Step 1

Please read the recipe notes.

Step 2

Lightly roast the pumpkin: cut the pumpkin in half, place on a parchment paper lined pan, and roast at 425° F for 25 minutes. Do NOT use oil; dry roast the pumpkin.

Step 3

Chop the pumpkin into chunks.

Step 4

Add the sugar and pumpkin (with the skin) to a 1-gallon glass jar.

Step 5

Add water to the jar until full.

Step 6

Add in a few tablespoons of raw vinegar with the mother. This helps establish a good microbial community (see notes below)

Step 7

Stir the mixture until all the sugar is dissolved.

Step 8

Place a tight-weave cloth lid on the jar and secure with a rubber band.

Step 9

Stir the mixture once or twice a day and allow to ferment at room temperature for three weeks. Don’t forget to stir it. I like to just do it first thing in the morning each day. You can expect the pumpkin to disintegrate and fall apart the more you stir.

Step 10

You should notice the mixture bubble within one week. It will also become very cloudy.

Step 11

After three weeks of fermentation, strain out all the pumpkin pieces, replace the cloth lid and allow the mixture to ferment for 6 more weeks. Once it is strained you do not need to stir it.

Step 12

You will notice a vinegar mother form on the surface (it looks like a kombucha SCOBY but is very light in color). You can keep this to start your next batch of vinegar.

Step 13

After fermentation, bottle the vinegar and seal it with a solid lid. Store at room temperature in your pantry.