Imagine gallons of healthful apple cider vinegar…for free. It is easier than you think. Follow the easy, step-by-step instructions to turn waste into liquid gold.
If at all possible, start with organically grown apples. The redder the skin, the darker the finished vinegar will be. Any apples can be used. If you have an abundance of apples, the entire apple can be used. It is more efficient to make your apple cider vinegar when you are also processing apples for other recipes, such as applesauce, apple pie filling, apple juice or apple butter. The skins and cores which are left over from the recipes may be used instead of simply being discarded or tossed on the compost pile.
What you will need:
A large glass jar (1 or 2-gallon size works well)
Peels and cores from 5 pounds of apples
2 tablespoons of sugar
Water
Place bowl of apple peels and cores on the counter to rest and brown for 24-72 hours. You want them to turn brown, so let Mother Nature do her work on them.
Once brown, place the peels and cores in a large, wide-mouthed jar.
Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sugar over the peels and cores.
Pour enough room-temperature water over the apples to cover the peels and cores.
Cover with a piece of fabric or cheesecloth tied off with a string or ribbon.
Store in a warm, dark place for one month.
A mother will form on top of the mixture. It will resemble a jellyfish and is desirable. DO NOT THROW THE MOTHER AWAY!
Scoop out the mother and set aside in a bowl.
Strain apple pieces out of the liquid.
Return liquid to the large jar. If you do 2 batches at once, they can be combined at this time.
Replace mother on top of the liquid.
Re-cover jar with fabric and set aside for an additional 2-6 months until finished
.Finished apple cider vinegar may be stored in the refrigerator to keep it fresh.
Easy Slow Cooker Apple Butter
5 pounds of apples, peeled, cored, and cut into chunks
4 ½ cups white sugar
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon Himalayan sea salt
1 pinch ground cardamom
Place all ingredients in slow cooker.
Cook, covered, on high for 3 hours.
Reduce temperature setting to low and cook for 12-14 hours until dark brown.
At this step, an immersion blender can be used to make the apple butter super-smooth.
Uncover and cook for 1-3 hours to thicken.
Spoon into clean jars and process in waterbath canner (15 minutes for pints) or store in the refrigerator.