How to Make Apple Cider Vinegar with the Mother 🍎 + Homemade Applesauce

sugar

🥗Healthier: honey

💰Cheaper: maple syrup

Honey adds sweetness with fewer calories.

cinnamon

🥗Healthier: nutmeg

💰Cheaper: pumpkin pie spice

Nutmeg provides a warm flavor similar to cinnamon.

Wash the apples with a homemade cleaner consisting of white vinegar, water, a little dish soap, and a few drops of rosemary and spearmint essential oils.

Peel the apples by hand, inspecting each one and removing any blemishes.

Slice the peeled apples into small pieces and add them to a bowl of water acidified with citric acid to prevent browning.

Separate any bad pieces from the good scraps and set aside the bad pieces for making apple cider vinegar.

Simmer the apple chunks with slices of homegrown ginger, a cinnamon stick, and about half a cup of crystallized honey.

Break down the apples into a thick chunky sauce as they soften during simmering.

Remove the ginger and cinnamon stick once the apples are tender and the sauce is at the desired consistency.

Add lemon juice to the sauce to achieve the proper pH for canning.

Use an immersion blender to puree the mixture until silky smooth, transforming it into applesauce.

Ladle the applesauce into clean jars, wiping the rims before adding lids and bands.

Process the jars according to the Ball recipe using a mix of half pint jars and smaller 4 oz jars.

After processing, remove the jars and let them cool completely, ensuring each has a good seal indicated by a pop sound.

Label the jars and remove the bands after they cool.

Turn the leftover apple scraps (peels, cores, and bits) into homemade apple cider vinegar by placing them into a clean half gallon jar.

For every cup of water added to the jar, include 1 tablespoon of sugar essential for fermentation.

Shake the jar to help dissolve the sugar and cover it with a breathable cloth to allow airflow while keeping debris out.

Ferment the apple scraps for 3 to 4 weeks, ensuring they stay submerged to prevent mold growth, pressing down floating bits every few days.

Once the mixture smells tangy and bubbles settle, filter out the fruit and return the liquid to a clean jar, continuing to ferment for another 2 to 4 weeks.

Check the tang and pH along the way, ensuring it stays below 4.6 for shelf stability.

When ready, transfer the vinegar into a fliptop bottle for storage in a cool, dark place.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary