Making Apple Cider Vinegar

Half gallon jars filled with apple peels & cores and water

I'm attempting a little experiment for the next 6-8 weeks.  I recently learned how easy it is (or is supposed to be) to make apple cider vinegar.  After making all those pickles & relish and using quite a bit of organic cider vinegar (over $5 for a 32 oz bottle) I decided I'd try to make it myself.

The past 2 Saturdays we picked over 44 pounds of apples off of just one of our trees and we'll most likely pick another 20 pounds this weekend.  I processed about 36 pounds of those apples into applesauce and cinnamon apples over the past few days.  It seemed like such a waste to just toss those peels and cores in the compost when I could try and make cider vinegar.  For free!

All that you need to do is fill a large jar with apple peels & cores, top it off with water and cover with a few layers of cheese cloth.  Let it sit in a warm place for 6-8 weeks to ferment and then strain through a sieve into bottles.  At the six week mark, you should begin tasting it for desired flavor.  It seems so easy and beats $5+ per bottle at the grocery store.

I'll report back in 6-8 weeks with the results.