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Skip the store and make your own Homemade Apple Cider Vinegar out of kitchen scraps! You’ll be surprised how easy it is to make your own vinegar for cleaning, hair care, skincare, and more. You only need 3 ingredients!
I use a ton of apple cider vinegar in my natural, sustainable lifestyle.
From cooking to skincare to hair treatments, I’m very careful to never run out of ACV!
I usually buy it in bulk, but I’ve been wanting to make my own for a very long time. I finally decided to go for it, and I’m so glad I did!
Making your own apple cider vinegar is surprisingly easy. It only takes 3 ingredients, a couple of minutes of active time, and a little bit of patience.
It’s so rewarding to not only make my own bath and body products, but also to make the ingredients that go in them!
I’ll walk you through the whole process. You’ll be so glad you skipped the store-bought and DIY-ed it!
Why You’ll Love It
- Easy DIY: It may sound intimidating and complicated, but making vinegar is actually crazy simple! This DIY takes just a few minutes of hands-on time — you’ll be amazed at how easy it is.
- Save money: Making your own apple cider vinegar is an excellent way to save money! It costs next to nothing to make, and you can skip the pricey organic vinegar from the store.
- Eco-friendly: Not only does making your own vinegar avoid packaging waste, but it also makes use of apple scraps that would otherwise be tossed!
- Useful ingredient: I use apple cider vinegar in so many of my DIY recipes. Of course, you can use it for cooking too, so you’ll certainly not run out of uses for your homemade vinegar!
What You’ll Need
- Apples: You can use any part of the apple, and this is a great way to use up scraps. If you have a lot of peels and cores after making a pie, or you have uneaten, browned apple slices in the lunchbox, keep them for vinegar!
- Sugar: Sugar feeds the yeast and bacteria to promote the fermentation process that makes vinegar! It won’t sweeten the final product whatsoever.
- Water: You’ll want to use filtered water for this recipe. If you don’t have a filter, you can use bottled water.
- Quart jar: You’ll need a regular glass jar for fermenting the vinegar. You may want a smaller one to store the finished vinegar in, too.
- Cheesecloth: A breathable fabric to cover the jar is essential. You need to keep contaminants out of the jar while still allowing airflow.
How to Make Apple Cider Vinegar
Step 1. Add your apple scraps to a clean jar, filling it about ½-¾ full.
Step 2. Add water, one cup at a time, leaving about ¾” of space at the top.
Step 3. Stir in the sugar.
Step 4. Cover the jar with cheesecloth and secure in place. Place in a cool, dark room away from sunlight for 30 days.
Step 5. Check it every few days to make sure the apples stay submerged and no mold forms. You can stir it every couple of days if you would like.
Step 6. After 2 weeks, it should start smelling slightly sweet. Go ahead and strain the scraps and discard them.
Step 7. Pour the liquid back into the jar and cover it again. Let it sit another 2 weeks, stirring or swirling every few days. Once it’s fermented to your desired acidity level, transfer to a sealed container and store in the fridge.
Expert Tips
- You can use any type of apples, or a mix for a more balanced flavor. I find it best to use a mix of apples, including a couple of Granny Smiths, for best results.
- You can use fresh or frozen apple scraps. Just make sure there is no mold or rot on them.
- Make sure all apple pieces stay fully submerged to prevent mold. If you see any mold (fuzzy, colored growth), discard the batch.
- A cloudy film or “mother” forming on top is completely normal.
- If you don’t have cheesecloth, you can cover your jar with any breathable material, such as a coffee filter, scrap fabric, or a cloth napkin.
- It’s a good idea to check the pH of your vinegar before bottling and storing it. If your pH is above 4.5, it did not ferment properly and should be discarded.
Uses for Homemade Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is always in use in my home, whether for salad dressings, cleaners, hair care, or skin products! You can use homemade apple cider vinegar for all of the same things you might use store-bought for. Here are just a few ideas:
Hair Care
- Apple cider vinegar hair rinse
- Homemade clarifying shampoos
- Frizz-fighting curly hair mask
- DIY hair detangler spray
Bath & Body
Around the House
- Make salad dressings, marinades, or homemade pickles
- Instant Pot bone broth
- Homemade bug and tick repellent
- DIY leather sofa cleaner
Recipe FAQs
Because of its high acidity, vinegar generally never goes bad. As long as your vinegar is properly made with a high pH and no mold, it should last in the fridge indefinitely. Some recommend using it within 2 years to be on the safe side. Of course, if you notice a foul smell or fuzzy growth, discard it.
If you forgot your vinegar and it got too tangy, don’t worry! You can still use it for hair care, cleaning, and skincare, or you can salvage it for eating. Just dilute it with filtered water until it’s your desired acidity and flavor.
You sure can! Just remove the stem and cut them up into smaller chunks. This is a great way to use up apples that are a little past their prime (but not rotten or moldy, of course).
You can freeze your peels and cores until you have built up enough to make a batch of vinegar! Just thaw them and continue with the recipe as written. You can also supplement with a whole apple; just roughly chop it into smaller pieces.
The hands-on time is about 10 minutes, but it does take a month to ferment. Trust me, it’s definitely worth the wait!
More Recipes to Use Your ACV
- Baking Soda Foot Soak
- Homemade Dandruff Shampoo
- DIY Bentonite Clay Face Mask
- 5 DIY Face Wash Recipes
If you tried this Apple Cider Vinegar Recipe or any other tutorial on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Apple Cider Vinegar Recipe
Equipment
- 1 quart jar
Ingredients
- 1 lb. of apple scraps, peels, cores, or chopped apples
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 cups filtered water, divided, (16 oz)
Instructions
- Add your apple scraps to a clean jar, filling it about ½ –¾ full.
- Add water, one cup at a time, leaving about ¾" of space at the top.
- Stir in the sugar.
- Cover the jar with cheesecloth and secure in place.
- Place in a cool, dark room away from sunlight for 30 days.
- Check it every few days to make sure the apples stay submerged and no mold forms. You can stir it every couple of days if you would like.
- After 2 weeks, it should start smelling slightly sweet. Go ahead and strain the scraps and discard them.
- Pour the liquid back into the jar and cover it again. Let it sit another 2 weeks, stirring or swirling every few days. Once it's fermented to your acidity level, transfer to a sealed container and store in the fridge.
Notes
- You can use any type of apples, or a mix for a more balanced flavor. I find it best to use a mix of apples, including a couple of Granny Smiths, for best results.
- You can use fresh or frozen apple scraps. Just make sure there is no mold or rot on them.
- Make sure all apple pieces stay fully submerged to prevent mold. If you see any mold (fuzzy, colored growth), discard the batch.
- A cloudy film or “mother” forming on top is completely normal.
- If you don’t have cheesecloth, you can cover your jar with any breathable material, such as a coffee filter, scrap fabric, or a cloth napkin.
- It’s a good idea to check the pH of your vinegar before bottling and storing it. If your pH is above 4.5, it did not ferment properly and should be discarded.
Such wonderful ideas. I am changing to all natural body care products to improve my health. These are steps in the right direction. Thank you for sharing. Also you have a lovely home. Please share more.
Thank you so much, Valerie. I really appreciate your kind words and am glad you are finding the recipes helpful.
I really need a spray forgnats
You can make a simple gnat spray by mixing apple cider vinegar with a little water and a drop of dish soap. The dish soap helps break the surface tension so the gnats are trapped. You can also leave out a small bowl of apple cider vinegar with a drop of dish soap nearby to help attract and catch them.
What a great idea! I love all these DIYs and this apple cider vinegar is a wonderful way to use apple scraps
Thank you so much. I am glad you are enjoying the recipe and finding it useful.