Making Vinegar at Home
Two things required when making vinegar at home.They are
Oxygen supply
Oxygen must spread throughout the mixture and stir it every day and let the air to reach fluid through a cheesecloth filter, which is used in place of a regular lid.
Temperature
The fermenting cider should be kept between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit (F). Lower temperatures doesn’t produce a proper vinegar state, and higher ones interfere with the formation of the mother of vinegar. Mother of vinegar forms on the bottom of fermenting wine that has spoiled.
NOTE:
Avoid metal container when making vinegar.The acid in the mixture will corrode metal or aluminum objects. Glass, plastic, wood, enamel, or stainless steel containers should be used for making or storing vinegar.
Steps for Making Cider Vinegar:
Step 1–Make a clean cider from ripe apples
Cider is made from the varieties of apples .Fruit should be nicely washed well to remove debris.Crush the fruit to produce apple pulp and strain off the juice. Use a press or cheesecloth for straining.Add yeast will speed up the process. Special cultivated yeasts are available for this purpose.bread yeasts are not recommended.
Steps 2 and 3–Making Alcohol and Acetic Acid
Pour the liquid in a containers to about 3 quarters . Don’t close the lids on the containers and stir the mixtures daily. Keep the containers away from direct sunlight and maintain at 60 to 80 degrees F. Full fermentation will take about 3 to 4 weeks. Taste samples daily until the desired strength is reached.
Step 4–Filtering
When the vinegar is fully fermented, filter the liquid through several layers of fine cheesecloth or filter paper.This removes the mother of vinegar, preventing spoilage of the product.
Storing Vinegar
The vinegar is ready for storage in capped containers.Heat the vinegar before pouring it to sterilized bottles, or bottle, then place in a hot water bath in order to pasteurize. In both cases, the temperature of the vinegar must reach at least 140 degrees F to sterilize the product. Cool the containers and store at room temperature out of direct sunlight.
Flavored Vinegar
To make flavoring, place material in a small cheesecloth bag and suspend in the vinegar until strength is reached. This will take about 4-5 days, except for garlic, which takes only 1 day.
For every 2 cups of vinegar, use one of the following:
- 1/2 cup crushed fresh herbs
- 1 tablespoon of dried herbs
- 2 large cloves of garlic
- 8 small green onions
- Flavorings include tarragon, basil, nasturtium, chives, mint, chervil, borage, hot chilies, and raspberries.
Be careful not to overload the vinegar. Too much vegetable matter can destroy the acid and ruin the preservative quality of the vinegar.
Flavored vinegars taste great and have a beautiful color, making them excellent for use in salads. You will be tempted to display flavored vinegar; however, be sure to keep your bottles out of direct sunlight, which will destroy the flavor, acidity, and color of the vinegar.