strain your ACV?

Any ideas or thoughts on metal contact in the fermentation


process?

-Ryan

Reply

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 7:25 pm

Hi Ryan, indeed we shouldnt ferment in metal


or use metal to stir or anything.

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 72/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

However, I do use a stainless steel sieve when I strain the


apples. Its only for a brief time that its in contact with the
brew though. I nd it hasnt a ected the outcome at all.

Reply

AL says:
January 2, 2016 at 3:52 am

This is my rst shot at this and when I pulled the


apples out to discard them one of them had some
white mold and green mold. I didnt have a cheese cloth so I used a
few co ee lters to cover (with a rubber band to keep them tight).
Does the green mold mean I need to restart (with a cheese cloth)
and that this batch is bad?

Reply

Chris says:
January 2, 2016 at 7:28 pm

Hi Al, sadly green mold means that something


went wrong. I would personally feed the
apples to my garden and start again.
I just uploaded an update to the recipe. Please see the end of
the article. Also, it might help going through some of the
comments above lots of useful Q&As!
Good luck with your second batch!

Reply

T.J. says:
January 8, 2016 at 1:24 pm

Hi, Can you tell me for how long the vinegar will
keep for please?

Reply
http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 73/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Chris says:
January 10, 2016 at 10:41 am

Hi Tj. Question was asked and answered


above. Kindly have a read through. x

Reply

PAULA says:
January 9, 2016 at 11:56 pm

Hi,

Thanks for the recipe. I bought some apple vinegar with the mother
and I was wondering if I could use that mother and how would that
alter the process you described? When should I put the mother in
after straining the apples? thanks so much!

Reply

Chris says:
January 10, 2016 at 10:59 am

Hi Paula, kindly have a ready through


comments above. x

Reply

K.C. says:
January 19, 2016 at 8:01 am

Hi there!

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 74/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Im wondering if anyone has tried making raw ACV with frozen apple
slices. I have a bunch in the freezer from this past fall and Id love to
try the recipe with them.

Any ideas?

Reply

Maria says:
January 25, 2016 at 5:26 am

Hi! Thanks a lot for the instructions, cant wait to


make my own ACV! By the way, I dont know if
anyone has mentioned it previously, but you can sterilize the jars in
the microwave. Just put it on full power for roughly 2 minutes and
youre good. Thats how I normally sterilize my jars for jams. Hugs
and blessings to you!

Reply

Susanne says:
February 10, 2016 at 1:08 pm

Hi,
I started two batches with some leftover apples in
mid December.

Yesterday (Feb 10) I tasted the result and one batch is ok but still
only a very light vinegar.

Ive removed the fruit and bottled it as it will be good on salads.


There is quite a lot of ne sediment.

The other is even lighter tasting so after straining out the fruit Ive
put it back in the cupboard in a clean container with cheesecloth
over, it also contains a lot of sediment.

I did use my backyard raw honey and saw here how it makes a
lighter vinegar, next time Ill use sugar for a comparison.

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 75/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Neither of these batches developed a scum (mother).


I did immerse a plastic lid to hold the apples submerged and am
wondering if this may have in uenced it ?
Thanks,
Susanne

Reply

Sara says:
February 11, 2016 at 11:34 am

Greetings!

I am excited to be experimenting with my rst batch of ACV, and


honestly one of the rst fermentation processes Ive tried out
beyond brewing beer/making wine with a lot of fancy equipment.

My ACV has been sitting for ~6 weeks and no mother has formed. I
strained the apples out after ~2 weeks. It bubbled for awhile as the
pictures show, then calmed down and now smells quite vinegary. I
did not include any mother from a previous batch. Should I be
concerned? Do I continue to wait? Did something potentially go
wrong? I have not tasted it as Im nervous of toxicitywondering if
no mother is a sign that it could potentially be bad?

Thank you for any guidance you can o er!

Reply

Chris says:
September 30, 2016 at 7:49 pm

Not necessarily Sara. The vinegar should


smell nice, vinegary, a bit perfumed from the
apples. If it went bad you should generally be able to tell from
the smell and by how it looks. You can taste test only a tiny
bit one day, like a teaspoon. Really hard for me to be able to
help more without seeing it. Hope this helps x

Reply

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 76/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

May says:
February 21, 2016 at 8:53 am

A friend of mine gave me a scoby that grew in their


homemade vinegar. Does it help the process if I
added that to my starter brew?

Reply

Chris says:
September 30, 2016 at 7:44 pm

Yes it does May

Reply

Loai says:
February 24, 2016 at 7:16 pm

Thans for the super easy recipe,


I have a problem with getting raw sugar,
Can i use re ned sugar instead, or brown sugar
Thank you

Reply

Chris says:
September 30, 2016 at 7:50 pm

You can Loai

Reply

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 77/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Ashleigh says:
February 26, 2016 at 12:01 pm

How much ( in ML) APPLE CIDER VINEGAR DOES THIS


RECIPE MAKE?

And can you double the mixture?

Reply

Chris says:
September 30, 2016 at 7:51 pm

You can double Ashleigh, you can make as


much as you want, just bare in mind
proportions

Reply

Detox Drink and the Bene ts | My Journey to a Healthy Life says:


March 21, 2016 at 5:02 am

[] learn to make your own Organic raw un ltered Apple Cider


Vinegar with the Mother click here. Also to see the video of JJ Smith
ACV Detox drink click hereor click here to purchase her 10 []

Reply

The Ick Man Cometh | Uh Oh Mommas Crafting says:


April 1, 2016 at 6:23 pm

[] I could write a whole separate blog about the in nite bene ts of


ACV (in fact, I will; stay tuned) but as far as a germ- ghter, this little
baby saved me a whole lot of grief in my younger Im-in-public-
school-but-I-still-bite-my-nails days. Strep throat? Take a shot of
ACV. Congestion? Take a shot of ACV. Nausea? Well, maybe not
nausea; lets just say its an acquired taste. Achy u body? Taka a
shot of ACV. (Are you getting the picture?) The point is this: ACV kills
http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 78/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

germs. All kinds of germs. Like Olive Leaf, it helps prevent the
onslaught of illness like a champ. Better than Olive Leaf, it CURES
minor yuckies (particularly things like strep) with the quickness!
Since its liquid (and might be less than delicious) I usually mix it with
tea and raw honey for the added bene ts and to make it more
palatable. Though once youre a tenured user like myself, you can
drink it straight out of the bottle with only the most minor, DEAR
GOD THATS HORRIBLE face. Bonus round: Also safe for kids!
Though good luck getting them to drink it unless you have weirdo
kids like me that looove the sour stu . Plus its super duper cheap
(and easy to make if youre feeling all DIY-ish) []

Reply

John C. says:
April 5, 2016 at 9:35 pm

If you think that organic fruits and vegetables dont


also have pesticide residues on them, you know
nothing about organic, nor GEO, farming.
Your little Certi ed Organic sticker does not mean that product is
pesticide or herbicide free.
If anything, you should be washing your organic fruits even harder
than your GEs.

Reply

Scott Brogan says:


April 14, 2016 at 9:53 am

Can you use stevia from plant instead of sugar? I


wonder?? Stevia can be grown easier and probably
works better than honey at least

Reply

Ginyu says:
May 5, 2016 at 7:25 pm

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 79/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Not stevia as its nonfermenting sweetner

So raw sugar

Reply

Lizelle Lontoc says:


June 15, 2016 at 8:44 am

Wow all those comments! Spent the night and half


the day just reading. Im from the Philippines, too,
and ACV is the latest health craze here, so its always sold out and
supermarkets have imposed a limit on the quantity one can
purchase. Hotter than hotcakes. =)

Anyway Im excited to try and make my own ACV and Ive been
reading and reading and taking notes. Thank you for this post, will
let you know how it turned out.

Reply

Chris says:
September 30, 2016 at 7:53 pm

Best of luck Lizelle! Hope its a success

Reply

yasin soori says:


July 3, 2016 at 8:21 am

Hi,
sugar is for what?
i mean , is it for better taste?

Reply

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 80/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Chris says:
September 30, 2016 at 8:13 pm

to help the fermentation process

Reply

jun letargo says:


July 16, 2016 at 5:42 pm

Does appe cider vinegar can be use as a medicine


for stones in gall bladder?

Reply

Increase nourishment and save money in the kitchen


WayTooMuchCo ee.com says:
July 27, 2016 at 4:12 pm

[] Pickled vegetables adds a wonderful vinegary aspect to meals


and also particularly good in burger. Who loves burgers as much as I
do? Purchase organic or good quality apple cider and some
freshvegetables, and I promise the jar of pickles will be incredibly
nutritious for the body. Buy vegetables in season for maximum
avour and colour, also it can be cheaper when there is an over
supply of produce. Not Quite Nigella has a wonderful pickled
capsicum here and if you have time try making Tales of a Kitchens
apple cider vinegar here. []

Reply

Deidre says:
August 1, 2016 at 12:59 pm

Hi. I made ACV and separated the apple during the


second week bcz the white scum was turning brown.
Then I left it in a dark place for 4 weeks, it smells like ACV but is not

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 81/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

strong enough. I them bought one from dischem to compare they


have the same colour n they both settle the same way after shaking
them with a little grey substance at the bottom. My worries is that
mine taste a little rotten but not too much, I dont know if its bcz its
a homemade. I started using it n I see no bad side e ects but I just
want it to do its job.

Reply

Chris says:
September 30, 2016 at 8:16 pm

it shouldnt have any rotten avor, I would be


mindful

Reply

Madan says:
August 15, 2016 at 10:53 pm

Hi Chris..I made about 400 ml of ACV the rst


time I tried it in April earlier this year. It was fun
making it and it turned out real great in golden brown color just as
shown in the pics here. I have now put the second lot about 3 liters
about 3 weeks back. Its fermenting abs ne. I hope the second lot
also comes out in golden color with just the right acidity. Thanks for
the recipe.

Reply

Chris says:
September 30, 2016 at 8:14 pm

Really glad youre enjoying it x

Reply

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 82/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Madan says:
September 30, 2016 at 9:43 pm

Hi Chris.. I sieved the second lot of


ACV about a month back and left it
since then for acid to develop. Two days ago I tasted
it.and wow, this lot has turned out to be more sour
and the texture is just superb. Cant thank you enough
for the recipe.

Reply

Chris says:
October 1, 2016 at 7:53 am

That so great to hear! Enjoy!

Reply

sathya says:
August 27, 2016 at 7:32 pm

Hi,
i am going to make my rst home made ACV. can i
use a cup of store bought organic ACV (raw, unpasturised- brand
EDEN) as a starter?

Reply

Chris says:
October 1, 2016 at 7:54 am

You can Sathya, it should help speed up the


process

Reply

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 83/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Ian says:
September 3, 2016 at 10:32 pm

Slight change to the recipe that I personally used.

For the water I boiled some and mixed it with the sugar in a
measuring jug, then once the sugar was dissolved I added cold
water so the water was around body temperature. When added this
actually starts the fermentation process within 2 days for me.

I also leave the bottom of my jar in a larger container as I found they


sometimes over owed the rst few days

I also keep mine in the conservatory so the mix remains warmish to


the touch and it seems to ferment better, maybe its also faster but I
dont worry about that and leave it for 3 weeks anyway, although
you can start to get a vinegar smell around 10-12 days

Reply

Chris says:
October 1, 2016 at 7:56 am

Thanks for that Ian. Yes, warmer temp helps


speed up the fermentation process. Its
always so warm here in Oz, I never thought to suggest that.
Hopefully everyone will nd your experience useful.

Reply

Ian says:
September 4, 2016 at 5:42 am

One question, having read all the comments I dont


see an answer to.

After straining the liquid can you add more water to the apples and
get a second batch started from the original apples ?

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 84/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Reply

Ian says:
September 8, 2016 at 1:14 am

Already started more by adding warm water


with sugar to the original apples, 5 days on
and its fermenting nicely. Looks the same as the rst lot,
smells the same as the rst lot, fermenting the same as the
rst lot, so heres hoping it is going to work ok.

Reply

Chris says:
October 1, 2016 at 7:57 am

Let me know how that goes Ian and


what the nal result is.

Reply

Pat S says:
September 7, 2016 at 5:54 pm

Hi, will you know why black moulds appear on top?


For the rst three weeks, I placed the jar in cool but
dark storeroom. Quite disappointed. Thanks

Reply

Chris says:
September 22, 2016 at 6:25 pm

Something went wrong with the batch Pat.


Maybe fruits were not fully submerged in

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 85/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

water? Sorry it didnt work out.

Reply

linda says:
September 14, 2016 at 3:37 am

Does using the seeds add arsenic, (which is toxic) to


the vinegar? Why is sugar necessary? I have made it
without sugar.

Reply

Chris says:
October 1, 2016 at 7:59 am

Sugar helps the fermentation process. You


can do it without, but best to use apples that
are very sweet if you skip the sugar altogether. Good to know
you wont be consuming the sugar in the nished product,
the bacteria eats pretty much all of it during the
fermentation.

Reply

Mark says:
September 17, 2016 at 5:34 am

So, I have made numerous batches of sauerkraut in


a jar but this is my rst batch of acv. I am curious
why cover with cheese cloth instead of an airlock & cap? Thanks!

Reply

Chris says:

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 86/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

October 1, 2016 at 8:06 am

This might be useful


http://www.wildfermentation.com/aerobic-vs-
anaerobic-fermentation-controversy/

Reply

We have worms! | artborean says:


September 17, 2016 at 6:59 pm

[] I also started another project this morning: homemade apple


cider vinegar, following these instructions. Ive never actually used
apple cider vinegar before, mostly because it seems []

Reply

Mo Marie says:
September 17, 2016 at 7:22 pm

Did anyone have a problem with fruit ies? Is it a


problem if they get inside?

Reply

Chris says:
September 22, 2016 at 6:26 pm

Yes Marie, stay away from fruit ies. If they


get inside, they will deposit larvae and you will
have a problem on your hands. I lost a kombucha scoby to
fruit ies sadly

Reply

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 87/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Anu says:
September 24, 2016 at 12:38 pm

Can i use any type of sugar for making apple cide


vinegar

Reply

Chris says:
October 1, 2016 at 8:07 am

Any sugar should be ok Anu. What were you


thinking of using?

Reply

simon nazareth says:


September 30, 2016 at 6:50 pm

i liked your reading material and i share your view .


we in Goa make vinegar from coconut toddy,and
from any fruits we get.the process is the same .After you have
strained the pulp in about 2-3 weeks we add a red hot earthen piece
the raw vinegar and let it in for the next 2 months.the vinegar
matures and all fermentation stops after the earthen piece is
inserted,.You will see the membrane oating on top(mother
vinegar) dont disturb it.this membrane cane be used later to hasten
the process of your next apple cider vinegar.try it.I do it since
childhood.Good luck.

Reply

Marina says:
October 1, 2016 at 6:47 am

Exactly what do you mean by red hot earthen


piece? Thanks for explaining. To me, this

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 88/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

means possibly a clay brick, but I cannot understand putting


a brick in your vinegar

Reply

Darcelle Ioli says:


October 1, 2016 at 5:15 am

I am making my rst batch of acv and have just


strained the apples. The liquid is very thick, like
syrup. Is it supposed to be thick? should I add more sugar water and
make it the correct thickness for vinegar? Everything else in the
process (white foam) seems to be working.

Appreciate any advice.

Reply

Chris says:
October 1, 2016 at 8:09 am

Did you keep to the proportions in the recipe


Darcelle? Curious why it would be so thick, it
should be just like water in consistency. Id rst try to
understand why it became thick, to make sure the batch is
ok.

Reply

Darcelle Ioli says:


October 1, 2016 at 8:32 am

I looked at the recipe again and I see


that mis-read the instructions. I lled
up a quart jar with apple slices and then I added a
sugar water mixture (2 tablespoons sugar to 1 cup of
water) to cover the apples. Then I covered it with
cheesecloth and placed it in a cupboard.
http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 89/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

As I mentioned the foam formed and everything else


seems to be good other than the liquid is very thick.

Any thoughts about if this can be salvaged? I made 6


quarts and would hate to throw it all out.

Reply

Ian says:
October 1, 2016 at 1:00 pm

From previous experience in


wine-making I often got a thick
mix because I used wild berries such as
blackberries and elderberries, and if the mix
was thick you just added water. The best way to
do this is with water you have boiled and
allowed to cool until lukewarm
If you add hot water you risk completely killing
the bacteria culture, and are guaranteed to kill
at least part of it

In the past Ive watered down store-bought


White Vinegar without problems

I would personally try it with only one quart rst

The only di erence in making vinegars and


wines is that you use an airlock when making
wines. At the moment I also have a white wine
vinegar mix running (about 2 weeks behind
date-wise) alongside my acv that I started by
adding some mother from the acv, I checked it a
few days ago and it is going nicely.

Reply

Ian says:
October 1, 2016 at 1:05 pm

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 90/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

The White wine vinegar


mix started o as a
couple of bottles of store
bought cheap white-wine,
I just uncorked them,
added mother from the acv and covered
the neck of the bottle with a piece of cloth

Darcelle Ioli says:


October 2, 2016 at 1:34 am

Ian, thanks for the


suggestion of adding
water. Seems like the right thing to do
and at this point I dont think I have
anything to lose.

Ian says:
October 2, 2016 at 10:43 am

Youre welcome, add the


water slowly and mix/stir
in. Remember that watering it down will
reduce the acidity, if it reduces too far the
mixture may mould on you.
It may even be better to do this in stages
where you add some water and thin your
mix a bit, then allow it to ferment and
gain acidity before watering it down
further

Darcelle Ioli says:


October 3, 2016 at 9:51 am

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 91/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Oops, I already lled the


jars with water. I guess I
will just have to wait and
see. Is there any way to
measure the acidity?

I just bought some organic acv that says it


contains the mother from a store.
Should I add a bit of that?

Ian says:
October 3, 2016 at 10:54 am

Its already fermenting so I


dont see that you gain
anything if you add more mother

You can start getting into testing kits,


normally used for wine making, but my
inclination is to wait and see. If you really
want to do this then look at
http://www.grapestompers.com/articles/meas

Google
measure acidity of vinegar and decide
from there

But consider costs of a testing kit you will


(probably) never use again against cost of
buying apples and starting again

My inclination is to just wait and see what


happens

One possible option assuming you have


more than one container is to keep one
container warm whilst keeping the rest
somewhere as cold as possible
The cold will inhibit (but not prevent)
mould growth whilst heat will encourage
it. If there is going to be mould growth it
will be noticeable within 7-10 days
http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 92/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Have you tried tasting it ? If it tastes


pretty much the same as the store
bought then issue solved

Kellie says:
October 1, 2016 at 1:21 pm

I put it all together, but did put a top on the apples


and liquid when fermenting I shook it each day and
burped it a few times. After 7-10 days, apples had not sunk so
strained the liquid into new jar and put kitchen paper with band
over mouth has placed in cupboard for 2 weeks. Pulled it out to
taste. It has a site lm on the top of it, very cloudy with plumes of
matter in bottom and smells fruity. I reread your site, then moved it
to bench top with muslin on top this time and its been now 4
weeks. Still smells fruity, tastes like apple cider a little, few bubbles.
Is it salvageable as vinegar or do I have bootleg?

Reply

sarah says:
October 1, 2016 at 7:47 pm

Im in the uk and havent got a water lter can I use


boiled tap water instead?

Reply

abid says:
October 2, 2016 at 2:18 pm

hi i am really shocked after 3 months my apple cider


vinegar is not like golden color(its white liquade and
there is no any smell like ordinary vinegar smell ,this is my 1st time i
am making homemade vinegar
please guide me thanks

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 93/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Reply

Dupe Lawal-ijaiya says:


October 7, 2016 at 4:28 am

Can one make vinegar with cucumber? I extracted


cucumber juice and bottled it in a plastic bottled and
just kept it in my pantry but saw something like white Web in it and
so threw it away.

Reply

Jodi says:
October 11, 2016 at 10:02 am

I did three jars two were Apple scraps from the


scraps of canning 6 litres of apple juice the other
was chopped apples
We moved into a house with an acre with apple trees dated back to
1920
Two weeks in and strained the jars (used a plastic sieve) and
combine it all to make 2 litres of goodness
Smells incrediblely sharp, tangy yet still with that Apple sweetness,
really wanted to sample it today but holding o till the 6 week mark
Thank you for this site
Cant wait to post the results of my AVC attempts
I do think everyone needs to read and reread the entire blog, its
pretty straight forward and easy to follow

Reply

Jill says:
October 12, 2016 at 9:31 pm

Hi! I live in Vietnam and I always lug apple cider


vinegar from the states so Im so excited to try
this!!!!! One question Would sucanat work for the sugar? Thanks!!!

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 94/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Reply

Jessie says:
October 16, 2016 at 5:49 pm

I have some week old apple juice, that I made


myself, does anyone know by any chance if I can
make whats left into acv? Just really dont want to have to throw it
away! Thanks!

Reply

Becky says:
October 25, 2016 at 8:55 pm

Hello, did anyone ask what the size of jar is?


I am hoping to make larger batches, but can not
translate the recipe with out some type of de nite measurement.

Thanks,
B

Reply

Je says:
October 27, 2016 at 2:28 am

Great nd and great discussion. A friend gave me a


cider vinegar mother a few days ago. If I go through
this process, does anyone know when I should insert the mother? In
the rst ferment with the scraps, or the second after straining?
Thanks!

Reply

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 95/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

12 Uses for Apple Cider Vinegar Mother Earth News | ABC Content
Board says:
November 14, 2016 at 6:20 pm

[] cider vinegar can be made at home with chunks, cores, and


peels of apple, some sugar, water, and a mason jar covered in
cheesecloth. It is a simple matter of allowing the apples to ferment
and create bacteria, a process that takes []

Reply

Azucena says:
November 18, 2016 at 8:47 am

Hi, my question is what if the apple pieces dont sink


down? With my rst batch, the apple pieces sank.
Now with this batch its been like 4 or 5 weeks, and the apples are
still oating. The di erence between batches is #1- i used fresh
apples instead of letting them brown for a couple days rst and #2- i
used the mother from my rst batch. My rst batch came out a
tanish color but this one is a deep cinnamon color

Reply

Joan says:
November 23, 2016 at 4:47 am

Ive had the concoction in a cool dark cupboard for


about 6 weeks. Didnt stir it once. There is a thick
white rubber like substance on the top. Should I discard the peels
and apples cores now and put the white thing back in, cover the jar
and put back in the cupboard for 6 or more weeks?

Reply

Erin says:
November 24, 2016 at 9:26 am

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 96/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

I am in week 2 of my rst batch. Will I need to force


the apple pieces down the whole time so they dont
oat? And does it matter if they do oat as long as it
is covered by cheese cloth?

Reply

Rosita says:
November 27, 2016 at 12:28 am

Hi, greetings from Canada. I started my rst batch of


ACV last Nov. 13 and Ive been stirring it every other
day and based from my research of how to brew ACV, Im suppose
to remove the apple solids from the batch after 2 weeks. However, it
will be 2 weeks by tomorrow and still the apple pcs. are still oating
and for whatever reason, they have not sank down to the bottom of
the jar.

Should I just go ahead and remove the apples pcs. and strain the
liquids into another jar for further fermentation? Or do I wait
another week? Please advise. Thank you.

Reply

Rosita says:
November 27, 2016 at 12:41 am

Ooops, I forgot to mention I had inserted a glass lid


of a 3 quarts inside the jar and even added a plastic
bag of water for added weight but the apple pcs are still a oat.

Reply

Diane says:
December 3, 2016 at 7:36 am

I know when you have the apples in you vingar you


are suppose to stir it or it can grow mold from the
http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 97/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

oxygen.
I would like to know why you stir it once you take out the apples?
If you have the white bubbles which is going to turn into a mother
why would you keep stir it up?
Wont that disturb the mother from growing?

Thank you

Reply

Esther says:
December 5, 2016 at 8:45 pm

We have wild apples growing all over PEI Canada.


Wild apples have no pesticides and are a little more
tart but some of the yellow ones are quite sweet. I use them all the
time to make apple pies, jam etc. My only concern is, many of them
have tiny bug holes which cannot be cut out as they are not
sprayed. Would it harm the apple cider if I put in apples with tiny
bugs in them?

Thank you.

Reply

Jackie says:
December 7, 2016 at 2:35 am

For those who want you sanitize and have a good


experience, go to a home brew supply store and get
no rinse sanitizer. 5 star actually helps your ferment. Follow
directions to the letter this isnt one of the cases of if as little is good
more is better You mix it let it sit for a few minutes and poor out
out No rinsing required although I usually do. It actually feeds the
yeast that converts the sugars in the fruit to alcohol which of the
rst step in making vinegar, then the other bacteria ( acetobacter)
go to work transforming the wine or hard cider ( depending on
fruit used) into vinegar. The weird vinegar is French, messaging sour
wine.

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 98/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Reply

Heidi says:
December 17, 2016 at 12:14 am

Question: It has been stated to leave the apples


soaking for 2 weeks and then let the vinegar ferment
afterwards. Why only two weeks? Can the apples be reused for a
second batch? Why/why not?

Reply

Ian says:
December 18, 2016 at 6:36 pm

I tried reusing the apples a second time. After


a week with no sign of fermentation I
removed some of the liquid, boiled it up and added about 25-
30 grams of sugar, then added the hot mixture back guring
it would cool when added to the mixture.
Within 24 hours it was bubbling away quite happily. I left for 3
weeks and added the liquid to my original batch. That was
around September time and it has produced a lovely batch.

Reply

n says:
December 26, 2016 at 4:00 am

Hi, i crushed apples with a juicer and put them for 3


weeks but a ter 3 weeks, i understand the amount
of water is very low. My question is that :
Can i add more cold water or hot water to appeles after 3 weeks?

Reply

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 99/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Ian says:
February 14, 2017 at 5:01 am

Did you just use the pulp or did you add the
liquid back in? You need to add the juice back
as juicers pretty much dehydrate the pulp. Add more apple,
cut up small and add liquid. For the liquid boil water, pour
into a jug and add some sugar, once dissolved add cold water
so the water is tepid, then add to mix and stir in.

Reply

Nano says:
December 26, 2016 at 8:52 am

I found a worm or 2 on mine and some small ies


(week2) my glass container was was covered with
cloth and a rubberband. I still continued the process though and Im
at week 5 but just wondering if it would be safe to drink. right now it
taste good has a pleasant smell and has some white particles
settled at the bottom and is cloudy. I checked all the comments but
no one made message of this occurring. thank you!

Reply

Edd says:
January 9, 2017 at 2:38 am

Hi.

I received a 1lt bottle of braggs acv with mother for Christmas and
also got 6lts of Westons scrumpy cloudy apple cider.

If I add the mother to the cider (in a open, cloth covered, container)
will it make more ACV and if so how much mother would I add to
2lts of cider. Is there anything else I should do/know?

Kind regards.
Edd

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 100/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Reply

Ian says:
February 14, 2017 at 5:03 am

Cider contains alcohol, acv doesnt

Reply

Ian says:
February 14, 2017 at 5:06 am

Cider is made by anaerobic fermentation and


contains alcohol, acv is made by aerobic
fermentation and doesnt contain alcohol.

Reply

Edd says:
February 14, 2017 at 7:41 am

I thought the rst stage produced raw


apple cider and then turned into ACV?
Im sure I can remove the alcohol out of it if I leave it
open on a very low heat for a while. Will it work then?

Reply

Ian says:
February 14, 2017 at 9:27 am

Im not sure, you could try it with


some of your cider, not all. If it
works then process the rest, if not then you
havent lost all your cider.

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 101/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

I do know that heat can destroy enzymes and


kill yeasts, thats why I suggest just using some
of your cider

Reply

Edd says:
March 11, 2017 at 4:53 am

Sorry Ian but I do not


think you have read this
thread! (even if your science is true)

Jackie Richards says:


March 11, 2017 at 5:45 am

It takes alcohol to make


vinegar. The bacteria eat
it and produce the vinegar. The word
vinegar actually means soure wine.
Getting will just make the pectin make the
liquid cloudy and lil the bacteria youre
trying to get to grow.

simmons says:
January 10, 2017 at 4:56 am

can I prepare my ACV with a plastic small size


container??

Reply

Edd says:

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 102/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

March 11, 2017 at 5:15 am

Yes you can simmons! put in your apple


(chunks/cores peels and sugar) leave for 12
-15 days, in a average warm place 19 degrees
C or better (dark place indoors UK). Then strain it. Mix every
day in the rst 2 weeks, better still try and keep the solid
mass (that oats on top. I use a plastic zip bag with water in
to weight it down) of apple, under the liquid as it ferments as
this stops mould forming. (you are making cider with air at
this time) at You will nd that thin strands of white (tape? that
is all I can call it. Its like plumbers pate) will form on the top
layer and bottom. That is the mother forming. Anything with
a di erent colour or furry and stu that looks like mould is
not good and I would throw it out and start again.
I had a bit of green mould forming (on top) after I forgot to
stirr it one day, in the mid of the rst 2 weeks. but it has
turned our good. I just scooped it o as it was not much and
the mould will not grow without Oxygen and the acid kills it.
(if you can get 5%)

Im on my second batch now and its 100% better than


buying.

Reply

My angry gut, fermentation Mama In The Trees says:


January 24, 2017 at 5:22 am

[] Right now Im pretty excited to be making apple cider vinegar!


Its been sitting in a cupboard for almost two weeks nowits
bubbling away and starting to get cloudystinkin like vinegar too.
Basically its apples sitting in sugar water for a few weeks. I found
this recipe on Pinterest. I fucking love Pinterest.make apple cider
vinegar []

Reply

Julie says:
January 25, 2017 at 1:29 pm

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 103/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Making your own apple cider vinegar is a lot of fun


and very rewarding. I have made it a few times and
this is what I have learned. Instead of chopping up
apples, you can juice them and work with the juice. I
dont add any water, so it is pure apple juice and, in
my opinion, it makes a better product for me. I add a couple of
tablespoons of ACV with the mother from an un ltered,
unpasteurized vinegar previous batch or from the supermarket.
This gets things rolling in the right direction.

Some people use a mix of sweet and sour apples, but I use the
sweeter apples to make a stronger ACV which I can then use for
processing herbs, vegetables, etc.

Mine resulted in a little more acidic vinegar than one of the top
brands sold in Australia. That means it will have a winder range of
uses.

I sterilize the glass, wide mouthed container, before adding the


juice. The wide mouth, allows more oxygen to enter the brew which
is necessary for success. Thats one reason for using a breathable
covering, fastened in place with a rubber band or such. Thats also
why we stir it from time to time to spread the oxygen through the
brew. Another reason for covering like this is to prevent vinegar ies
from entering, resulting in little worms appearing in the liquid. They
love it!! If using cheesecloth, double it so the ies dont nd any
access points.

This is nothing like making fermented vegetables which need an


anaerobic (absence of oxygen) environment and must have a good
lid. The opposite is the case here, ACV needs PLENTY of oxygen to
work successfully.

It is good to make it when the temperature is between 60 80


degrees F (16 26 degrees C). Below that, you may not have a
usable product and above 80F, it may a ect the forming of the
mother.

You know the vinegar is ready or getting close, by the smell. It will
smell strongly of vinegar. Taste it and see if it is strong enough for
you. If you have a pH meter or pH paper, check the pH to con rm if
it is as acidic as you need it. I aim for a pH of 5, to suit my purpose.

I checked today with an expert to con rm what I was doing was


correct and he said, Yes, thats all you need. If you add the mother

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 104/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

into the sweet juice, there is no need to add yeast, sugar or


nutrients.

If the apples have been chopped, I would leave them in the liquid,
making sure they are submerged all the time and straining them out
only once the vinegar has reached to stage mentioned above.

Adding water to the chopped apples, in my experience, makes a


weaker vinegar than using 100% apple juice. Not that it isnt going to
be pleasant to use, but you may not reach pH 5 that way. It all
depends on the intended use of the nished product.

Reply

Chris says:
October 16, 2017 at 7:04 am

Thanks Julie! What a great idea, using the


juice. Im very keen to try it! I would love to
have a stronger acv.
Thank you so much for sharing your learnings with everyone
xx

Reply

Jessie Tule says:


February 26, 2017 at 6:31 am

I am trying out making ACV at home for the rst


time. My apple pieces wont submerge in the water
and the pieces oating on the surface have moulds growing on
them. Dont look good. Is it OK to continue the process even with
that. will be so glad to get a reply.

Reply

Chris says:

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 105/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

October 16, 2017 at 7:06 am

Hi Jessie,
Sorry, my reply is not coming very promptly.
Please check the troubleshooting section that
follows the recipe the apples need to be submerged at all
times. The mould that you are describing does not sound ok
if it formed on top of oating apple pieces.
Hope you nailed your second try.

Reply

edd says:
March 11, 2017 at 5:33 am

Some people use a mix of sweet and sour apples,


but I use the sweeter apples to make a stronger ACV
which I can then use for processing herbs, vegetables, etc.

Is that true Julie and how does it provide a better ACV? Are you not
just providing a higher alc average%? Before the vinegar stage
happens?
Forgive me please. Im new to this.
Does a Higher alc% at the rst stage ( after 12-days-2 weeks. max)
make things better at the end)

I was rst told that a good mix of sweet and sour cooking apples,
including crab and any small apples found at Autumn, are great, for
ACV???

Can you help please Hun.?

Reply

One Year Zero Plastic says:


March 11, 2017 at 2:48 pm

[] I start my experiments. The other thing cooking in my science


lab is some apple cider vinegar. After 2 days its starting to turn a
nice colour but itll be a few weeks before []

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 106/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Reply

Greeny says:
March 12, 2017 at 6:22 am

I have done this recipe three times. The rst time


worked perfectly and I had an excellent product with
a huge amount of mother. But the next two attempts ended up with
the product having black mold on it. Any suggestions why this might
have happened???

Reply

Chris says:
October 16, 2017 at 7:08 am

Hi Greeny,
I can only assume the apples were not fully
submerged thats when the black mould forms. Please read
the troubleshooting section that follows the recipe the
apple pieces need to be fully submerged.
Hope this helps. Keep me posted. x

Reply

Breaking Commercial Food Dependency - Surviving Prepper says:


March 14, 2017 at 11:38 am

[] fermented food. Ive only made apple cider vinegar. I used apple
cider but you can also use apples. To say I was surprised at how
much better this tasted than commercial products is an []

Reply

Troy says:

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 107/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

March 27, 2017 at 5:21 am

Would grinding Apples in a meat processor be ok to


use. Itll be real course. Or do they need to be larger
chunks?

Reply

edd says:
September 19, 2017 at 1:56 pm

No need Troy.

You will just promote mould. You have to keep the apple
under the water. I use a zip bag with water in to submerge
the apple on top, any apple exposed to air will oxidize and
mould within a day. Keep it submerged.

Reply

Chris says:
October 16, 2017 at 7:10 am

You can Troy, but the smaller your apple


pieces, the more chances that one tiny pieces
will oat to the surface and form mould (not the good kind of
mould). Easier to keep them submerged if they are chunkier.

Reply

Linwood says:
April 1, 2017 at 2:41 am

I live in Adams County, Pennsylvania, in the heart of


apple country. Very near to location of the National
Apple Harvest Festival, held at the South Mountain Fairgrounds,
Arendtsville, Pa..Thousands and thousands of acres of apples
hundreds of varieties grown here. Many local fruit growers, as well

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 108/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

as others, make their own cider, and some, their own vinegar,
including me.

My contribution here is that until I went on the computer and found


sites about making vinegar, I had never heard of making acv from
apple parts, only as a byproduct of raw apple cider. Im 77, and my
grandparents, back in the 40s, would make a 55 gallon oak barrel of
cider. We all drank a lot of cider. We drank it as long as it remained
sweet. It was always made late in the fall, so it stayed fresh for quite
a while. When it started to get bitey, we would can enough in quart
jars, to see us through until the next fall, and simply left the rest
turn to vinegar naturally by removing the bung from the oak barrel.
I think they covered the bung hole with a piece of burlap to keep the
sour ies out.

My point is, I never heard of adding sugar, or water, or doing


anything to the raw cider (also never heard of pasteurizing cider
back then), and I dont recall ever having a batch go bad. I had
always thought that vinegar was just a natural result of left over
cider doing its thing. Live and learn.

Problem today is, that unless you make your own cider, its very
hard to buy raw cider to let turn to vinegar. Its like bootleg whisky. If
you want some, you have to know someone. Know what I mean?

In any event, you all need to pay a visit to the National Apple
Harvest Festival, at Arendtsville, Adams County, Pa. It is always held
during the rst TWO FULL weekends in October. Its one of the best
old fashioned country festivals in existence. Free freshly pressed
apple cider, apple butter, candied apples, steam engine operated
shingle mill, antiques, crafts, continuous bluegrass and country
bands playing, all kinds of scrapple, chicken barbeque, hot spiced
cider, antique cars and farm machinery, free bus tours, hayrides, Pa.
Dutch funnel cake, apple pancakes, and so much more.

Just Google Pa. National Apple Harvest Festival.

Reply

Chris says:
October 16, 2017 at 7:12 am

Thanks Lindwood, I really enjoyed reading this xx


http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 109/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Reply

Shirley says:
April 5, 2017 at 12:27 am

Why would I go through all that mess when I can go


to Walmart and buy Braggs organic apple cider
vinegar without sugar. I dont need the sugar. Doesnt make sense to
me.

Reply

Chris says:
October 16, 2017 at 7:14 am

You dont have to DIY Shirley. You can always


buy if thats easier for you
Also, you dont actually end up consuming the sugar. Its what
kick starts the process and what feeds the bacteria during the
fermentation process, but hardly any traces left that you
would actually consume. Hope this explains a little bit xx

Reply

Rachel Smith says:


April 7, 2017 at 7:46 pm

So, I stumbled upon this because Im writing about


using ACV as a facial toner (so good for the skin not
to mention inexpensive). Now I think Im going to try to make my
own! Ill make sure to link you in my post and especially if I do end
up using the recipe myself. I love brewing kombucha and this seems
just as easy! Thanks for all of the detail.

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 110/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Reply

Chris says:
October 16, 2017 at 7:15 am

So happy you stumbled upon this Rachel.


Look forward to hear how it goes and please
do share your article with me, always keen to nd out about
more acv uses xx

Reply

Grace U Anani says:


April 22, 2017 at 9:41 pm

Can i apply this apple vinegar on my hair? or is it just


for drinking alone?

Reply

Chris says:
October 16, 2017 at 7:16 am

You can Grace, I do


I am assuming youre using it instead of
conditioner?

Reply

Apple Cider Vinegar: The Pregnant Lady's Sidekick says:


May 26, 2017 at 10:08 pm

[] Pregnancy brings with it a myriad of joys andwonders. But there


are also some less than pleasant side-e ects to deal with. Apple
Cider Vinegar is a potent sidekick in helping with some of these side-

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 111/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

e ects in a way thats safe for mommas-to-be! Bonus features: Its


cheap! If you have an abundance of apple cores, peels, and/or
freshly made juice, you can make your own very easily using a
recipe similar to this one! []

Reply

Eugene Chrysovergis says:


May 31, 2017 at 3:12 am

Hi, I followed your instructions. I used ltered water


and white processed sugar cause I d no raw sugar.
Its the third day and everything is going ne. A lot of activity in the
jar and lot of good white scum. Thanks for the article, e ort and
time. Greetings from Greece.

Reply

Chris says:
October 16, 2017 at 7:17 am

Happy to hear its going well Eugene. Enjoy


the process & the nished acv!

Reply

Sarmad Alsaadi says:


June 1, 2017 at 8:37 pm

Thank you for teaching us how to make apple


vinegar. After I kept the mixture for two weeks, I
sieved it and kept on the yellowish in a separate jar and covered it
to mature for a month or 6 weeks. The color is not orange like the
one in this post and it is turbid not clear. The taste is still not sharp.
Is this normal ? Already one week passed after the two weeks
fermentation period. Thanks for any help.

Reply
http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 112/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Chris says:
October 16, 2017 at 7:20 am

Hi Sarmad. The colour can be in uenced by


the colour of your apples and also the colour
of the sugar (white v dark). I would not pay attention.
What apples did you use? How strong is the vinegar?

Reply

David Moghtader says:


June 22, 2017 at 4:06 am

Can you recommend a special fermentation jar with


an insert to keep the apples submerged? Thanks!

Reply

edd says:
September 19, 2017 at 4:08 am

Hi. David Moghtader.

Use any glass container you want, but use anything that you
can to keep the fruit under the water surface, as this stops
any bad mould forming. (I use a plastic food bag quarter full
of water and it works for me,every time) Just make sure the
apple is submerged, under the water and you will not get
mould.

Kind regards.

Reply

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 113/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Chris says:
October 16, 2017 at 7:21 am

Hi David,
I dont have special fermentation equipment.
My set up is as pictured in the blog post, though I have
moved to a larger glass jar these days.

Reply

Janet says:
June 27, 2017 at 8:46 am

How big of a jar is this recipe for?

Reply

edd says:
September 19, 2017 at 4:12 am

1 lts

Reply

edd says:
September 19, 2017 at 1:59 pm

I asked Chris to amend the recipe today and it


has been changed. hope this helps.

Reply

Looking forward and back One Year Zero Plastic says:


July 11, 2017 at 2:39 pm

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 114/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

[] isnt worth it for me if I can buy the same thing plastic free. Easy
simple things like apple cider vinegar are worth it. The tests that
have failed for me have been toothpaste and solid shampoo and []

Reply

Ebunoluwa says:
July 19, 2017 at 4:09 am

Can i use rose apple( java apple ) to make the


vinegar?

Reply

Chris says:
October 16, 2017 at 7:22 am

I would not know that to be honest, I have


never tried one.
Hopefully someone else here will know better. So sorry x

Reply

nurul ain says:


July 30, 2017 at 5:33 pm

hello. i have make my own acv and it has been about


1 and a half week now. but my acv tend to not have
any bubbles after 4 to 5 days processing it and when i leave it not
stir for about one day itll be like there is another liquid on it (just like
when we leave a liquid of water and oil, but that liquid on top was
white) and im using honey for the acv. i hope you can reply to this
very soon.btw your article is superb

Reply

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 115/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

edd says:
September 19, 2017 at 2:03 pm

It takes about 4-5 weeks for the rst step.The


separation you are seeing is the Mother. you
need that.

Reply

Chris says:
October 16, 2017 at 7:24 am

Sounds like its doing great. Would be keen to


know how it all went in the end?

Reply

Aviv says:
July 31, 2017 at 1:07 am

I thought to use a metal strainer to keep the apples


from oating up is that a problem, in terms of
oxidization (or anything else..)?

Reply

Chris says:
October 16, 2017 at 7:25 am

I would not use metal. Glass, ceramic or


(chem free) plastic is best.

Reply

Aviv says:
http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 116/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

July 31, 2017 at 2:14 am

and apple pieces that have oated already to the


top and become brown are those best removed?
Or is it alright to just push them back in?

Reply

edd says:
September 19, 2017 at 2:07 pm

A metal strainer will corrode in time with the


acid the vinegar forms. better to use a plastic
zip-lock bag with some water in. As long as the apple is under
water then no mould will grow.
If the strainer works and you have no mould the keep using
it.

Reply

Olga says:
August 14, 2017 at 11:10 pm

Hi- what varieties of apple do you use for your ACV?


Does it matter? Can we use any variety of apple?
How about Honeycrisp and Pink Lady? Please advise- I want to print
out this for later use. Thank you and best regards- Ive subscribed-
Oh, and do you use ACV for household cleaning? Best regards, Olga

Reply

edd says:
September 19, 2017 at 2:11 pm

Use any variants from posh bought ones to


crab apples that fall o the trees.
They all make perfect ACV. (remember you can freeze them

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 117/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

and use them after)


It all works and you might nd your perfect blend!

Reply

Chris says:
October 16, 2017 at 7:28 am

What Ed said above


I use ACV for a lot of things I add a bit to my
water and drink rst thing in the morning. I wash my hair
with it, instead of conditioner (1 part vinegar to 3 parts
water), use it for cleaning yes.

Reply

A Mixed Bag One Year Zero Plastic says:


August 20, 2017 at 7:20 pm

[] of apples, I had another go at making apple cider vinegar. Yes,


its simple but something went wrong this time and after a few
weeks I got mould and []

Reply

30 Skills to Build For New Homesteaders - Simple Little Homestead says:


August 26, 2017 at 7:13 am

[] Learn how to make apple cider vinegar here. []

Reply

angelois says:
September 10, 2017 at 2:02 pm

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 118/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Hi there
Ysteday I remove o the apples from myv rst batch
and leave it for 4to brew. It smells cider but I noticed
that the liquid is a bit thik especially to the surface.is
it something wrong?..also ice like to ask after to acv
is ready , how you stop the fermentation proccess?

Reply

edd says:
September 19, 2017 at 2:08 am

Hi. Angelois.

The thick part on the surface (and possibly the bottom as


well) is the mother. You need to keep that.
When you taste the ACV and the acidity is to your liking then
it is ready. You then bottle it. Once all the sugars have been
eaten by the good bacteria then the fermentation will stop.

Reply

angelos says:
September 23, 2017 at 3:25 am

hi edd,
Thank you for the reply. I know that its
not ready yet but I tried it. About the smell, it has a
vinegard smell, but the taste is weak and bitter. Am I
on the right path?thank you

Reply

edd says:
September 19, 2017 at 12:32 pm

Thanks to Chris for changing the recipe to show the


amount of water used, This stops many users
http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 119/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

getting confused. it is just based on 1.5- 2 lts. Basically 1/4 apple to


3/4 water. plus 1 cup muscovado sugar (any sugar/honey per 1.5-2
lts)
and 1 cup ACV if you have it.
If not add a extra cup of sugar and watch the mother form (thin
layer of white mould ( u ) on top). You will get Cider rst and then
it will turn to vinegar when the yeast and good bacteria takes hold. If
the mould is black/blue on top and looks like mould on bread then it
is spoilt and rotten. It should be a light white/gray u . like you have
dropped a white circle of thin paper onto the top of the batch and it
has not absorbed the water yet. You will know.
This is your mother so congratulations. You have made it.
Look after it and it will become thicker. Mine now has 4 distinct
layers on top and below. I presumed they would become one and
attach together but NO. Every batch I make produces a new layer.
They do attract together but are separate in the top 1/4 inch.
Obviously every batch is di erent and I have made 4 going on 5/6

Please share it with someone else

Cover with a cloth and make sure all the apple is under the water at
the top, I use a plastic bag with a bit of water in placed on top to
make them sink just under the water. This stops mould. You still
have to stir every day , for a month. (depends where you live) but
keeping the apple pieces under the water is SO IMPORTANT. It stops
the mould. You can even miss 3-4 days stirring and it will be ok, but I
do not recommend it at all, It needs the Oxygen to live so please do
it every day for 4 weeks.

Reply

Juneau says:
September 20, 2017 at 11:29 am

Is it possible to use too many apples? I followed the


instructions (roughly 3/4 apples maybe ended up
with a little more then ll with sugar water), but three weeks later,
as Im removing the apples, Im nding I just have a cloudy, pale
yellow liquid with no hint of a mother so far. The color is not the
amber shade shown in the images, and theres no good white
scum that I can see. The scent isnt really sweet its slightly
unpleasant and is not quite like vinegar or cider (but it may be too
soon to judge that). Does that mean I havent reached the right

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 120/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

stage yet and should not have removed the apples? Should I have
used fewer apples and more sugar water? I was really hoping this
would work. Im currently living in Central America and am nding it
hard to locate organic apple cider vinegar anywhere. I very much
appreciate your help.

Reply

Chris says:
October 16, 2017 at 7:34 am

Hi Juneau,
The colour of your vinegar is in uenced by
the colour of the apples used and the type of sugar (white v
dark). And the duration of the fermentation process is
in uenced by the ambient temperature can be shorter in
really hot environments, or slower/take longer in colder
climates or winter.
I would leave it ferment longer, even if you removed the
apples already.
Can you describe the taste? What do you mean by
unpleasant?

Reply

Juneau says:
October 24, 2017 at 10:59 am

Chris, you are so kind to reply! Youre


right, the apples might be causing the
light color, and the problem may be temperature. Im
in the highlands and we actually tend to have cooler
temperatures (and no central heat). The smell just
seemed o cant really describe it. Maybe it was
mold. I was having a hard time distinguishing between
good scum and bad mold, even with your great photo.
I decided not to risk it and threw it out. Time to try, try
again! Thanks for your help!!

Reply

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 121/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

yuki says:
September 26, 2017 at 1:32 pm

HI, can i use organic coconut sugar instead of


muscovado?
Thank you.

Reply

Chris says:
October 16, 2017 at 7:36 am

I reckon it should be ne. I never tried it


myself, so if you do, I would love feedback.

Reply

Alice says:
September 29, 2017 at 5:25 am

Hello, I started a batch of store bought apple cider


(unpasteurized and un ltered) with acv 9/5/17. The
batch smells great, but I didnt stir everyday, and dont have a
mother on top. However, I do have chunks of stu on the bottom
is that a mother?? I recently started another batch with apples like
your recipe and will go with that. Thanks for your insight!!

Reply

Chris says:
October 16, 2017 at 7:37 am

Hard to tell without seeing some pics Alice.


How long did you ferment your rst batch for?
Takes a while for mother to form.
Let me know how you go! x

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 122/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Reply

Gregg A Hesslein says:


October 6, 2017 at 5:34 pm

I did not read all the posts but many of them. I want
to make vinegar from freshly made, low spray apple
cider. I thought a 5 gal. batch in a 5 gal beer pail with an air lock. I
was not sure how much sugar for 5 gal. If making hard cider it can
be 1 to 2 pounds per gallon?

Reply

Chris says:
October 16, 2017 at 7:39 am

Hi Gregg, Im afraid I would not be able to


help with that. Maybe someone else made
vinegar from cider and can assist.

Reply

Jessica says:
October 8, 2017 at 12:42 am

How do I keep my mother alive if Im not ready to


make another batch?

Reply

Chris says:
October 16, 2017 at 7:46 am

You can leave it in some vinegar (not the one


you will use) at room temperature (if its not

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 123/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

too hot) or in the fridge if too hot outside. Every now and
then you can add 1 TBSP of sugar to keep it well and fed, so it
has something to eat. Maybe 1 TBSP every 2 weeks.
I always have an ACV brew on, so I never had to do this for
ACV mother. But I have done this with kombucha mother and
it was ne.

Reply

George says:
October 13, 2017 at 5:10 pm

no matter the season, no matter the country or the


continent, I know there must be some cheap,
organic, local apples you can get your hands on
Seriously?
Lets start with Syria.

Reply

Chris says:
October 16, 2017 at 6:53 am

Thats what you took from this article George?


Picked one sentence and chose to argue? I
currently employ refugees from Syria, from what Ive been
told theres more pressing matters they are faced with such
as escaping the violence, securing stable employment, than
making their own acv.
This is not a blog post about global access to food, nor global
politics. I am well aware not everyone has access to food
sources and that not everyone on this planet can secure
adequate nutrition. I did my masters on the topic and worked
for the UN for several years, I raise funds for charity to help
feed homeless people. At the very least, I am aware. Please
dont cherry pick words or sentences and dont say anything if
you have nothing kind to say.

Reply

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 124/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Razia says:
October 16, 2017 at 3:58 pm

Hi
thanks to you.My ACV entered 3rd week, with white
scum on it by following your recipe. As we have some what
moderate season so what you recommend that at the end of this
week, should I take out apple pieces from it and how long should I
keep again in temperature like (33 degree in day and 26 in night)???

thanks

Reply

Edd says:
October 17, 2017 at 7:35 pm

Hi Razia. Is the white scum mould? If so it


has gone bad and you will have to start again.

If the apple pieces have been kept submerged and you have
formed a mother on top then all is good and you can remove
the apple and leave it covered with a cloth on for another 3-4
weeks. I am presuming you are near Saudi Arabia going o
the time and temps posted. These are Ideal temps for making
vinegar and it should be good now.
Let us know how you get on.

Reply

Razia says:
October 19, 2017 at 6:47 pm

thanks for your reply. Its just like


bubles white on top..yes almost all are
submerged in jar.I ll share the image to for clear idea.

thanks again

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 125/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Reply

Edd says:
October 19, 2017 at 7:50 pm

Hi again Razia.

That sounds ne (there is a collection of picture


just after step 9 in the instructions at the top
that of this page showing the good white scum
(small pic bottom right ) it was put in as a later
update. I presume yours looks like that.

You can now strain out the apple pieces and


leave the rest covered with a cloth for another
3-4 weeks. Keep trying it to get a taste you like.
From this point a mother will start to form on
the surface it will look like a thin white layer on
top (and or bottom) and will become thicker
over time. Keep this and put it in your next
batch as it really speeds things up.

Regards
Edd.

Reply

Razia says:
October 20, 2017 at 2:32 pm

thanks for detail


guidance. Yea I ll following
the your guideline.

thanks again

best wishes

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 126/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Chris says:
October 26, 2017 at 10:12
am

thanks Edd!

Sounds like its going well Razia.

Goodness says:
October 21, 2017 at 4:00 am

Your recipe is gold! Im currently at the second


fermentation stage.Cant wait!

Reply

Chris says:
October 26, 2017 at 10:11 am

have fun!

Reply

Laura Williams says:


October 23, 2017 at 12:36 am

Im in the second stage. Everything seems right.


Starting to smell vinegary instead of fermented.
However, no matter how carefully I stir, my mother sinks and
another one forms. Are the mothers on the bottom dead? I
understand they need oxygen. If they are dead, will it foul my
vinegar?

Reply

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 127/128
11/3/2017 Homemade organic raw apple cider vinegar

Leave a Reply
Your email address will not be published. Required elds are marked *

Comment

Name
*
Email
*
Website

Post Comment

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

2017 Tales of a Kitchen

http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade-organic-raw-apple-cider-vinegar/ 128/128

You might also like