Apple Scrap Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is something I use a lot.
Not just in cooking, but in salad dressings, it’s great in pork recipes or have you tried it in a vinaigrette over a fresh trout salad?
One of my favourite ways of using it is in my meatball recipe.
OOPs, just realised that I’ve not posted that one, I must get on it
So, if you get the chance to use your apple scraps to make apple scrap cider vinegar, give it a go.
It may seem a bit strange to use apples scraps, it may take a little bit of time before it’s ready to use, but not only is it great to use, it’s one of those recipes that make me feel good about my cooking habits.
Using leftover apple skins and apple core scraps that I’d usually throw away, or give to my forever open-mouthed puppy, as well as a chance to re-use my old empty vinegar bottle and jam jars, I can feel my halo slipping as I write!
Of course, there’s always the gift aspect. With Christmas fast approaching,
(Come on, it’s only 70 days before the big fella creeps down the chimneys. 70 at the time of writing this).
So, thinking about Christmas pressies sooner rather than later is the right way to go, and if we can all save a little bit of money right now too, all good!
Don’t know about you, but each year I submit my family and friends to home-made Christmas hampers. They say they’re happy to receive them, but I brought my kids up to be polite, so even if they hated them, they’d smile through it
This year, because of the way of the world, furloughs everywhere making cash even more tight, made with love Christmas gifts are definitely the way to go, and this is one to add to the baskets. Because it’s a make ahead gift that needs time to sit and ferment, you better get on it straight away.
This time of the year is the perfect time to make it too, not just for the wintery gifts, but because of all those apples around. It doesn’t matter what type of apple you use, go mad, use as many types as you want to. Or just use your favourite.
Just make sure you give the skins a good scrub before you peel them to get all of that wax and unseen dirt off, not good to be using waxy vinegar.
Go on, give it a go.
Enjoy Your Sweet Life
Take the lids off and cover with kitchen paper & they’re ready to be stored at room temperature
What You Need
Scraps of apples – See Tip Box
Boiled, cooled water – See Tip Box
Castor Sugar – See Tip Box
- ½ cup of sugar to every 1 cup of water
Selection of Sterilised bottles, jars etc – See Tip Box
Feel good about your food waste and make something great to use in cooking too
How It’s Done
In a clean bowl or jug, mix together the water and the sugar (½ a cup of sugar to every 1 cup of water)
Make sure that all of the sugar has been dissolved before you use it.
Fill your bottles & jars ¾ full of your apple scraps. (or into a bowl) – See Tip Box
Pour the water & sugar solution into the jars and bottles over the apple scraps.
Leave a good inch and a half space at the top of the jars etc.
Cover each with some kitchen paper or jam pot covers. Don’t seal the mixture as the bacteria which makes the fermentation process needs oxygen. – See Tip Box
Leave to ferment at room temperature for a couple of weeks, giving it a good shake or stir at least once a day. The more the better
The liquid will get frothy on top, this is the mixture fermenting
When the mixture starts to darken strain out the fruit.
Keep it at room temperature, stirring or shaking once a day for another two weeks to one month until the mixture starts to smell vinegary.
Let the mixture get as strong as you want it to, then funnel into the container of your choice and seal with a lid or cork.
Reuse all your jam jars and empty vinegar bottles too
Tip Box
Apple Scraps – This is all of the peelings and cores you have after making that yummy apple pies and crumbles. Make sure they apples are scrubbed clean before peeling to avoid any wax etc from staying in the vinegar.
Bottles & Jars – a) No need to go out and buy new jars or bottles to use. Reuse your old vinegar bottles and jam jars. Make sure they are perfectly clean and sterilised before you use them
b) How much water you need depends on how many jars and apple scraps you have.
c) – Either cover with kitchen paper if using jars and bottles or with a clean tea towel if using a bowl. if you have coffee filters, put those on instead and secure them with elastic bands.
d)- I like to start my mixture off in the jars and bottles, mainly for ease of storage, I have no room for a big bowl to stay out on a work surface at room temperature for any length of time. But if you do, add all the mixture into a big bowl and cover with a clean tea towel until ready to bottle for use.
Sugar – a) Don’t miss out using the sugar, this is the catalyst to get your mixture fermenting.
b) How much sugar you need will depend on how many jars you are making and how much water your using.
Water – I use boiled and cooled water from my kettle just to cut down in the impurities. No chlorinated water
Space in the bottles & jars – Leaving a space at the top of the jars will let the vinegar have room as it ferments.
I can smell it fermenting from here
