Apple scrap vinegar (ASV) is a delicious homemade vinegar that utilizes something that most of us throw in the compost-and that is fruit peels. It is also one of the most misunderstood ferments on the internet today, with most people considering this to be apple cider vinegar (ACV). Unfortunately, ACV is made with apple cider, and what we are making here is not cider by any definition of it. Cider is the pressed juice of whole fruit, usually apples, and no water is added. However, the term is legally regulated in some EU countries the specify only a fermented, alcohol based product. The definition quotes both circumstances:
Well then, that clears things up, eh?
So what does this even matter? Well, it matters with regards to how the final product will be used. The resulting vinegar from ASV very likely will not have an abundant acetic acid level of minimum 5% that is needed in canning. This could expose your canned goods to all the potential risks of low acid pathogens thriving.
So why even make the stuff?
Well, canning is not the only use for vinegar, and it is really the only situation where this style vinegar is inappropriate and potentially dangerous. ASV works amazingly in salad dressings, marinades, soup stock, other food products as well as in personal care and cleaning. I also use it to descale the coffee machines and kettle. Therefore I have a batch on the go most of the time, and always have ASV on hand.
Knowing that acetic acid is converted from alcohol in the presence of acetobacter bacteria is the foundation of making vinegar. Since acetobacter is abundant in our environments all a person needs to do is not be sterile when initially making your vinegar. Do not use boiling hot water, and although your apples should be clean, there’s no need to scrub them or use any kind of soap or vinegar rinse on your fruit. Jars and spoons should be cleaned as you normally do for everyday use, but don’t need to be sterile.
In terms of making alcohol, as every brewer knows, getting a high alcohol content may not be as easy as simply covering fruit scraps and sugar in water. Even the best quality control might give your cider a final ABV around 9%, and with a 3:1 conversion of alcohol to acetic acid your final product would only be 3% acetic acid. In order to get an ABV of at least 15% (to convert to 5% acetic acid) you need a hearty yeast that can stand the high alcohol levels they are producing in order to manufacture said alcohol or it will die before the levels that we need can be reached….
Ingredients:
- Apple peels (or pear skins, peach skins, pineapple skins etc. Just don’t use skins high in latex such as mango peels)
- 10% Sugar
- Water to cover (ideally filtered, unchlorinated)
Directions:
As you can see, there are no quantities for the above items. That’s because the likelihood of you having exactly a certain amount of scraps is highly unlikely. So this recipe is given in a ratio. You want to aim for a sugar amount of 10%, but there will be a small amount of sugar in whatever fruit you use. For example, if you use peach skins, you may require less sugar than if using crab apples which would require a full 10% sugar to get started.
So how does this work?
First peel your apples (or whatever fruit you’re using) and cram them into a jar big enough to hold them all. You can really mash them in there, so dont be afraid to. Then cover your peels with water, paying attention to how much water you need to add. You can do this 2 ways.
The first option is on a scale, and it is the easier option for sure. First place your jar full of peels on the scale, tare it, then add your water. Then you would multiply that resulting number by .10 to determine how much sugar you need. If you add 1000 g of water you would then add 100 g of sugar.
If you don’t have a scale, the second method is to use measuring cup and count how many cups you need to add to cover the peels. Then add 10% of how many cups you used. If you added 8 cups water, add .8 cups of sugar.
Then cover your jar with a clean cloth (an old, clean t-shirt cut into squares large enough to cover the top, secured with an elastic band, works well). You want to avoid using a kitchen towel or anything with a weave, as your fruit flies will be like a heat seeking missile for this ferment. If any appear, pour out a small amount into a glass with a drop of dish soap and allow them to their demise. But be sure the cloth you’ve used won’t allow them through if they do appear. A paper towel or coffee filter works in a pinch, too. But you want it to breathe, while not letting anything but air in. Some people even use an air stone, a tool that forces air into water typically used in an aquarium, but I feel thats kind of overkill for a scrap vinegar. You do you, though.
The next day open it up and with a clean tool push the solids down to the bottom. Starting on day 2 up to the next few weeks it should be bubbly and have varying smells, some good, some not so good, then finally rather scentless unless sniffed. You should stir it every few days, and don’t be afraid to give it a sniff when you do. Some days you will be rewarded, and others, not so much. Get to know it, see how it ferments.
After 4-6 weeks, strain off your solids and pour your vinegar into a clean bottle and cap with a lid. If your mixture is slimy or “ropey”, allow it to ferment longer and it may dissipate. If it doesn’t, it’s been contaminated and should be discarded. Additionally, if any colour fuzzy mold appears it should be discarded. White yeast is normal and expected, as it is coming to life from the skins of your fruit. Fuzzy mold is not normal at any stage.
At the finishing stage, some people may want to add a splash of finished raw vinegar. This will simply provide abundant acetobacter bacteria that will help will the final conversions of alcohol to acetic acid. However, you can skip this step. If you choose to do this I would say no more than 5% by volume is needed. Just a splash for a big jug is more than sufficient.
If it forms a “scoby”, which is a thin skin-like cellulose mat that forms on top of it, correctly called a pellicle, but colloquially called a scoby, consider yourself lucky and perhaps share it on your favourite fermentation group. It’s neither good or bad, it simply means cellulose forming bacteria are present, but fermies think its kinda cool.
If you make this please share your results with me. I am happy to answer any questions!
