How to Make Apple Cider Vinegar at Home: Best Recipe

Step 1

Chop 4-5 rinsed apples into roughly 1–2 in (2.5–5.1 cm) pieces. Alternatively, save up your leftover apple cores and peels over a few days to make apple cider vinegar out of 1-1.5 cups (about 120-180 g) of apple scraps.If you’re using a jar of a different size, prepare enough apples to fill it ¾ full.

Step 2

Add the apples to a sterilized 64 oz (~2 L) glass jar, with cool water. Make sure the water covers the tops of the apple chunks. If you need to, place a smaller sterilized jar on top of the apples to weigh them down and ensure they’re completely covered—any apple bits exposed to air inside the jar may rot and ruin your cider.For the best results, use filtered water that’s free of any impurities that might affect your cider.

Step 3

Cover the jar with a cheesecloth. As the apples ferment into cider and eventually vinegar, the mixture will still need to be able to breathe. Use a piece of cheesecloth held in place around the mouth of the jar with a rubber band. This will keep any unwanted substances out of the jar, but still let the gasses release during the fermentation process.

Step 4

Place the jar in a warm, dark place for 3-4 weeks and stir it once a day. Keep the jar out of direct sunlight and in a room that’s about 60–80 °F (16–27 °C). Find somewhere that you can leave the vinegar to ferment for a long time, where it won’t be disturbed unintentionally. Keep it at the bottom or on top of your pantry, in a corner of your kitchen, or anywhere else where it won't be exposed to direct sunlight.

Step 5

Strain the apples out of the mixture when it smells like vinegar. When the jar’s contents have a pungent scent similar to that of bottled apple cider vinegar, strain the liquid through several layers of cheesecloth or a coffee filter into a clean container to remove any solids.If you notice any scum forming on top of the jar, skim it off and discard it.Also, taste your cider once every couple days by dipping a spoon into the mixture. Look for a sweet but tangy taste, but wait for more or less time depending on your preference.

Step 6

Return the liquid to the fermenting jar and let it sit for another 2 weeks. This allows the cider to complete its fermentation and develop that full-bodied tang we’re looking for. Open it up every couple days and give it a stir.During this time, you’ll see a solid film form on the surface. This is the vinegar “mother,” which is a solid formed in fermenting liquids that helps fermentation along.

Step 7

Strain and store the vinegar in a sterilized jar. After 2 weeks, your apple cider vinegar’s all done! Strain off the vinegar mother and pour the vinegar into a sterilized jar. Keep it sealed with a lid and store it in your refrigerator, where it will keep for up to 1 year.If you like, let your vinegar ferment for another few days before straining, to let it develop a stronger flavor.