Apple Scrap Vinegar

Niblet is making herself at home.
Our tabby, Greyback is camera shy.

 It's been a long busy weekend. Where did Sunday go? This week, we spent time cleaning up the vegetable garden, transplanting perennials and harvesting herbs for the dehydrator and freezer. We also added to our outdoor family.  Niblet and Greyback, our barn cats, are settling in and adjusting to their new home. 

I finally had no choice but to deal with the nearly four bushels of apples from our recent visit to the orchard. Today, the house is filled with the aroma of apples and cinnamon. In past years, I've made fruit leather and apple scrap jelly with the leftovers. 

To support my ongoing curiosity for making ferments, and my desire to make products from what would otherwise be discarded, I started an apple vinegar. I plan to use it for cleaning, as well as recipes. Let me be clear: I'm not making apple cider vinegar. I'm making apple scrap vinegar. In order to make apple cider vinegar, well-- I would have to make apple cider first, and then change it into vinegar. For someone like myself, who is learning, you have to start somewhere. 

Apple scrap vinegar is still useful though when it comes to recipes, cleaning and self care products. If you find yourself giving that pile of cores and peels a second look before discarding, then give it a try.

Here are some key points to keep in mind:

1. Make sure all of your jars, bowls and utensils are clean. I know it seems like an odd thing to say when the cores and peels were headed for the garbage bin anyway, but clean is important if you want to keep bad bacteria from ruining your end product.

2. Don't use chlorinated water. Chlorinated water can kill the natural microbes that make fermentation possible.

3. Use glass containers and wooden spoons. Metal reacts badly with fermentations.

4. Sugar is critical to the fermenting process. Remember my blog on creating a Ginger Bug? 

Feeling frugal and want to attempt apple scrap vinegar?

Start with a glass jar. I have been wanting to put this 1 gallon jar to use for quite some time. 

Fill three-quarters full with apple peels and cores.

Using a measuring cup, pour enough water over the peels to cover them. Leave a couple of inches of head space. For every cup of water used, add one tablespoon of sugar. Stir well to combine.

Cover loosely with a coffee filter or a piece of fabric or doubled cheesecloth.
Place in a warm, dark place for about two weeks. Stir every few days and remove any scum that comes to the top. After two weeks, strain the scraps. My chickens will be thrilled for these leftovers!

Cover the vinegar and let sit for another two to four weeks. When it has a pleasant apple aroma and vinegary taste, cover and refrigerate.  As long as it is refrigerated, it will keep indefinitely.

IMPORTANT: Homemade vinegar should not be used in pickling or home preserving processes. For food safety reasons, vinegar must have an acetic acid level of  at least 5%.