Homemade Apple Cider Vinegar
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You won’t believe how easy it is to make homemade apple cider vinegar from apple scraps. It’s so good for you, and it costs less than a penny per tablespoon.
Apple cider vinegar is a staple in my kitchen. It’s perfect for a quick salad dressing, but it has many other uses as well. I add it to my cranberry walnut chicken salad for extra flavor, and it’s a central ingredient in my homemade barbecue sauce. It gives pulled pork the perfect amount of zing.
You can buy apple cider vinegar, but it’s also easy to make from scratch. It costs next to nothing since apple scraps are typically discarded when making apple crisp, applesauce, or other apple treats. If you can make a spot for the jar on your counter, you can make this recipe.
The cost of store-bought apple cider vinegar varies, but this version is much less expensive than any bottled ACV you can buy. My Target sells Braggs apple cider vinegar for $5.79 for a 32 ounce bottle. This comes out to $1.45 per cup. My homemade apple cider vinegar costs $.02 per cup if you discount the cost of the apple scraps, which were probably heading into the trash after you made an apple treat.
How to Make Apple Cider Vinegar
To make your own apple cider vinegar, submerge apple scraps in water and mix in a little sugar. Use a jar that becomes more narrow at the top so that the apple scraps stay submerged. Cover the jar with butter muslin, a paper towel, or a coffee filter to keep fruit flies away. The mixture will sit at room temperature for a couple weeks to get the process started.
After a few weeks, the scraps get strained out and the vinegar sits at room temperature for at least another month. Eventually, it will begin to taste like the ACV you can buy at the store.
Once it’s finished fermenting, store the vinegar in an airtight container at room temperature. It should keep indefinitely, but the quality may begin to deteriorate after 6 months to a year.
Can You Use Apple Cider Vinegar to Clean?
Apple cider vinegar is an excellent frugal household cleaner. I put 3 parts water and 1 part homemade apple cider vinegar in a spray bottle and use it as a window cleaner.
Equal parts ACV and water can be used for a stronger cleaner on floors, sinks, and other household surfaces. It can even be used to clean up pet messes in the home.
If your batch of DIY apple cider vinegar gets moldy or doesn’t taste how you want it, shift it into a frugal cleaning supply.
Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar and Honey
For centuries, people have been consuming apple cider vinegar due to several perceived health benefits. Many people like to mix it with raw honey and water to make it more palatable, and to take advantage of the additional benefits of raw honey.
Some studies suggest that these ingredients may help with inflammation, allergies, and weight loss. While these claims haven’t been definitely proven, anecdotal evidence suggests that apple cider vinegar may be beneficial in a wide variety of ways.
Some people swear by apple cider vinegar as a digestive aid, a skin care product, and a hair conditioner. Even if you want to stick to using it just for salad dressing or cleaning, making your own ACV is a simple way to be frugal and avoid food waste.
Homemade Apple Cider Vinegar
Homemade apple cider vinegar is easy to make from apple scraps, and it's so healthy for you!
$.01 per serving
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Servings: 48
Calories: 2kcal
Ingredients
- Cores and peels from 6 to 8 apples ideally organic
- 2 tbs sugar
- Water to cover
Equipment
Instructions
- After you use the apples to make an apple treat, place the cores and peels in a large jar. I use a 4-cup mason jar, but you can adjust the size of the jar according to the amount of apple scraps you're using.
- Cover the scraps with water and stir in the sugar.
- Place a paper towel or a piece of butter muslin on top of the jar, and secure it with a band. (A coffee filter would work as well.)
- Let the mixture soak for 2 weeks at room temperature (I use the back of a cabinet shelf), and then strain out the liquid. Discard the solids, which can be composted at this point.
- Return the liquid to the jar and cover it again with a paper towel or butter muslin and band. Leave it for 4 more weeks, stirring daily.
- Taste the vinegar and see if it has the acidity you would like. If it does, transfer it to a covered bottle for storage. If not, leave it in the large jar for a little while longer, checking every few days. (You can use it as a household cleaner if the flavor doesn't come out how you wanted it.)
Nutrition Estimate
Calories: 2kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Sodium: 1mg | Sugar: 1g
Tried this recipe?Mention @realfoodrecipes or tag #realfoodrealdeals!
Price Breakdown
I don’t assign a price to water in my recipes, and since apple scraps are usually discarded, the only expense in this recipe is the sugar. The full batch costs just $.06 to make, or $.02 per cup. That’s less than a penny per tablespoon. Try this frugal recipe the next time you make a treat with apples.
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Check out my homemade coconut milk for another great affordable DIY recipe!
Note: This recipe was originally published in 2012, and it was updated in 2020.
Ariana says
Hello! I was wondering if using honey in place of sugar would work in this recipe.
Annemarie says
Yes, I’ve made this with honey, too. The fermentation process is a little slower than with sugar, but it does work.
Kimberly Warehime says
After it gets to what taste i want it, do i have to pressure can it to keep it safe?
Annemarie says
No, you don’t need to can it.
Stephanie says
I’m on my second fermentation but I split the batch into 2 separate jars. One looks normal and is starting to smell like ACV. The other is turning pink and smelling sweeter. Is this second batch awry?
Annemarie says
Stephanie, I haven’t had that experience with splitting a batch, so I’m not sure. You could give it more time and see if it starts to smell like vinegar. I have had colors ranging from pink to brown depending on the color of the apple skin.
Danae says
After the first 2 week Fermentation there was some fuzzy white greyish mould growing on top of the liquid, I scooped it off and strained the liquid for 2nd ferment but is it still safe to use? Try to read all the replies here but got confused as mould is usually a sign of spoilage and makes the product unsafe to eat.
Annemarie says
If you’re concerned, you can use it as a cleaner.
JanRenae says
I’m going to try this with my kids, as soon as we get moved. Now I’ve got to get my hands on a narrow mouth canning jar
Jenny says
I am trying this bit today when I went to discard the apple scraps some on the top were moldy. Just wondering what I did wrong? Not enough water covering. Any help wold be appreciated. Thanks.
Annemarie says
Jenny, you can avoid the mold by using a jar that gets narrower at the top. This will help keep the apple scraps submerged. Your vinegar should still be okay, but if you’re not sure, you can always use it as a household cleaner.
Gina Swann says
Once the apple cider vinegar is made how long is this good for?
Also can I keep the jar in my cabinet like store bought vinegar?
Thanks!
Gina
Annemarie says
Gina, you can store this vinegar in an airtight container at room temperature. It should keep indefinitely, but the quality may deteriorate after several months or a year.
Meghan Schrock says
Hi, what about gnats? Theyve gotten past my cheesecloth and into it…
Annemarie says
Meghan, I’m guessing it would be fine after you strained out the gnats, but to be on the safe side, you could use this batch as a household cleaner. I use a paper towel or tighter butter muslin (rather than cheesecloth), so I haven’t had fruit flies get into my vinegar.
Deanna Segrave-Daly (@tspbasil) says
Who knew this was so easy? Definitely featuring in a future Healthy Kitchen Hacks post!
taramdeal says
This is so cool!!! I love finding a higher purpose for our scraps too 🙂 I’ve just gotten into making kombucha…I think this is the next experiment I need to conjure up!
heathersfp says
I cannot wait to make this! I use cider vinegar daily,, and would love to have homemade
Jen says
Great post! Does anyone have a suggestion for replacing paper towel? I see some have tried cheese cloth but had issues. Would a towel work?
Annemarie says
Jen, a thin towel or butter muslin should also work.
Jen says
Thank you Annemarie!
Monica Snider says
coffee filter?
Annemarie says
A coffee filter would work.
Jennifer says
I like to use paper coffee filters
Faye says
I am using a coffee filter to cover mine. We’ll see how well that works.