Making your own apple cider vinegar: Natural apple cider vinegar must ferment

Apple cider vinegar is created through a natural fermentation process. Since acetic acid bacteria are naturally present in the air, you don't need many ingredients to make your own apple cider vinegar.

The basis for fermentation is the fructose in the apples, which over time ferments first into alcohol and then into vinegar. Adding sugar or apple cider vinegar accelerates the fermentation process. You can use apple pieces with sugar and water as a base, or create your own vinegar mother using apple juice.

Guide: Find out here why drinking apple cider vinegar daily is worth it.

Oxygen supply through daily stirring

By covering the jar with a cotton cloth, the alcohol and acetic acid bacteria continue to receive oxygen. Stirring daily with a clean wooden spoon prevents mold from forming and further increases the oxygen supply. The jar should be kept in a warm, but not too bright, place. It is best not to move the jar so that the bacteria can ferment in peace.

Remove kahm yeast with a clean wooden spoon

After you have prepared the liquid, a slight vinegar smell will develop after two days. Kahm yeast can form a white layer on the surface. This is a natural process and harmless to your health. However, these fungi can affect the taste of the vinegar. Therefore, you should remove the white foam with a clean wooden spoon. The increasing acidity in the vinegar will then eliminate the fungi by itself.

Gently push the vinegar mother to the bottom

After a few days, the so-called vinegar mother will form from the acetic acid bacteria. This jelly-like mass should not cover the entire surface of the vinegar, as it would otherwise cut off the oxygen supply to the bacteria. It is best to always gently push the vinegar mother to the bottom. After two weeks, you should remove it by filtering it through a cotton cloth. You can use the vinegar mother for further apple cider vinegar production. The fresh apple cider vinegar should now ferment for another four to six weeks.

As an alternative to apple pieces, you can also use naturally cloudy apple juice or apple cider to produce apple cider vinegar. The fermentation process is about two weeks faster overall. Adding a vinegar mother, which is available in specialist shops, also naturally accelerates the fermentation process.

Making apple cider vinegar from apple pieces

It is recommended to use organic apples for producing apple cider vinegar, as this provides you with natural apple cider vinegar free of pesticides. You should sterilize the jar beforehand to ensure no germs get into the vinegar. You can simply rinse the jar with boiling water beforehand to eliminate bacteria.

Cultivating your own vinegar mother

You can create a vinegar mother yourself with just a few ingredients. You must use naturally cloudy and unpasteurized apple juice as a base, as it still contains acetic acid bacteria in its natural form.

Vinegar mother basic recipe

• 100 ml water
• 100 ml naturally cloudy apple juice
• 3 tbsp honey
• Place all ingredients in a mason jar and cover with a clean cotton cloth or nylon stocking
• The vinegar mother will form after approximately two weeks