{"id":3707,"date":"2019-09-26T06:16:21","date_gmt":"2019-09-26T10:16:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/myfermentedfoods.com\/?p=3707"},"modified":"2019-09-26T06:16:21","modified_gmt":"2019-09-26T10:16:21","slug":"how-make-apple-cider-vinegar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/myfermentedfoods.com\/how-make-apple-cider-vinegar\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Make Apple Cider Vinegar [ACV Recipe]"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Making apple cider vinegar at home is a fairly easy process. It is easy and fast, and you hardly need much preparation. However, you do need some patience and waiting time. After all, good things come to those who wait! So in this guide, I will be telling you the secrets to making great apple cider vinegar at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How is apple cider vinegar made?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Apple cider vinegar or ACV making is a surprisingly simple process that yields a simply-amazing and versatile end product. It is made directly from apples with specialized sugar\/yeasts, preferably in a wooden barrel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note that, although the word vinegar<\/em> is used in its name, there is a huge difference when it comes to comparing other vinegars and apple cider vinegars. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, all vinegars are made through the process of fermentation<\/a>. For example, balsamic vinegar results from fermenting grapes, rice wine vinegar is a result of fermenting rice, and distilled white vinegar is made from grain bases.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similarly, apple cider vinegar is made by fermenting apples but the difference is that, in order to obtain apple cider vinegar, we ferment the apples twice. During the first fermentation, we get hard, alcoholic apple cider. This apple cider is then re-fermented to develop apple cider vinegar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The importance of \u2018mother\u2019 in apple cider vinegar<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Apple cider vinegar that is raw, unprocessed, unfiltered, and organic contains the \u2018mother\u2019 strands. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The mother in the vinegar<\/a><\/em> can be seen as webbed strands or sediments floating around at the bottom of the undisturbed vinegar. This is the only helpful and beneficial variation of apple cider vinegar. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only apple cider that contains the \u2018mother\u2019 enzyme can impart health benefits which it is so famous for<\/strong>. When you make apple cider vinegar at home, you can be assured of it containing the mother<\/em>. Commercially prepared apple cider vinegars are often filtered and pasteurized and both these processes destroy the mother enzyme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What creates the mother in the vinegar?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The double fermentation<\/strong> is what gives rise to the mother enzyme. That is why it is so important to use the sweetest apples for making ACV. The higher the sugar content, the faster and better the rate of fermentation, since the yeast and beneficial bacteria require sugar for fermentation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sugar and pectin in apples reacts with beneficial yeast and bacteria to form the residue that we call mother<\/em>. So do not be alarmed to see \u2018webbed and murky\u2019 stuff floating around in your homemade ACV. This is what holds all the nutrition and healing properties. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even when you buy apple cider vinegar<\/a>, always choose a product that is \u2018mother-heavy\u2019<\/strong>. This will help you differentiate between the high quality vinegar and the cheaper, low-quality alternatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Making ACV at home<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As stated before, making apple cider vinegar at home is a fairly easy process. The key is to choose the sweetest, organic apples for the recipe. It is best to use wooden barrel or glass containers for the process as these help with mother retention. I will talk about this in detail, a little later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Important considerations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are two very important factors to pay attention to when it comes to making apple cider vinegar. These are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n