Homemade Apple Cider Vinegar

Homemade Apple Cider Vinegar...

Make Your Own Apple Cider Vinegar

Yep you are seeing it right, that vinegar has many wonderful benefits and uses and we might as well call it our "Natural Liquid Gold!"

I am sure most of you know about vinegar especially apple cider vinegar! I wanted to have "on file" how I make my own apple cider vinegar and its benefits and uses at Aisling Farms.

TIP: When you see ACV it means "apple cider vinegar." 

Benefits For Us:
Lowers blood pressure
Speeds up your metabolism
Fights away those pesky coughs, colds
Relieve painful leg cramps
Soothes aching muscles
Helps with headaches
Helps Lower Cholesterol
Boosts your immune system in its prevention of cancer
Fights liver spots
Natural arthritis reliever
Uses for eye and ear problems
Destroys bacteria in food
Relieves itches from insect bites
Helps with skin rashes and athlete's foot
Helps with heart and circulatory care

See sources below but per case studies you only need a couple of tablespoons a day to see benefits occur especially with diabetes, which runs in my family and is what my grandmother died of, so in just that one benefit to help combat diabetes it is already beneficial enough for me to have on hand!

How to make your own ACV:
I love making ACV because all I need are apples that you can get free just about anywhere (make sure they weren't in an area where it gets sprayed with pesticides) and water! I don't see a need to add any other "boosters" such as sugar, agave or honey. Why add products that are not needed? To me that is just wasting money because you can't be patient and wait for the true and natural "good stuff!" So just remember the saying "Good things come to those who wait!"

My parents have two apple trees and I myself hope to have apples this season on my own property. This year though I went and picked from their property, a ton of apples, and I made applesauce with the apples and then saved all the cores and peels. The cores and peels are what you use to make your ACV. You want them good and brown so let them sit for at least 24 hours in a baggy on the counter so the pesky fruit flies dont show up.

Next day, take your jars, cores and peels and you can use either cheesecloths (double them up) or paper coffee filters. I used the coffee filters cause I feel the cheesecloth still brought the fruit flies around. Shove as many peels and cores into your jars (there is no math to the amount the more the better) and then fill with tap water leaving about an 1" of head room at the top as it will expand as it ferments.

Take your cheesecloth, or in my case paper coffee filters, and place them over the top of your jar and cover with a jar ring. Place in a neutral temp space. It was about 60-70 degrees in my hutch which is what I use to store this type of thing and also cause it is dark. A cupboard is a great place as well. You might see a few fruit flies but shouldn't be much at all if you aren't constantly opening that space, so keep it shut as much as possible. Leave for a week.

After a week...Remove and check on the contents. You will see some bubbling...that is good and you might see a film...that is good too. It will be either a clear, jelly film or an opaque color, both are fine. If you see neither it is ok too, just means it isn't to that point of fermentation yet. (Could be not dark enough or not warm enough. Temp fluctuations can mess up this process) The film you might see on the top, that is the "mother" that is being created. (see my "mother" below)

The "Mother" (the good stuff) has formed:

The "Mother" is the white stuff at the top.

You want to then stir this around, cause stirring the mother around creates it to ferment even further as it mixes with the other contents. If the "water" level is getting too high you can remove some of the apple contents. (I throw mine to my pigs and chickens) At this time if you need more water you can add some. (You don't want the apples to start drying at the top or it will create mold. If mold has formed discard and restart) Keep doing the process above and at about 4 weeks remove all apple cores and peels. (Great snack for your farm animals) Add enough water to where it is about an 1/2" of head room (wont be expanding as much cause the apple contents are out) in the top of the jar and recover like shown below for another 4 weeks.   (You should still stir the contents as you are still mixing the "mother" around in the jar which helps it ferment further)

Now at about 8 weeks of full fermenting remove your ACV and do a sniff test and/or taste test. If it meets your satisfaction then you can remove the filter and add the jar top and lid and store in the fridge. If it doesn't seem like it is strong enough for you, you can also just keep storing it and use it in this way. I store mine in the fridge just because I do not have enough room in my hutch to keep it in there till I use it. 

How I Use Acv on Aisling Farms:

I use ACV alot on our farm. I use it about once a month in both our chickens waterers and our rabbits waterers to help with any "icky's" (bacteria in their guts) in their system and it helps keep bacteria out of their waterers. I personally, after researching, do not recommend doing this alot as it can have some affects on your flock and their absorption of other nutrients, so I feel comfortable doing it just once a month.   

Another way I use my ACV is when I make "Fodder" for my rabbits and "Sprouts" for my chickens. Read More About that Here!

  NOW YOU HAVE HOMEMADE APPLE CIDER VINEGAR!!!  GOOD JOB! EASY RIGHT? ---------------------------------------------- Get Your Own ACV Now!

Learn Even More About Vinegar with these Books

Sources:
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/apple-cider-vinegar-and-health
http://authoritynutrition.com/6-proven-health-benefits-of-apple-cider-vinegar/
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/06/02/apple-cider-vinegar-hype.aspx
http://www.apple-cider-vinegar-benefits.com/
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2005/01/22/vinegar-diabetes.aspx
http://altmedicine.about.com/od/applecidervinegardiet/a/applecidervineg.htm

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or veterinarian so I have provided some sources for you to read over and make your own determination in how you want to use your apple cider vinegar. I feel only each person can make their own judgment call on what works for them and their farm. Let me know if you have any questions. aislingfarms@gmail.com