Making apple cider vinegar is a topic that is well documented on various sites on the internet. When I scoured the internet for recipes, I found a wealth of information – including how to make cider from fresh organic apples, how to turn cider into hard cider (with many caveats to prevent any alcoholics in the household from coming into contact with to it) and finally, how to make cider go from alcohol to vinegar.
As suggested, making cider from fresh fall apples can take up to six months from start to finish.
At the time I wanted to do this, the apples of the fall were not yet ripe and I was really looking for the fastest and easiest technique I could find. I chose to use the “path of least resistance” to make homemade apple cider vinegar, and here’s how I do it:
How to Make Homemade Apple Cider Vinegar, the Easy Way
Any large container should work for this fermentation project. Stick to glass or pottery; avoid plastic and metal.
Some time ago, a friend of mine was cleaning out the unwanted items in the kitchen. She has two large Lipton Sun tea jars and she thought I could use them. I have a policy of accepting what other people want to give me, so I took the jars home and started thinking about how to use them.
When I started researching ways to make my own apple cider vinegar, I realized that these large jars could be the perfect containers – so I dusted off one of them and went to the store to buy cider.
I bought the cheapest, no-frills bottle of cider I could find.- After sterilizing my large glass jar, I poured the cider in, covered the jar with cheesecloth, and secured it with a sturdy rubber band.
- I keep the jars in the cabinet above the stove and let it ferment in a dark place that is warm but not too warm.
Vinegar takes an average of 2 to 4 weeks to complete the fermentation process. After a few days, you can begin taste testing the fermented cider throughout the process until you are satisfied with the quality of the vinegar.- At that point, you’ll need to put the vinegar in the bottle or jar you’ve designated to store the finished product. In an airtight container, you can store vinegar in the refrigerator indefinitely.
If you’re anything like me, you probably have a variety of jars and bottles, and you’ll have plenty of ways to store your batch of vinegar. My grandmother’s often-quoted motto is “use it up, use it up, let it do it, or don’t use it” is my guideline, so I always have a lot of jars, bottles, and containers in my house.
I find that homemade apple cider vinegar is easy to make. The hardest part of making vinegar is waiting for it to finish fermenting.
Next time I make vinegar, I’ll choose to make my own organic cider from fresh fall apples and turn the cider into apple cider vinegar.
29 Uses for Homemade Apple Cider Vinegar
Health and Wellness
- Take one tablespoon daily in 8 ounces of water to prevent colds and flu. It works, people. Give it a try.
- When battling gastroenteritis (also known as stomach flu), take one tablespoon in 8 ounces of water several times a day.
- When battling diarrhea, take one tablespoon in 8 ounces of water several times a day. Don’t argue about it like my husband and kids do – take it. You’ll be glad you did!
- Treat sunburn by soaking a towel in undiluted vinegar and applying directly to the burned area of the skin. Let the damp cloth sit on the skin for 5-10 minutes. You’ll smell like salad, but you won’t get sunburned!
- Taking the same dose of vinegar as the flu can help reduce joint pain and is safer than taking anti-inflammatory drugs.
family
- After a pet accident, spray the carpet with a solution of 50% vinegar and 50% water to clean and deodorize it. First, blot any liquid, then soak the carpet in vinegar water. After 5 minutes, blot the area thoroughly and allow to dry. Once dry, there should be no odor.
- Follow the same process as cleaning up a pet accident to clean and deodorize after a toddler’s toilet training accident. Pets and toddlers do have some interesting similarities!
- Use vinegar and water to clean glass and mirrors at a ratio of 1 part vinegar to 8 parts water.
- Adding 1/2 cup vinegar to the last rinse cycle of your load will help soften clothes and control static adsorption.
- Adding vinegar to the final rinse cycle can also help reduce lint buildup on clothes and prevent pet hair from sticking to clothes. We all love our pets, but no one wants to wear pet proof on their clothes.
- Vinegar can help remove stubborn stains, such as those caused by coffee and tea. Soak the stain in a solution of 1/3 cup vinegar and 2/3 cup water. After soaking, hang items in the sun until dry.
- Full-strength vinegar can remove stubborn mildew stains from clothing.
- Before washing any stained items, use a mixture of 50% vinegar and 50% water as a stain treater. Keep it near the washing machine in a spray bottle. The solution costs significantly less than name-brand stain removers and is petrochemical free.
beauty care
- Apple cider vinegar is a great conditioner. Mix 1:1 with water in an old shampoo or conditioner bottle. Apply to hair, leave on for a few minutes, then rinse off.
- Rinse it through your hair to detangle and reduce frizz.
- Through the hair rinse, vinegar helps control dry, itchy scalp thanks to the antifungal and antibacterial properties of vinegar.
- Use apple cider vinegar as a face wash. Mix a tablespoon of vinegar into a glass of water and apply it to your facial skin with a cotton ball. Apple Cider Vinegar Water is naturally antibacterial and deep cleans pores. Follow with a moisturiser suitable for your skin type.
dog therapy
- Apple cider vinegar can help your dog’s system restore proper pH. If your dog is itchy, scratches frequently, sheds hair, or stinks, adding a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to his or her food twice a day can help ease the pain. If you do not see results at lower doses, you can increase the dose to one tablespoon per day.
- Apple cider vinegar can also be used to prevent ear infections in dogs. Put a few drops in your dog’s ear after bathing.
- Spraying your dog with a 50/50 vinegar-water mixture after bathing and letting him or her air dry can help kill fleas, ticks, and ringworm.
- Adding 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to your dog’s drinking water can help reduce or eliminate the tear marks that light-colored pets often leave on their eyes.
- Adding apple cider vinegar to a dog’s water can help eliminate urinary problems.
cat care
- The apple cider vinegar used in a 50/50 vinegar-water mixture can be used in red-eyed cats to clear the infection.
- Apple cider vinegar in a 50/50 vinegar-water mixture can be rubbed on a cat’s paws and then applied to the neck to combat the urinary tract infections that cats seem to be prone to. Adding vinegar to a cat’s water can treat UTIs, but cats can be picky about the taste of food and water and may avoid drinking water. Applying the mixture to the paws will cause them to ingest while cleaning the paws. Do this twice a day for best results.
horse therapy
• Apple cider vinegar can be used to treat horses with urinary tract stones by adding 1/2 to 1 cup of vinegar to 6 gallons of water.
• Soak horseshoes in apple cider vinegar 2 to 3 times a day to treat hoof rot.
• Add up to 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar to a horse’s feed daily to treat dry skin and dandruff in horses.
• Adding apple cider vinegar to a horse’s feed and water can help combat fly problems.
• Effective in alleviating joint pain in horses. Add up to 1/2 cup per day to horse feed.
As with any information you read, it is your responsibility to do your research and evaluate the use of apple cider vinegar on yourself, your family, and your pets. I don’t claim to be a medical professional or a veterinarian (nor do I have one on TV!) but I can tell you that I have used apple cider vinegar at home for myself, my family and my pets with great success. At least the past 20 years.
Because my family and I survived and actually thrived on a tight budget, it was my mission to find ways to run my home as cheaply as possible while maintaining or improving our quality of life.
As my husband and I got older, I also had a philosophy of long-term thinking and finding ways to lower expenses as our income dwindled.
Using natural products like apple cider vinegar has been great for our health and budget, and I hope you find similar results!
What do you think?
Have you had success with these uses of apple cider vinegar? What’s your favorite way to use ACV? Let us know in the comments below!
(This is an updated version of a post originally published on September 6, 2015. THis author may not be able to respond to comments at this time, but we encourage our community members to get involved, share their experiences and answer questions!)
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