Off The Grid: Making Vinegar From Scratch

Greetings,

Making Vinegar From Scratch

Vinegar has many uses, many of which can be attested to by our grandmothers as well as modern day make-do and naturally minded folks. But where does vinegar come from? How is it made? Whatever will we do if for some reason vinegar becomes unavailable in the stores?

Homemade vinegar is a result of fermentation. Some would say it’s a result of over-fermentation, as vinegar is what your alcohol will turn into if left too long and without preservatives. But we’re making vinegar on purpose here.

Fermentation is a somewhat lost art that is making a return as people realize the benefits of this method of food preservation. Wild Fermentation by Sandor Katz, Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, and Fermentation Factor from Solutions from Science are all excellent resources to use in learning how to ferment your own foods, vinegar being one of them.

Vinegar is, according to my dictionary description, “an acid liquid obtained by the acetous fermentation of alcoholic liquids, as cider, beer, wine, etc., and used as a condiment and preservative.” So, basically, you get your hands on or create some form of alcohol (without preservatives) and then let it ferment further, hopefully catching the right bacteria (Acetobacter) along the way, creating acetic acid. Acetic acid is, essentially, pure non-diluted vinegar.

Let’s Start At The Very Beginning…
There are many ways to make vinegar, as it has been around for thousands of years. But we don’t want to simply make vinegar, we want to make vinegar from scratch, assuming that if the worst happens, we may not be able to make a quick run to the grocery or wine supply store for quickie helps in making our vinegar. A “how to make vinegar” article will be of no help if you don’t have access to the supplies, now will it?

There are many variations on these instructions, as is typical with something that has been around for over a thousand years. These instructions should get you started from the beginning, with things most people have available in their kitchens, and with no winemaking supplies, no “cheats” such as yeast packets, “mother,” or any vinegar to pour in to get things started. We will be truly making vinegar from scratch.

General Info To Know
1. Cleanliness Is Imperative. You want to have the least chance possible of having the wrong bacteria get into your fermentation process. Use hot water—bleach if you have it—to thoroughly clean anything that comes into contact with what will become your vinegar. Don’t forget to wash your hands, too.

2. No Metal Containers. Do not make vinegar in a metal container (except for stainless steel), as the vinegar will react with the metal, imparting a metallic taste to your end product and creating a poison. Stainless steel should be safe, but definitely do not use aluminum or non-enameled cast iron.

If you choose to use enameled cast iron, check for cracks and chips in the enamel where the vinegar would have access to the metal. If you find any cracks or chips, find another vessel.

3. Don’t Skimp On The Sugar. The more sugars in your first stage, the stronger your alcohol and consequent vinegar will be and the better it is said to keep. That said, it is not an exact science and recommended amounts of sugar will vary, as will the naturally occurring sugars in your food source.

4. If At First You Don’t Succeed, Try, Try Again. When starting from the very basics, there is a greater risk of not catching the right bacteria and having a bad batch. Once you have caught the proper bacteria, though, you will then have vinegar and possibly even a mother to help ease your future vinegar-making experiences. To ease your mind a bit, if you are not using free or cheap supplies, start with a smaller batch. When you have success with that, move up to larger batches.

Most vinegar made by homesteaders is apple cider vinegar (or some variation thereof), probably because of the fairly simple method and availability of apples as raw materials. Keep in mind that this is a fermentation process; quality of vinegar and the time it takes to make it will vary with your situation and the conditions of where you are setting up your vinegar production.

Apple Scrap Vinegar
One method of making vinegar is to use raw fruit scraps, such as cores and peels of apples. Instead of apples, you may also use peelings and corings of pears, peaches, grapes, and even whole cherries. Anything you are cutting up to can or preserve some other way can yield much of the raw material for making vinegar. Bruised or overripe fruit is acceptable, but mold is not.

Stage 1: Making Alcohol
What you need:
Fruit scraps or corings
Large container such as a crock, large glass jar, or stainless steel pan
Sugar water (general guideline is 1/4 cup sweetener of choice per 1 quart of water, more or less depending on the sweetness of your fruit. You may use white sugar, molasses, honey, raw sugar, etc.)

Cloth, such as cheesecloth or a flour sack towel
Bungee cord or twine
1. Place your fruit scraps into your container.
2. Pour in enough sugar water to cover the fruit.
3. Cover the container with the cloth and bungee tie it so that it is secure and keeps out flies and such.

4. Place in an area that is around 65-80°F. The cooler the temperature, the longer it will take for your fruit to ferment, but it should still work. Allow to sit for about a week, checking on it each day.

5. As the process begins, it should produce bubbles. Don’t let this worry you, as it’s all part of the process. Allow it to continue to “work” until the bubbling stops. The liquid should have darkened by this point, and it should be ready for the next stage.
Stage 2: Converting Alcohol To Acetic Acid (Vinegar)

What you need:
Strainer
Cheesecloth
Wide-topped container(s) (You may reuse the container you used the first time or use a glass sun tea jar with a spigot on the bottom to make it easier to put the finished product in bottles/jars later.)

Cloth, such as cheesecloth or a flour sack towel
1. Strain your liquid from the fruit, using a strainer and cheesecloth.
2. Place liquid in wide-topped container(s). This is important, as the acetic bacteria need lots of oxygen to do their work.
3. Cover with cheesecloth or towel as before.
4. Store in a warm place with faint light. Direct sunlight will prevent the vinegar-making process.

5. Pray. When you are making vinegar from absolutely basic ingredients, you are at the mercy of mother nature providing the proper bacteria to change your alcohol over to vinegar. The good news is that this bacteria is widely available in the air (and on the feet of vinegar flies). The bad news is that, especially if you are living in the hot, humid South, there may be other bacteria that might decide to take residence in your alcohol. If you have a fairly high-alcohol mixture to begin with, this should limit the “bad” bacteria from moving in.

6. Watch and wait. How long depends on how soon your alcohol solution catches the bacteria, the temperature of the room, and oxygen availability. It can happen as soon as a couple weeks or take as long as 6 months. Dip a spoon into it ever so often and give it a taste to judge where you are in the process.

7. Keep an eye out for surface film, a.k.a. “mother.” If you see a greyish-brownish film forming on the surface of your liquid, this is the “mother” forming. It will look somewhat like a Kombucha scoby, if that gives you a frame of reference. This is a good sign that you have caught the proper bacteria! Don’t disturb it as it does its work, as it needs to stay on the surface until it is finished.

Once the job of making the vinegar is done, it will sink to the bottom of the container. For future vinegar-making ventures, you can use this “mother,” adding it during Stage 2 to get a significant jumpstart on the vinegar-making stage, since you will already have the necessary bacteria. The “mother” will thicken as it grows and ages.

Storage
Once you have your vinegar, strain it through cheesecloth to your liking and store it in bottles/ jars of your choice in a cool, dry place. Remember not to use metal lids where the metal will come into contact with the vinegar. You can store some of the “mother” in your jars with your vinegar, or you can use it to start another batch right away…..more here

Click here for reuse options!
Copyright 2015 Hiram's 1555 Blog