31 Days of MOO No. 24 Apple Scrap Vinegar
It is apple season! I've been picking apples off our trees, and stewing them up and making applesauce, but what do you do with the peels and cores?
Yes, they can be composted. And I do make an apple drink from some of them. They can be used to make an apple jelly, but that's time consuming and fiddly, and we prefer raspberry or fig jam on our toast.
But they make wonderful vinegar, and it is a very easy process.
This vinegar is made using the peels and cores of apples, any apples will do. I use the little green, hard apples off the apple tree in our front garden to make apple cider vinegar - if the cockatoos don't get them all first!
You will need:
A large, clean, wide-mouthed 2 litre glass jar
Muslin, cheesecloth, netting or a Chux
apple scraps, the cores and peels, preferably from organic apples
1 litre cool water, left to sit for 24 hours so the chlorine can evaporate (or use filtered water)
Step 1. Leave the scraps to air overnight. They’ll turn brown, which is exactly what you want. Add the apple scraps to the jar and top it up with water. You can continue to add scraps for a few more days if you want. If you’re going to do this though, be sure you don’t top the jar right up first, leave some room for the new scraps.
Step 2. Cover with the cheesecloth and put it in a warm, dark place.
Step 3. You’ll notice the contents of the jar starts to thicken after a few days and a grayish scum forms on top. When this happens, stop adding scraps and leave the jar for a month or so to ferment.
Step 4. After a month you can start taste-testing it. Just push the mother aside (that's the greyish/white blob) and use a clean spoon to dip a taste. When it’s just strong enough for you, strain the vinegar through a double layer of cheesecloth. Bottle in clean, sterilized bottles. Store in a cool, dark cupboard.
You can use this vinegar to make a great fruit and vegetable wash to remove bacteria and keep the produce fresh longer. Use 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to about 5 litres of cold water. Let the fruit and veg soak for no more than five minutes, swishing around. Drain and dry well.
Yes, they can be composted. And I do make an apple drink from some of them. They can be used to make an apple jelly, but that's time consuming and fiddly, and we prefer raspberry or fig jam on our toast.
But they make wonderful vinegar, and it is a very easy process.
This vinegar is made using the peels and cores of apples, any apples will do. I use the little green, hard apples off the apple tree in our front garden to make apple cider vinegar - if the cockatoos don't get them all first!
You will need:
A large, clean, wide-mouthed 2 litre glass jar
Muslin, cheesecloth, netting or a Chux
apple scraps, the cores and peels, preferably from organic apples
1 litre cool water, left to sit for 24 hours so the chlorine can evaporate (or use filtered water)
Step 1. Leave the scraps to air overnight. They’ll turn brown, which is exactly what you want. Add the apple scraps to the jar and top it up with water. You can continue to add scraps for a few more days if you want. If you’re going to do this though, be sure you don’t top the jar right up first, leave some room for the new scraps.
Step 2. Cover with the cheesecloth and put it in a warm, dark place.
Step 3. You’ll notice the contents of the jar starts to thicken after a few days and a grayish scum forms on top. When this happens, stop adding scraps and leave the jar for a month or so to ferment.
Step 4. After a month you can start taste-testing it. Just push the mother aside (that's the greyish/white blob) and use a clean spoon to dip a taste. When it’s just strong enough for you, strain the vinegar through a double layer of cheesecloth. Bottle in clean, sterilized bottles. Store in a cool, dark cupboard.
You can use this vinegar to make a great fruit and vegetable wash to remove bacteria and keep the produce fresh longer. Use 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to about 5 litres of cold water. Let the fruit and veg soak for no more than five minutes, swishing around. Drain and dry well.