Vinegar season

[taxlady]

I should try doing this again. It didn't work right for me.

 

[blissful]

I should try doing this again. It didn't work right for me.

5 gallon bucket, 3 gallons of water, sugar, some AC vinegar if you have it. The scraps from apples for this batch was what was left of 40 very large apples, after peeling/coring/slicing, using the slices for dehydrating. Stir it every day for 2 weeks, cover with a towel, strain, stir once a week.

 

[larry_stewart]

Ive done it a number of times, and only had one bad on me. Not sure what I did wrong, as I followed the same exact procedure, but I guess it happens.

 

[taxlady]

How tightly does one shove the apple scraps into the jar? DH helped and I think he shoved them into the jar too tightly. Do you think that is likely the reason mine failed. We were only making one jar. We don't use apples a lot.

 

[blissful]

How tightly does one shove the apple scraps into the jar? DH helped and I think he shoved them into the jar too tightly. Do you think that is likely the reason mine failed. We were only making one jar. We don't use apples a lot.

Volume wise, I'd use 1/3 of it for apple scrapes, the rest is liquid. So if you are doing this in a 1 qt jar, you'd only use 1 to 1 and 1/2 cups of apple scrap squashed into the bottom of the jar. Once you add liquid the apple scraps go all over of course. You might only get 2-3 cups of vinegar after straining the apple scrap out of it.

 

[pepperhead212]

Homemade Apple Cider Vinegar

A few weeks back I went apple picking. It has become an annual tradition to go apple picking and make homemade apple cider ( I have a hand cranked apple cider press). We are always left with a significant amount of apple scraps as a result of the process. Initially, I would feed the scraps to...

www.discusscooking.com

For those looking for more info on making vinegar, here is that previous thread that had a lot on in it.

 

[blissful]

Today around noon, I was setting up a quart of fermented grain flakes that I eat for breakfast each day. I usually ferment them for a day, sometimes a day and a half, then refrigerate to slow that down. Usually I use a tablespoon of older vinegar that is not very actively fermenting, but there is a little action left in it. Today I used the new active vinegar, which is very active. Tonight, at 12 hours, it was already starting to overflow. There had been 3/4th's inch of space in it, but with fermenting it will expand, sending liquid onto the counter. I cleaned it up and refrigerated it. So if you want to see the difference in fermenting action, you might try using a very active vinegar compared to one that has been in storage for a while with any kind of fermenting.

Another point. It only took about a month to make that vinegar. The weather was pretty warm, 80's and a few 90's, so it went fast. In the fall, August might take a couple months to finish. I have started vinegar in the winter and it takes a full 3 months because the room temperature is lower.

When we were straining the vinegar into jugs, I put my hand in the bucket and pulled out the mother. Mr bliss said, "what no fathers", lol. So I pulled out the other small mothers (one formed each week that I stirred in), and said, 'oh yes, here are the fathers'. We're just not very serious.

Have any of you kept the mother's for using in future fermenting projects? If I refrigerated it, I'm sure it would slow down and be useful for a while. I'm not sure how long that would work.

 

[taxlady]

Interesting discussion about the fermenting. Thank you @blissful .

 

[larry_stewart]

Tonight, at 12 hours, it was already starting to overflow. There had been 3/4th's inch of space in it, but with fermenting it will expand, sending liquid onto the counter. I cleaned it up and refrigerated it.


Have any of you kept the mother's for using in future fermenting projects? If I refrigerated it, I'm sure it would slow down and be useful for a while. I'm not sure how long that would work.

I've had my pickles over flow in the past, so now, when on the counter, I always put something under the jars to catch the overflow.

I've Neve kept a mother for a prolonged time, but I've used it immediately after the first batch, when starting a second batch. I remember the first time I saw a mother, it kinda freaked me out a bit, as I wasn't expecing ( or knew anything about ) it. I thought I recreated the 'blob'.

 

[blissful]

As the apples ripen, it's vinegar season again.
I ran across this article on AC vinegar and some history.
"Johnny Appleseed: But Appleseed insisted on, well, growing his apples from seeds. A missionary for an eccentric Christian sect known as the Swedenborgians. " I didn't know that. That's cool.

How Americans Became Obsessed With Drinking Apple Cider Vinegar

The story of how health-conscious thrill-seekers started chugging vinegar, from Johnny Appleseed to Katy Perry.

www.epicurious.com

The only thing I'd want to do differently than what I do now, keeping up to 10 gallons of vinegar in plastic jugs, is to age it further in some kind of wood barrel. I wouldn't know where to begin finding that.

I use AC vinegar (I like active vinegar if I have a choice) in almost all my dressings and sauces. I season my daily greens with it. I add a tablespoon to a quart of fermented 9 rolled grain cereal to help ferment it quickly. I sprinkle it on veggie rice, add a little to soup, after putting a little dressing on my salad I add AC vinegar if I want a little more moisture to move the dressing around. I go through 2 qts to a gallon a month. Just for food. It's not harsh, instead it is mild and has a touch of sweetness and doesn't resemble white vinegar at all.

I don't drink it, or make a drink with it but many people do.

 

[dragnlaw]

try wine and beer making shops. They will probably have some kegs or maybe at least let you know where to get them. Or even Amazon? Etsy, etc.

Found this on the Canadian site
Beer aging kegs

 

[Aunt Bea]

If you have apple orchards or wineries in your area they should be able to point you towards a source of food quality wooden barrels.

My father always bought used whiskey barrels when he made hard cider and ultimately vinegar.

He used a blend of apples and pears to make his cider.

This company will ship used barrels but IMO it would be best to inspect any used barrels and give them a good.

Used Wine and Whiskey Barrels | Finger Lakes Barrel Company

Your source for used wine and whiskey barrels for vineyards, distilleries, craft breweries, home brewers, furniture makers, and more!

fingerlakesbarrel.com

These days a used food grade wine or whiskey barrel could set you back a couple hundred dollars.

 

[blissful]

I started 2 5-gallon buckets, about 4 gallons in each, one with pear cores and the other with apples and bananas (the fruit not the peel). I'd read that the banana peel vinegar works but has a bitter edge to it, so I'm just using excess bananas we bought for reduced produce, something like 14 bananas for $1. (we also started 9 trays of banana slices for the dehydrator).

These vinegars will probably be done mid to late december.

 

[larry_stewart]

I've never done banana vinegar. How strong of a banana flavor / smell is there?

 

[blissful]

I've never done banana vinegar. How strong of a banana flavor / smell is there?

I'll find out in December. It's so starchy, like potatoes, people make some kind of alcohol w/potatoes and it has no potato taste or smell so I'm hoping the same with the vinegar and bananas.

 

[dragnlaw]

Banana Schnapps, anyone?

 

[Silversage]

I'll find out in December. It's so starchy, like potatoes, people make some kind of alcohol w/potatoes and it has no potato taste or smell so I'm hoping the same with the vinegar and bananas.

Vodka!!!

 

[blissful]

I was looking around on the internet, and there are many banana vinegars selling for $1/ounce. I also saw lemon vinegar. I have not heard of anyone here making food with either of them.....but there is always tomorrow.

 

[KatyCooks]

Vodka!!!

Or Poitin if you're Irish!

 

[blissful]

The apple banana vinegar is foaming like the fermentation is very strong right now. The pear one isn't, so I added 2 quarts of sliced peaches (reduced produce 7 peaches for $1). So the second one is pear-peach. I'm stirring them every day.