Fruit Scrap Vinegar

This recipe to make your own fruit scrap vinegar is so versatile. You can use it in your favorite salad dressing recipe or to clean your home! You can use any fruit scraps to make this healthier version at home.

What is fruit scrap vinegar?

Fruit scrap vinegar is homemade vinegar made from three simple ingredients. All you need are fruit scraps such as apple peels or strawberry tops, sugar and filtered water. That’s it!

Homemade vinegar is made through a fermentation process. Yeast is everywhere and on everything. The yeast that is naturally found on the fruit and in the air will consume the sugar in this recipe.

Next, acetic acid bacteria get to work. They “eat” the alcohol that is created in the first step. Once all of the alcohol is gone, then you are left with homemade vinegar!

While all of that sounds very scientific, it’s actually a very simple process that anyone can do with very little equipment. All you need is a glass jar or fermentation crock, a coffee filter and rubber band.

Why should I make homemade vinegar?

Homemade vinegar is great to use in place of any recipe that calls for apple cider vinegar. However, homemade vinegar is not safe for use in home canning projects! It is not acidic enough and poses a risk of botulism in your canning products! You should only be using store bought vinegar that is at least 5% in your home canning recipes.

This homemade vinegar recipe is best used in cooking recipes such as marinades, salad dressing or glazes. Replacing store bought vinegar with your homemade vinegar doesn’t just save you money. It also gives you a probiotic boost when consumed raw.

You can also use your homemade vinegar to clean your home just as you would white vinegar. I make a countertop spray with a 1:1 ratio of vinegar and water with a couple drops of essential oils. It’s safer than chemical cleaners and it’s cheap!

Homemade fruit scrap vinegar is also great to add to your livestocks water. It can cut down on any algae growing and is particularly good for a chickens’ health.

What fruit should I use?

The two fruits I have used to make this vinegar before are apple and pear. However, there are many recipes that call for all sorts of fruits such as strawberries, pineapples, lemons, oranges and even berries. From what I understand, you can basically use any fruit scraps to make your homemade vinegar.

I have made my vinegars using the scraps from canning apples and pears. This includes the cores and the skins. Both fruits have worked beautifully.

Ways to use your fruit scrap vinegar:

• When making bone broth, add a tablespoon to help break down collagen
• Add a couple of teaspoons when soaking your beans to make them easier to digest
• Salad dressing and vinaigrettes
• Marinades
• Glazes
• Cleaning countertops, sinks, toilets, bathtubs, etc.
• Adding to livestock’s water
• Homemade hair rinse
• Facial toner
• In your homemade mayo
• Mix with epsom salts for a homemade foot soak

What is “the mother”?

While it may look fleshy and gross, the mother is actually just a combination of yeast and bacteria that forms during the process of making vinegar. It’s full of good for your gut strains of bacteria.

You can use the mother to speed up the process when making a new batch of vinegar. You can also add it to a jar of wine to make red or white wine vinegar! To do this, you will pour half of a jar full of red or white wine. Next, fill the rest of the jar 2/3 full with filtered water and add the mother. Place a coffee filter and rubber band over the jar and let sit for about 1 month. It should then smell very strongly of vinegar when done.

Is this safe to make?

As long as you follow these guidelines it is safe to make your own vinegar at home. However, I will say it again. It is NOT safe to use your homemade vinegar for preserving food. Do not use this vinegar in your home canning recipes.

That said, as long as you let your vinegar fully mature and the ph is right, it is absolutely safe to consume and use! And once your vinegar becomes acidic enough, you don’t have to worry about any mold forming. Stirring your fruit scraps everyday or every other day will help prevent mold in the beginning. Just simply use a clean chopstick or something of the sort to stir.

However, if mold still grows in the first stages, use your best judgement. Many people will toss it at this point. Personally I have yet to have any mold form so I can’t speak to what I would do.

How to make fruit scrap vinegar:

1. Start with a clean jar or fermenting crock. Scrubbing with hot soapy water should be enough.
2. Add your fruit scraps to the jar, about halfway up.
3. Add 1/4 cup of sugar to the jar.
4. Pour your filtered water into the jar until just past the shoulder. The fruit will float above the surface and this is okay, but use a fermentation weight if you like.
5. Place the coffee filter and rubber band on top. Sit in a dark cool place for about two weeks. You can stir it every couple of days to help prevent any mold growing.
6. After about two weeks, strain your liquid out with a mesh strainer and either cheesecloth or a coffee filter. You can strain into a new clean jar.
7. Place a coffee filter and rubber band back over the jar. Let sit another two weeks to a month. You will know it is ready when it has a very strong vinegar smell. If it doesn’t, let it sit awhile longer before placing a lid on your vinegar.
8. Store your vinegar in a cool dry place just like you would any of your home canned goods.

Tips:

• You need to use filtered water (free of chlorine) so that the the yeast can do it’s job. Chlorine can inhibit this.
• If you really want to know if your vinegar is acidic enough, you can always order ph strips and test it. It should be a ph between 2-3.5. If you don’t want to test it, just make sure that it smells strongly of vinegar before placing a lid on and storing.
• I suggest using a jar that is twice as big is the amount of vinegar you want to make. For example, here I used two half gallon jars and ended up with one half gallon jar of vinegar at the end of the process.

That’s it! You can easily make your own fruit scrap vinegar at home. Not only that, but once the mother has formed, you can fast track making any future vinegars. If you want any more ideas about preserving or from scratch cooking ideas, check out these articles for homemade mayo here and diy garlic powder here!