After watching this video, we made dried rose, rosemary (from garden) and pineapple sage (also from garden) vinegar! The colour and taste is incredible
I’ve had dried cranberries on the counter to make into vinegar for weeks now just haven’t gotten to it. I needed this video to get me on it. I think cute bottles of cranberry vinegar will make nice Christmas gifts to put in a basket.
I got some dried roses, and dried lavender, from Amazon. I'm currently "brewing" a rose vinegar, and a rose/lavender vinegar, to use for my hair. Both seem to be coming along beautifully!
I scrub my scalp once a week with about half a teaspoon of baking soda, and then rinse with vinegar I learned to make from Hiedi. The rest of the week I just either rinse my hair or rinse with vinegar. I am currently using cherry pineapple vinegar that I made from the leftover when I made my first wine.,
Thank you so much for this video! I'm one the ones who ask this question! I still dont feel like I have been fully successful at vinager but knowing this will allow me to practice this winter when I have more time. I love your videos!
The power of nature is on your side. 👏🏻 I’m sure your efforts will have success. I’m still working on my wine-making skills- I certainly have made lots of wine vinegar. 😄
Thank you for all the information- vinegar is something I want to try next. Also on a side note, I was so excited to get my seeds in the mail today! Thank you!! I will put them away until time to plant, I still need to research for zone 9a. Many Blessings! God is good!!
Just keep in mind that zones only have to do with hardiness, not with how well something will grow. Just like how Danny and Wanda from Deep South Homestead are surprisingly in the same zone we are in but our climates are near opposite
@@RainCountryHomestead Thank you, I'll keep that in mind. I had planned on starting them in the greenhouse when it's time. I saved your tips sheet with my seeds.
The first video I watched of yours was making flower petal vinegar! Love making it now, I learned a lot from you! Thank You! - Sorry I haven't been around as much but life has been very busy here! Still catch you when I can and Love your channel.
Yes!! He is good. All the time! Just yesterday, I looked at my jug of cleaning vinegar and wondered how to make more. I love it lavender scented. Then you come along and now I know how to make an awesome dressing to boot. Lol... He is so good. Thank you for sharing ❤️😊
Good morning Heidi! 🌻 The peaches sis and I went to the orchard for were delicious but the most difficult to work with Ever! Consequently, there was a lot of waste - which is perfect for making vinegar! 😀 With this variety, both the canned and the vinegar are a rosey-pink. Have a blessed day! 💜
Were they cling peaches? If so and you have a lot of fruit stuck tot he pits, I just toss the pits into the jar with the peels when making vinegar and yes, they are safe: th-cam.com/video/ogpO2oJbgK0/w-d-xo.html
@@RainCountryHomestead Oh, honey! They clung like they were concrete! 😁😂 I cut the pits out like you would a papaya. And yes, that's what's working for vinegar. I almost cooked them trying to get the peels off. I ended up peeling what I could and mostly canned them with the peels. Gaw!🤪😁😂💜
@@trishthehomesteader9873 I have tried tried sprinkling the cut peels with a little sugar and dehydrated them. That turned out decent. Think peach peel candy
Thanks for all the ideas. From my own little efforts, I know how much time is spent testing and researching and filming. I’m working on my own version of Benedictine- trying to figure out all the ingredients, testing, testing.
Love making vinegar ever since I watched my first video of you making it. Problem is I don't use it up fast enough, I will have to start gifting it so I can make alot more. Thanks for all of your great tips.
I use bought cider vinegar with the mother with some of the food I eat, at least once a day and it has helped with my digestion, and I soak my fruit and vegetables as part of their preparation. Maybe that is something you could do if you don't already, all the best.
Dear Heidi! Do you only start your vinegar with sugar, dried fruits and water? I start my vinegar with a mother of vinegar ("mother of vinegar"), additions such as elderflower or raspberries, half wine and half water plus sugar. We blow air into the wooden vinegar barrel with an aquarium pump, and we have an air stone made of beech wood as an air outlet, as is used in saltwater aquariums. The finished clarified vinegar is drawn onto bottles with a silicone tube. Greetings from Lower Austria, Waldviertel / Wachau! 👍 Danke fürs Hochladen!👍 Thanks for uploading!👍 Very good and beautiful, thank you!👍 Sehr gut und schön, danke!
I usually use fresh herbs and fruits, not dried. No, I do not add a mother from a previous vinegar as there is really no need but one can if they want. I did it only once years ago to see if it yielded a different result but it turned out the same as the rest
Greetings from New Zealand. Funny how the Mojito mint never seems to taste like mint after it is fermented. I have used the Mojito mint in making water kefir and it tastes like coconut. Lol. Your vinegar videos are fabulous. I tried making it a few years back with no real success, but I had no idea what I was doing. I am definitely going to start now though. I have some dried papaya I bought, but found too sweet to eat, so will be starting with that. Then doing a citrus and clove for cleaning , and a sage, rosemary and lavender for my hair. When the Blackboy peaches and damsons come ripe in another month (summer over here), and blackberries in another two months, will do fruit vinegars with some of those. Your videos are so helpful and inspiring. Thanks :)
I have had a lemon vinegar going for about 3 weeks, but it has a off smell, only going to use it for cleaning, I’m not sure if it’s gone bad. I have not tried any vinegars other than apple, so definitely not skilled at it, lol, thanks for sharing on making from dried herbs, fruits or veggies, blessings
If there is kahm yeast on the top. it can give it an off smell but that can be strained out and often times even those with an off smell can get better at the end of the process
@@RainCountryHomestead there was kahm yeast on there, I did remove it, and since it's strictly for cleaning only, I am going to let it keep going, thanks for your input, fingers crossed 🤞
I am new to this channel and loving it. I do not know anything about vinegars. How can they be used in cooking and such? If you have already covered this, please excuse the questions.
As I've said, my house temperature isn't stable enough in the winter time to make vinegar. So as a curiosity I decided to save my fruit and some veggie peels through the winter when my dehydrators have more down time. I experimented by stuffing a quart of the dried peels in a one gallon plastic water jug and using my normal method; water to 3 qt mark, a splash of older vinegar, etc., let it work in a warm spot this spring. I put a single layer of gauze over the top held on with a rubber band. Every day I took the gauze off, covered the opening with my hand a gave it a good shake and put the gauze back on, until it smelled to suit me. I didn't like not being able to see it though. It was easy to put my fingers over the hole and strain out, for sure. I cut the side of the jug open, composted the spent peels and put the jug in the trash. I won't do my 'fancy' vinegars like this, but I use so much for laundry and cleaning, I'll make it this way for those uses.
I wonder if my home is too cool! Heidi said warm but it didn't click. Duh! I've started 5 vinegars, 2 doing great, one slow but seems OK, one just sitting and latest brand new. Glad I read comments!
@@carolw5145 I read that they say 72-75 or so, but honestly I've learned over several decades 78-82 is much better. And we live in a basement house, with a concrete floor. It can be 75 at head and shoulder level, but where my 5 gallon bucket is setting under my table might be closer to 65. If I'm making that much, I don't want to take a chance.
Thank you, Linda Chandler, for your experience! Our home is around 65 in winter with no "warm spots" except during showers. I wrapped an old dish towel around each jar, and it seems to have helped significantly. Five out of six are bubbling prettily, even my freeze-dried peaches! If this works, I'll keep doing, if not, next time I'll wait until spring. I'll be moving on to Heidi's home remedies and prefer the idea of vinegar with grandkids and wanting to avoid alcohol for some. Am I understanding that you are making 5 gallons of vinegar?
@@carolw5145Thank you. I use vinegar most of the time for my fabric softener. That means I need several gallons a year. And remember when you strain it you lose a lot. I use a 5 gallon bucket, but rarely have more than 3 gallons of ingredients in it, because I stir my working vinegar every day. The one time I had it nearly full, I kept making a mess. Fancy eating vinegars like pineapple, mints, etc., are different sizes small batches, depending on how many peels and such I have.
Oh wow! I feel like I'm only now getting the 'raised by a village' experience! At age 68! I am having fun with my experiments, but common sense should have kicked in regarding the volume of finished products. I did half gallons of raisin (smells yum!) and banana, but only quarts of apple, mango, peach, and another banana. I'm researching ordering flowers and herbs for the remedies and prettyfying products. I use store bought vinegar for laundry but didn't occur to me to make some! Heidi's friends are a blessing!
Awesome. We got some fermenting kits from Walmart that go in our ball jars. It's consists of a flap on the top of the lid, and a spring with a plate on one end. We're fermenting cabbage now. I have clementines? Can I use the skins to make vinegar?
Yes, as long as they are not sprayed, you can use any fruit, herb, or vegetable: th-cam.com/video/yyYanU-wrAk/w-d-xo.html However, I do not recommend using the kit for vinegar, just a cloth or coffee filter on top is best
I have been rewatchung and watching more of your vinegar videos, as my apple vinegar has been a success! I am planning more flowers this year in my gardens for this, but as I was juicing, I wondered about the carrot, apple, ginger, beet, garlic, celery pulp?? All organic, I usually give it to my chickens, but every 3 days is a lot of pulp! I make muffins and veggie burgers too, but , can I use it for vinegar also? I think with the carrots being sweeter, maybe 1/4 cup cane sugar to start? And, in general, at the 7 day mark, how would you know if you needed more sugar? Sorry to be long, thank you, God bless you! You have made my homemaking so much more frugal, sewing, baking, etc.
Love it. I found your channel originally from a Vinigar video :) i asked if metal lids were a problem. Lol. Thanks for the videos and help, muchly appreciated 😀
I have an abundance of apricots this year. If I dry them would the flavor make a good vinegar? And are there certain foods I need to use them on? Or can I just use it in any recipe calling for vinegar?
If I have fresh fruit, I use that instead of dried. I only made this one to demonstrate it can be done but fresh is best. As long as your pH is 3.5, you can use it in any recipe. If it is higher than that, then it is best to use it for laundry or salad dressings
Thank you for all your videos you have been a wonderful help and guide in in this new world of herbalism. I was just wondering what are the health benefits of making your own vinegar if I am already purchasing the braggs apple cider vinegar ( I know cost is obviously a benefit but I’m more interested in the health benefits in the home made vinegar over the brags apple cider?) I was thinking of making a cleaning vinegar out of citrus and eucalyptus leaves do you think that would work? You could say I’m still a little confused when it comes to making viniger, but I do love the idea of using the scraps and not wasting them. Is the theory that your vinegar would harness the nutrients and constitutes of what ever food product you choose to start with? Or dose this not matter after the chemical process has occurred? Despite my lack of knowledge on this topic you inspired me to start my first vinegar I just used a whole lot of mish mashed left over scraps ( broccoli stump, kale steams, dried apricots, sultans,mango leaves, bamboo leaves, carrot peels and scraps, mandarin peel,cinnamon stick, lemon and beetroot.) is this to much of a mix? It’s day two so far no bubbles but we are in winter. Lastly what is the difference between making your own hebal vinegar to a vinegar tincture? I make a lot of vinegar ( I don’t consume alcohol )tinctures also hair rinses by putting my desired herb/ flower in the braggs vinegar for six weeks. I noticed you make your hair rise by making your own vinegar, could tinctures be made this way, or would you make your vinegar then use that vinegar to then go on to make your desired tinctures? I’m so sorry about the questions I’m just in love with this new world of herbalism and have so many questions. ❤
Should homemade vinegar taste like store bought vinegar? My vinegar smells earthy and has sediment that looks curdled? Happy Mothers Day, thank you for so much info!
I tried to make some from my dried figs and after a day it got gray fluffy mold so I thru it out. What did I do wrong? Thanks for the video. I subscribed. I want to do more stuff like this. Yes God is good ❤
@@RainCountryHomestead thanks! I saw the white stuff in your video and in other videos too. I was expecting white mold but thus was gray and fuzzy so I wasn't sure. I am trying again.
I have been watching and learning a lot from your videos. I have a question, in one video you were making a fermentation starter with raisins, in another raisin vinegar. In the starter you put a plastic lid on the jar, in the vinegar you put the cloth and rubber band cover. I totally understand why and get that. Why on the fermentation starter you use a lid? I have been making kombucha for years and get the process of yeast, sugar, and air. I am making a ginger bug where I have it covered with a cloth. I have a raisin starter like you made and I have gone back and forth with the cloth and then watched your video again and then put a lid on it. I did add sugar for a few days but stopped. I am thinking I can use the raisin starter and the ginger bug the same way? Can you help me figure the correct way to make it? Vinegar is a lot longer to ferment, so how long on the starter to ferment? How can this raisin starter be used? Thanks for the help
I used to always use cloth on my starters when I made them (including ginger bugs) but when making a starter, because the process is short and there is no need to collect yeast from the air as it is already present on the fruit or herb being used, I use a lid. That way I can simply shake it to mix in the sugars. I do allow the gasses to escape after doing that by loosing the lid a bit for a second then tightening down. Then when it is ready I just stick it in the fridge until I am ready to use it so I do not need to feed it every day
Hi Heidi. First, thank you for all of your video work!!! I have watched nearly all your videos now and I am sure this is covered somewhere, but I cannot for the life of me find it or remember, so.... on the vinegar making, you state stirring for 2 weeks. Do you leave the cloth on for the full 30 days or replace the cloth with a lid after a certain period of time?
It is important it does the complete run with the cloth as it needs oxygen exposure to convert the alcohol into vinegar. It should not be capped until it is fully done and strained
Greetings, Heidi! I finally dipped my fingers into making vinegars. My raisin and banana are coming along and apple seems okay after one week. May have gotten overly ambitious with the peach, though, as all I had was freeze dried peaches and it is doing nothing! The others became active in just a couple of days, peach is just sitting. Thoughts? Second query, is it possible to over stuff my jar with fruit scraps? I barely have room to stir in one jar and I'm debating dividing into two jars as I'm not yet at two week mark. To anticipate, yes I used filtered water, not tap. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
I wonder if it is because of the freezing process. I have found when I try to make vinegars with frozen items, they are very sluggish or do not do anything. In that case it may be best to add a starter. I am not sure what the difference would be but I do find the freezing thing to be pretty consistent in not making a lively ferment
Thank you, Heidi, but not having a starter. Is there something else I might use? I do have fruit vinegars from a local boutique but, of course, have no knowledge of their process. I am going to put my crowded scrap into a larger jar as it is only 2 days old so hopefully won't damage effort. This is so exciting! My apple smelled vinegarish after only a week!
I have 2 questions? Have you ever made balsamic vinegars? Can i make elderberry vinegar using the berries i cooked ( since one should not eat uncooked berries) to make a healthy cordial?
No, I have not made balsamic vinegar. True balsamic vinegar takes a specific blend of grapes that come only from a certain part of Italy then it must be aged a minimum of 12 years. Since the berries are cooked, you will likely need to add a fermentation starter to get it going.
The "bite" that balsamic vinegar has comes from oak tannins. You could age some in a whisky barel. I tried, but my barrel leaked lol. I'm going to try using European bush cranberries and aronia berries cause they have lots of tannins in them. You could maybe try an oak twig or two in your vinegar. Balsamic is also aged for a good decade. I'd never have the patience for that but maybe cooking it down would be close enough.
True balsamic vinegar uses a blend of Trebbiano and Lambrusco grapes. Sometimes aged in oak barrels but also common are cherry, chestnut, mulberry, and juniper. And yes, as said in my previous comment, the minimum age time for balsamic is 12 years. A balsamic aged 12 years is labeled red, 18 year old vinegar will have a silver label, and 25 year old vinegar earns it a gold label. This is why you will also see variances in prices. Balsamic vinegars that are only mimicking the real stuff are much cheaper and aged in far less time (two months minimum) and not necessarily done in wooden barrels like the real stuff.
@@RainCountryHomestead I've never had real balsamic vinegar, though I'd love to try some sometime. I meant to try and copy the grocery store knock off with fruit from my area. Interesting about the barrels too, I never knew how involved wine and vinegar making could be. My partner used to work in a shop in Spain with huge wine barrels. He would light a sulfur candle in the barrel at the end of the day, and if the wine turned it was just re labeled vinegar lol. But I doubt balsamic vinegar became so famous if it was treated the same lol
If you are asking if you can, absolutely. I often make a garlic and oregano vinegar to add to my chicken's water: th-cam.com/video/Soq3Z11Qq4I/w-d-xo.html
Heidi, would you mind helping me troubleshoot my vinegar making? I tried for the first time - raspberry and mixed berry vinegars. I stored them in the pantry in little bottles with corks and after a few weeks they molded. I wonder if the corks weren’t tight enough, or if there might have been moisture in the vinegar mix. Some of them had a lot of sediment - thicker, berry matter or something - at the bottom. I strained the vinegar through cheesecloth and a mesh strainer but maybe I should have tried to get that sediment out? Should the vinegar be clear throughout? Thanks for any help you can offer. I am not giving up; will try again soon. But it was sad as the organic berries were a splurge and I stirred them daily for 5 weeks. Thank you!!
@@RainCountryHomestead yes to real corks made of cork. To the other question, I’m not 100% sure. It was about 5-6 weeks of daily stirring. At the point I thought it should be vinegar, it didn’t taste very strong yet so I kept going. I thought you had said should only take 30 days, so I finally just thought it must be done. I keep my house pretty cool- 65-67 degrees. Would that slow down the process maybe?
Thank you for the information on vinegar making. I just have a question, will really appreciate your understanding on this.. If i obtain alcohol after fermenting in water and sugar.. And say, i lock away the alcohol obtained for couple of months and then after many months, add some fresh herbs to it and expose it to oxygen.. Will it then turn into vinegar after sitting in closet as alcohol for many months?
What can you do/use if you can't get organic fruits, veggies? The reason I ask is that I live in an apartment and so far the only option I have is the grocery stores.
Sugar content will depend on the amount of fruit you use and how sweet it is. To save on using so much of the fruit, you can add sugar or honey, same goes with raisin
I would entirely avoid city water for ferment projects. A common secondary disinfectant used is chloramine, which persists for a very long time. It can also persist after airing out your water and even after boiling your water.
Move to Italy where the two varieties of special grapes used are grown, stomp them down into a juice, cook it down to concentrate it down to 50%, add a starter, allow it to brew, then age for a very minimum of 12 years in a wooden barrel. You can see why I have never made it! haha
A couple questions I hope you can help on! I make the fire cider like a lot of other people but was wondering if you can add all the ingredients I pick and do a homemade version instead of adding the store bought Apple cider vinegar? Maybe just add Apple peels to get the apples? Or would that be to much stuff in the jar for it to process? Thinking out loud with ya 😂! Next question. Do the jars need to be out of light or does it not matter (I have more room in my plant room than my kitchen 😂 small house) Thank you God bless 🌼🌺💜
I recommend just making the vinegar first, then adding it. If I was still into making the Fire Cider (formerly known as "Healing Tonic"), I would use whatever homemade vinegar I had on hand. While it is best to not have in full sun, some light exposure is fine
@@RainCountryHomestead perfect! Thank you! Off to the kitchen! Oh one more thing! I have an abundance of peppers mild and hot can you make a hot vinegar with peppers? I use my fire cider in my tomato sauces so wondering if I can do something different.. I love experimenting even tho more turns out bad than good but its all in science and fun!
So, my peach and apple vinegar smells like yeast. Is that normal and if so, where am I in the process. I always thing I've done something wrong and I don't want to waste anything. Please help or give suggestions. Thank you!
I make a lot of vinegar too, and I always wonder about the change in nutrition. I've heard that the vitc content goes up and that the sugars or carbs transform into acids and proteins through the microbes waste and bodies respectively. I wonder which proteins? Does this fermentation produce b12like cheese and natto? Does anyone here with access to scientific journals at their university or work know if there's any real info on how much sugar produces what percent proteins and what kinds? I've looked on Google but didn't find anything useful.
My husband is vegetarian and he feels great after drinking some in the evenings so I assumed it was b12 or b6 just cause they are low in a veg diet but it's hard to say without a laboratory. Maybe one day il have a bit of extra money to get some before and after tests done myself
@@tinnerste2507 I do know that b12 that is use for fortifying vegan foods comes from a bacteria though in many cases there it has been genetically modified so it is likely he is getting b12 from the vinegar and that it is a far better one than what is used for fortifying foods
It's been a while since I last saw your video.. And so happy to be back again. I was wondering, could you tell us, how to make "hard cider" vinegar? Because I want to try to do that.. Should we process the wine first, then strain it, and leave the jar open for at least 2 weeks after that? I'm curious to the core of this.. Well, thank you Heidi. God Bless You..
Yes and you would start with only juice and sugar, not fruit pieces, just as you would for making wine: th-cam.com/play/PLzVtTPDzFPKFtB45ulnLxFmo0mPdd23wq.html
Wow.. I think I messed up.. So, I tried to start by steaming the apples with water and sugar, then letting them cool, and adding about 0.7 gram of yeast.. And now, it's been a few days in an airtight jar.. I can see the "mother" shape.. Now, I'm speechless.. Would you advise me, how to fix my failure.. Should I leave it open, like we usually make vinegar, or..?
Hello, how are you doing informative lady! I have a question, I was fermenting some rice water that I had rubbed between my hands for a little bit under a bowl of water until the rice got starchy. I boiled it for a little bit (just the starchy water). I then added the starchy water, some honey and the uncooked rice to an half gallon mason jar with a cloth cover to catch wild yeast. It caught after about a week of daily stirring and so I covered it with a mason lid and put it in my warm closet. Maybe after another week or two, I strained the rice, added more sugar and covered it with my mason jar lid and put it back in my closet. I know I should have kept better notes on what I did and when but I was just “trying something” in the midst of my hectic schedule. Long story short, at some point I drew up some to put in a spray bottle for my hair and I noticed that it was super carbonated and I am looking to recreate the carbonation with various liquid ferments. Do you by chance know what I did to get that to happen? Thanks in advance for your time.
@@RainCountryHomestead Thank you very much for responding. I had watched the whole video and then again from the 11 minute mark and I don’t hear anything about specifically ensuring that carbonation remains in the ferment. Like I’m trying to figure out what yeast looks like when it is dead versus when it is not dead, (because I hear that matters in relation to racking). Also when is the optimal time to strain and add more sugar, about how long does it take at various stages. I’m trying to go as low tech as possible so I would rather not use an airlock. I would like basically knowing what things should look like at each stage and when to know if you have caught wild yeast and when should I cap it off and does much airspace in a jar make a difference versus just enough space...a whole video dedicated to carbonation specifically...if you have the time. Thanks again for your response. You are very kind ❤️
@@Superlife1369 Either I am misunderstanding what exactly it is yare asking or you are misunderstanding how to make vinegar. If it is vinegar you want, then you MUST leave ONLY a cloth, not a mason lid, on the ferment for the entire time until it is totally finished. Then you cap it up tightly for storage. At that point there should be NO carbonation left in the ferment. There is absolutely NO need for an airlock when making vinegar, that is for when you are making wine. I will go ahead and link you to a video I did about the differences between making wine and making vinegar and hopefully that will be helpful: th-cam.com/video/sVtw_E9Nm1Q/w-d-xo.html I will also link you o a video where I talk about some common problems (and show images) when it comes to various types of ferments and I do talk about and show the kahm yeast that can form on vinegar sometimes: th-cam.com/video/Yn-ILAtgzD8/w-d-xo.html
I think I have a "dead" vinegar, Heidi. I started a pear vinegar on 7/10 (that's 13 days now), just with the scraps we didn't eat....so there was very little skin included. I've stirred it every day since, and it was bubbly, until yesterday, Day 12. Today it's still not bubbly, and has some whitish stuff sort of scattered around the top. Is it now only fit for the compost pile? It was really just an experiment, and I didn't expect too much since I had so little of the skin. The raisin vinegar I started the same day is doing GREAT, though!
It does not sound dead to me. right around the two week mark is when it usually stops bubbling as it has already worked through most of the sugars and now is starting to convert the alcohol to vinegar. White stuff on top is normal and can be different things but if you have been stirring, it is certainly not mold so nothing to worry about. I recommend you check out this in depth video I did on ferments and troubleshooting: th-cam.com/video/Yn-ILAtgzD8/w-d-xo.html
I hope this message finds you… I have looked through many of your vinegar videos and have not yet seen how you measure the acidity in the vinegar you make. I’m not taking ph.. I have a ph meter. I mean the % of acid in the vinegar so I can consider how I use in preservation lime canning and pickling.… please advise thank you.
I have mentioned in several videos but I do not recall which ones, you just need to get universal pH strips that go down to 0. The ideal pH should be between 2.5-3.5. I have never used a meter so I am not sure exactly how those work but regardless, the pH should still be what I noted there
I leave all material in the vinegar for the whole brewing time. Some choose to strain after two weeks but two days is too soon. Then I simply compost it. Some of it my chickens will eat
I am so sorry, my eyes ae so bad in the morning, I missed the part about worms. While I have never had them there are a couple of different kinds that can get in there. If the cover on the jar is not tight enough to prevent the fruit flies from getting in, they can lay eggs but two days seems pretty fast. There is also something called vinegar eels that is quite common though I have never seen them. They are harmless really and yes, they can simply be strained out but you may end up with them in there again so you may just want to wait at least two weeks before straining. They feed off the scoby that tries to form but again, are harmless as far as the vinegar or even consumption but straining through a fine cloth would remove them all before you go to bottle or jar it up
No, I do not. Apple Cider Vinegar is made from cider so in other words it is made from straight juice. I never make vinegar from juice. Juice is either expensive or hard work to make. I prefer to use scraps or garden excess for making vinegar and save my juice for other things like making wine, gummies, cooking dried apples in for apple pie, making natural sodas, or even just drinking as is.
@@RainCountryHomestead Thanks. Does apple scrap vinegar have the same health benefits as ACV? Do all kinds of vinegar have the health benefits of ACV? I realize they won't have the same nutrients (or whatever) but - the same benefits?
The guidelines are approximations as times will vary based on several different aspects. 2 weeks is average. The main thing is to not stop stirring daily until the material used stops floating above the surface of the liquid. After that, you can continue to stir daily but it is not necessary
Because the amount will depend on what you are using and it is not super important for that to be exact anyway and of course the amount of water will depend on the remaining space in the jar and the size jar. When I am using fresh fruit peels, herbs and more, I fill the jar far more full than I do with dried. With the dried ingredients it will depend on the type. Usually I fill the jar up about 1/4 of the way full at most
Thank you very much Heidi. I want to make it with orange peel and dont really know how much sugar to put. If I have a jar of 1 litre and fill up 1/4 of the way with the orange peel, how much sugar do you think? Also shall I remove the pith of the peel? Many, many thanks in advance@@RainCountryHomestead
I have question too. I bought an peach vinegar and it tasted great, I saw on the label that they add about 5% of peaches juice to the bottle after the vinegar is done. So I'm wondering of I did the same with my vinegar, will this reuin my vinegar or decrease the shelf life ? Thanks for all your efforts
I wonder what it was made from to begin with then...why not just make the vinegar from peaches in the first place? I use peach peels and pits to make vinegar when I am canning peaches: th-cam.com/video/7ilc7PDHPdw/w-d-xo.html
@@RainCountryHomestead yes, they make vinegar from peaches already, but in the final product and before sealing glass bottles, 5% juice of the same fruit is added for extra flavour, and it really has stronger taste of the fruit, because as you know, nearly all vinegats tastes the same at the end
@@r-alostaz8553 Most vinegars taste the same, not all. I have a special blend I make that turns out tasting just like lemon juice you buy in a bottle. If I make vinegar with garlic and oregano, that taste carries over, just like when I use lavender in vinegar, the aroma carries over. I have had pineapple vinegar that still tasted and smelled like pineapple at the end though it was a strong vinegar. However, if having that taste is important and it is not there when it is finished, then sure, add some juice but make sure you keep it tightly capped or it too will turn to vinegar. Also know that it may turn fizzy on you again while bottled up so make sure it is a tight cap and be very careful when opening and use a good quality bottle or jar
@@RainCountryHomestead Thanks for the info, will try to make some qith hiuce and send you my feedback. I have many vinegars running in the same time as we harvested lits of fruits this summer. Will take a photo of them and send you some.hugs💜💜
@@RainCountryHomestead aaaah I can’t believe you answered!! Thank you. I found your channel the other week and fell in love❤️I’ve already tried so many vinegars. I’m hoping they are good. I’m still a little unsure on how to tell during the process.
@@candicetinsley5539 Yes, it is a little scary those first ones. Sometimes you will get some that do not turn out right and you will know by the taste and smell but when that happens i remind myself it was made out of excess herbs or scraps I would have tossed to the chickens anyway, so no big loss :)
Hello Rain Country, I made Apple cider vinegar and after I transferred my vinegar for the second stage, I got mold floating on top of liquid. Should I toss and start over? It's been sitting for 3 weeks in cabinet.
I do not do second stage fermenting on vinegar so I need to know what you mean by that. How long had you been fermenting before you did that? DId you strain it before storing? Did you put on a tight fitting lid? Are you certain it was finished before you put it up?
@@RainCountryHomestead Thank you for responding. So, this is my first time doing apple cider vinegar's. I poured it up after thirty days into another mason jar and the lid was not on tight. I tried to do a pineapple vinegar, but I forgot about it! 😁
@@royalcountrycitygirl2161 oxygen exposure to the produce floating above the surface of the liquid is what causes mold, not hte cloth. This is why you need to stir daily while it is brewing. Oxygen exposure is necessary for making vinegar so the cloth is necessary. If only put a tight fitting lid on AFTER it is finished and strained
I made the homemade vinegar but I'm not sure if it's right or not I'm going to take a couple of pictures the first one is going to be the job with the fruit in it and what's on top I believe is the mother and I want to know what to do with the mother and all the stuff that's on the bottom of the jar do I keep that also how do I store the mother and the remnants of the vinegar to make more? Also the vinegar came out kind of weak it didn't have a strong flavor to it what did I do wrong? I thought I could send a picture but I can't figure it out so how do I know that the vinegar is good also ?
You can simply strain through plain cotton or cheese cloth of you want less sediments. Here is my video on the SCOBY: th-cam.com/video/JGbolygJoKY/w-d-xo.html If the vinegar has run its full course and there is no sweetness left but it tastes week, you may not have added enough sugar
@@vanessas3723 No, that will not work, vinegar needs real sugar. Please note, once the vinegar process is finished, there is NO sugar left as that is what gets converted. Please see this most recent video on making vinegar: th-cam.com/video/depySASTPrw/w-d-xo.html AND, even more so, THIS video that is more specifically about sugar in vinegar: th-cam.com/video/08mUStkkgc4/w-d-xo.html
Your first question is a bit confusing to me. What are you planning on using to make your extract? Or are you asking me how much alcohol is left in the vinegar when it is finished (which should be very little to none)? Here is a video I did on pain natural pain relievers and I also cover what I make and use for different types of pain: th-cam.com/video/V5JOC-b74gs/w-d-xo.html
@@RainCountryHomesteadBless you! Yeah I was wondering when using alcohol/solvent for a tincture how much would be left over when it’s finished. I’m new to this I’ve seen people after 60 days strain the material from the alcohol it was sitting in and thought isn’t it mostly alcohol. I heard Apple cider vinegar wasn’t as good of a solvent as alcohol but I’m new and just looked at google.
Yes, if using alcohol of any kind, there will still be that same alcohol content left when it is finished. There are many types of solvents and I have made alcohol free versions using glycerin and water and honey and water if you are looking for something alcohol free. Though "they" say they are not as good, you can always use a higher concentration of herbs and allow to extract longer and get just as an effective extract: th-cam.com/video/TijSC5qSyhQ/w-d-xo.html
That is one way to do it but I prefer to use excess garden surplus to make vinegar rather than going through the process of making juice, then wine, then vinegar. If I am going to go through the trouble to juice, I will just make wine or save it as regular juice, or even make a soda from it.
Never made it and likely never will but if I did, I would use it the same way I use most vinegars. As I said, you can use any fruit, herb, or vegetable to make vinegar
I've done vinegar with leftover potato, rice and pasta water full of the starches and it was pretty thick and slimy, raw potatoes would work, I've preserved whole potatoes in saltwater, but they turn sour and no longer brown when cooked. They just sort of go the texture of those potato stick styled chips I guess that without the starch, they cook up a bit different.
You can use either, I just prefer to use them fresh instead of going through the trouble to dry them and then use them to make vinegar. I would only do that in winter if I needed to make more vinegar and only had dried herbs on hand
While I have not made vinegar from figs and likely never would, if I did I would do it the same way I did in other dried fruit vinegar. No specific recipe is needed
I wish you Americans start using metric. I as well as most Europeans and most of the world do not know what quarts or gallons or tablespoons of butter are. How do you place butter in a Tbsp and then spend so much time scraping it out? It’s so time consuming. 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Yes, I wish they would have stuck with it when they tried to change us over to it in the 70's. However, it is super easy to figure this out online by typing it into conversion tables. By the way, I NEVER put butter in a tablespoon, I simply cut off what I know is about right and do not worry about exacts
I am very limited on social media for the same reason I have not and will not write a book any time soon - I just do not have the time for either of them.
Thank you Heidi and thank you TH-cam for recommending me Heidi's old videos! I am thankful ❤😊❤ Have all a great day 😊
God IS good :)
After watching this video, we made dried rose, rosemary (from garden) and pineapple sage (also from garden) vinegar! The colour and taste is incredible
Hi Heidi, God is good all the time. God bless you and your family.❤❤🙏🏻❤
I’ve had dried cranberries on the counter to make into vinegar for weeks now just haven’t gotten to it. I needed this video to get me on it. I think cute bottles of cranberry vinegar will make nice Christmas gifts to put in a basket.
That sounds nice! I made a ferment starter out of cranberries and that worked really well.
Stay out of my brain. That's what I thought when I read the thumbnail. Lol!
You just reminded me I have a bag of cranberries in the freezer! I wonder if I can dry them and then use for a vinegar?
@@jenniearnold2349 I don’t think drying them is necessary. Heidi uses fresh fruit so give it a shot.
@@jenniearnold2349 I don’t think drying them is necessary. Heidi uses fresh fruit so give it a shot.
Very interesting. I dont have flowers since I live in an apartment but do have dried fruit and herbs. Such good info! Thank you
I got some dried roses, and dried lavender, from Amazon. I'm currently "brewing" a rose vinegar, and a rose/lavender vinegar, to use for my hair. Both seem to be coming along beautifully!
Ty
I scrub my scalp once a week with about half a teaspoon of baking soda, and then rinse with vinegar I learned to make from Hiedi. The rest of the week I just either rinse my hair or rinse with vinegar. I am currently using cherry pineapple vinegar that I made from the leftover when I made my first wine.,
you got me at God is good all the time.
Ok .. thanks for directing me to this dried fruit to vinegar.. Thanks, Shalom!!!
As always, great information!
I'm going to have to try to make me some it's very interesting to me thanks again for sharing 🙂
Thanks for sharing, Heidi!
I deeply appreciate you, ma'am.
Good Morning 👋
Thank you so much for this video! I'm one the ones who ask this question! I still dont feel like I have been fully successful at vinager but knowing this will allow me to practice this winter when I have more time. I love your videos!
The power of nature is on your side. 👏🏻 I’m sure your efforts will have success. I’m still working on my wine-making skills- I certainly have made lots of wine vinegar. 😄
@@LilyGazou Thanks for the positive vibes!!!! I will keep trying for sure!
Love your channel Heidi! Thank you! God bless
As usual great information thank you for sharing all you know! God Bless you.
Thank you for all the information- vinegar is something I want to try next. Also on a side note, I was so excited to get my seeds in the mail today! Thank you!! I will put them away until time to plant, I still need to research for zone 9a. Many Blessings! God is good!!
Just keep in mind that zones only have to do with hardiness, not with how well something will grow. Just like how Danny and Wanda from Deep South Homestead are surprisingly in the same zone we are in but our climates are near opposite
@@RainCountryHomestead Thank you, I'll keep that in mind. I had planned on starting them in the greenhouse when it's time. I saved your tips sheet with my seeds.
Didn’t think of the toxins on the pH strips. Great tip on that one! I will be more cautious with the way I use them.
The first video I watched of yours was making flower petal vinegar! Love making it now, I learned a lot from you! Thank You! - Sorry I haven't been around as much but life has been very busy here! Still catch you when I can and Love your channel.
I hear ya' there, I rarely have time to catch any one else's videos these days but good to see you! :)
Yes!! He is good. All the time! Just yesterday, I looked at my jug of cleaning vinegar and wondered how to make more. I love it lavender scented. Then you come along and now I know how to make an awesome dressing to boot. Lol... He is so good. Thank you for sharing ❤️😊
Good morning Heidi! 🌻
The peaches sis and I went to the orchard for were delicious but the most difficult to work with Ever! Consequently, there was a lot of waste - which is perfect for making vinegar! 😀 With this variety, both the canned and the vinegar are a rosey-pink.
Have a blessed day! 💜
Were they cling peaches? If so and you have a lot of fruit stuck tot he pits, I just toss the pits into the jar with the peels when making vinegar and yes, they are safe: th-cam.com/video/ogpO2oJbgK0/w-d-xo.html
@@RainCountryHomestead Oh, honey! They clung like they were concrete! 😁😂 I cut the pits out like you would a papaya. And yes, that's what's working for vinegar. I almost cooked them trying to get the peels off. I ended up peeling what I could and mostly canned them with the peels. Gaw!🤪😁😂💜
@@trishthehomesteader9873 I have tried tried sprinkling the cut peels with a little sugar and dehydrated them. That turned out decent. Think peach peel candy
@@RainCountryHomestead Oo! That sounds yummy!😋🤤
Great idea, Heidi! You're much more imaginative than me! Thank you! 💜🤗
Thanks for all the ideas. From my own little efforts, I know how much time is spent testing and researching and filming.
I’m working on my own version of Benedictine- trying to figure out all the ingredients, testing, testing.
I’m making apple vinegar and now I’m going to try some citrus with the peels and scraps thanks for the tips! I have some leftover rosemary too.
Love making vinegar ever since I watched my first video of you making it. Problem is I don't use it up fast enough, I will have to start gifting it so I can make alot more. Thanks for all of your great tips.
I use bought cider vinegar with the mother with some of the food I eat, at least once a day and it has helped with my digestion, and I soak my fruit and vegetables as part of their preparation. Maybe that is something you could do if you don't already, all the best.
Heidi, THANK YOU for this video! I’ve been wondering about this, and boom! You came through with the info I needed.
Dear Heidi!
Do you only start your vinegar with sugar, dried fruits and water?
I start my vinegar with a mother of vinegar ("mother of vinegar"), additions such as elderflower or raspberries, half wine and half water plus sugar. We blow air into the wooden vinegar barrel with an aquarium pump, and we have an air stone made of beech wood as an air outlet, as is used in saltwater aquariums. The finished clarified vinegar is drawn onto bottles with a silicone tube.
Greetings from Lower Austria, Waldviertel / Wachau!
👍 Danke fürs Hochladen!👍 Thanks for uploading!👍 Very good and beautiful, thank you!👍 Sehr gut und schön, danke!
I usually use fresh herbs and fruits, not dried. No, I do not add a mother from a previous vinegar as there is really no need but one can if they want. I did it only once years ago to see if it yielded a different result but it turned out the same as the rest
Love this!
Greetings from New Zealand. Funny how the Mojito mint never seems to taste like mint after it is fermented. I have used the Mojito mint in making water kefir and it tastes like coconut. Lol.
Your vinegar videos are fabulous. I tried making it a few years back with no real success, but I had no idea what I was doing. I am definitely going to start now though. I have some dried papaya I bought, but found too sweet to eat, so will be starting with that. Then doing a citrus and clove for cleaning , and a sage, rosemary and lavender for my hair. When the Blackboy peaches and damsons come ripe in another month (summer over here), and blackberries in another two months, will do fruit vinegars with some of those. Your videos are so helpful and inspiring. Thanks :)
I have had a lemon vinegar going for about 3 weeks, but it has a off smell, only going to use it for cleaning, I’m not sure if it’s gone bad. I have not tried any vinegars other than apple, so definitely not skilled at it, lol, thanks for sharing on making from dried herbs, fruits or veggies, blessings
If there is kahm yeast on the top. it can give it an off smell but that can be strained out and often times even those with an off smell can get better at the end of the process
@@RainCountryHomestead there was kahm yeast on there, I did remove it, and since it's strictly for cleaning only, I am going to let it keep going, thanks for your input, fingers crossed 🤞
I am new to this channel and loving it. I do not know anything about vinegars. How can they be used in cooking and such? If you have already covered this, please excuse the questions.
Please see this video: th-cam.com/video/D0Id73YiV1s/w-d-xo.html
Thanks, this was very helpful. :)
As I've said, my house temperature isn't stable enough in the winter time to make vinegar. So as a curiosity I decided to save my fruit and some veggie peels through the winter when my dehydrators have more down time. I experimented by stuffing a quart of the dried peels in a one gallon plastic water jug and using my normal method; water to 3 qt mark, a splash of older vinegar, etc., let it work in a warm spot this spring. I put a single layer of gauze over the top held on with a rubber band. Every day I took the gauze off, covered the opening with my hand a gave it a good shake and put the gauze back on, until it smelled to suit me. I didn't like not being able to see it though. It was easy to put my fingers over the hole and strain out, for sure. I cut the side of the jug open, composted the spent peels and put the jug in the trash. I won't do my 'fancy' vinegars like this, but I use so much for laundry and cleaning, I'll make it this way for those uses.
I wonder if my home is too cool! Heidi said warm but it didn't click. Duh! I've started 5 vinegars, 2 doing great, one slow but seems OK, one just sitting and latest brand new. Glad I read comments!
@@carolw5145 I read that they say 72-75 or so, but honestly I've learned over several decades 78-82 is much better. And we live in a basement house, with a concrete floor. It can be 75 at head and shoulder level, but where my 5 gallon bucket is setting under my table might be closer to 65. If I'm making that much, I don't want to take a chance.
Thank you, Linda Chandler, for your experience! Our home is around 65 in winter with no "warm spots" except during showers. I wrapped an old dish towel around each jar, and it seems to have helped significantly. Five out of six are bubbling prettily, even my freeze-dried peaches! If this works, I'll keep doing, if not, next time I'll wait until spring. I'll be moving on to Heidi's home remedies and prefer the idea of vinegar with grandkids and wanting to avoid alcohol for some.
Am I understanding that you are making 5 gallons of vinegar?
@@carolw5145Thank you. I use vinegar most of the time for my fabric softener. That means I need several gallons a year. And remember when you strain it you lose a lot. I use a 5 gallon bucket, but rarely have more than 3 gallons of ingredients in it, because I stir my working vinegar every day. The one time I had it nearly full, I kept making a mess. Fancy eating vinegars like pineapple, mints, etc., are different sizes small batches, depending on how many peels and such I have.
Oh wow! I feel like I'm only now getting the 'raised by a village' experience! At age 68! I am having fun with my experiments, but common sense should have kicked in regarding the volume of finished products. I did half gallons of raisin (smells yum!) and banana, but only quarts of apple, mango, peach, and another banana. I'm researching ordering flowers and herbs for the remedies and prettyfying products. I use store bought vinegar for laundry but didn't occur to me to make some! Heidi's friends are a blessing!
Awesome. We got some fermenting kits from Walmart that go in our ball jars. It's consists of a flap on the top of the lid, and a spring with a plate on one end. We're fermenting cabbage now. I have clementines? Can I use the skins to make vinegar?
Yes, as long as they are not sprayed, you can use any fruit, herb, or vegetable: th-cam.com/video/yyYanU-wrAk/w-d-xo.html
However, I do not recommend using the kit for vinegar, just a cloth or coffee filter on top is best
This was very interesting and informative.
I have been rewatchung and watching more of your vinegar videos, as my apple vinegar has been a success! I am planning more flowers this year in my gardens for this, but as I was juicing, I wondered about the carrot, apple, ginger, beet, garlic, celery pulp?? All organic, I usually give it to my chickens, but every 3 days is a lot of pulp! I make muffins and veggie burgers too, but , can I use it for vinegar also? I think with the carrots being sweeter, maybe 1/4 cup cane sugar to start? And, in general, at the 7 day mark, how would you know if you needed more sugar? Sorry to be long, thank you, God bless you! You have made my homemaking so much more frugal, sewing, baking, etc.
Yes, you can use any edible fruit, herb, or vegetable to make vinegar: th-cam.com/video/yyYanU-wrAk/w-d-xo.html
Love it. I found your channel originally from a Vinigar video :) i asked if metal lids were a problem. Lol. Thanks for the videos and help, muchly appreciated 😀
Interesting 🙏🕊🙏
I have an abundance of apricots this year. If I dry them would the flavor make a good vinegar? And are there certain foods I need to use them on? Or can I just use it in any recipe calling for vinegar?
If I have fresh fruit, I use that instead of dried. I only made this one to demonstrate it can be done but fresh is best. As long as your pH is 3.5, you can use it in any recipe. If it is higher than that, then it is best to use it for laundry or salad dressings
Thank you for all your videos you have been a wonderful help and guide in in this new world of herbalism. I was just wondering what are the health benefits of making your own vinegar if I am already purchasing the braggs apple cider vinegar ( I know cost is obviously a benefit but I’m more interested in the health benefits in the home made vinegar over the brags apple cider?) I was thinking of making a cleaning vinegar out of citrus and eucalyptus leaves do you think that would work? You could say I’m still a little confused when it comes to making viniger, but I do love the idea of using the scraps and not wasting them. Is the theory that your vinegar would harness the nutrients and constitutes of what ever food product you choose to start with? Or dose this not matter after the chemical process has occurred? Despite my lack of knowledge on this topic you inspired me to start my first vinegar I just used a whole lot of mish mashed left over scraps ( broccoli stump, kale steams, dried apricots, sultans,mango leaves, bamboo leaves, carrot peels and scraps, mandarin peel,cinnamon stick, lemon and beetroot.) is this to much of a mix? It’s day two so far no bubbles but we are in winter. Lastly what is the difference between making your own hebal vinegar to a vinegar tincture? I make a lot of vinegar ( I don’t consume alcohol )tinctures also hair rinses by putting my desired herb/ flower in the braggs vinegar for six weeks. I noticed you make your hair rise by making your own vinegar, could tinctures be made this way, or would you make your vinegar then use that vinegar to then go on to make your desired tinctures? I’m so sorry about the questions I’m just in love with this new world of herbalism and have so many questions. ❤
Should homemade vinegar taste like store bought vinegar? My vinegar smells earthy and has sediment that looks curdled? Happy Mothers Day, thank you for so much info!
I may have miss it in the video, but could you give a ratio of fruit/etc to water?
Very interested in making my own
Ratios vary and I am not specific when making it. I did explain it in the video above so I recommend you watch it again
Can I put the herb into a sachet and put it in the water?
I tried to make some from my dried figs and after a day it got gray fluffy mold so I thru it out. What did I do wrong? Thanks for the video. I subscribed. I want to do more stuff like this. Yes God is good ❤
I highly doubt that was mold especially after such a short tim,e, if it was "fluffy" it was most likely foam from the fermentation process.
@@RainCountryHomestead thanks! I saw the white stuff in your video and in other videos too. I was expecting white mold but thus was gray and fuzzy so I wasn't sure. I am trying again.
I have been watching and learning a lot from your videos. I have a question, in one video you were making a fermentation starter with raisins, in another raisin vinegar. In the starter you put a plastic lid on the jar, in the vinegar you put the cloth and rubber band cover. I totally understand why and get that. Why on the fermentation starter you use a lid? I have been making kombucha for years and get the process of yeast, sugar, and air. I am making a ginger bug where I have it covered with a cloth. I have a raisin starter like you made and I have gone back and forth with the cloth and then watched your video again and then put a lid on it. I did add sugar for a few days but stopped. I am thinking I can use the raisin starter and the ginger bug the same way? Can you help me figure the correct way to make it? Vinegar is a lot longer to ferment, so how long on the starter to ferment? How can this raisin starter be used? Thanks for the help
I used to always use cloth on my starters when I made them (including ginger bugs) but when making a starter, because the process is short and there is no need to collect yeast from the air as it is already present on the fruit or herb being used, I use a lid. That way I can simply shake it to mix in the sugars. I do allow the gasses to escape after doing that by loosing the lid a bit for a second then tightening down. Then when it is ready I just stick it in the fridge until I am ready to use it so I do not need to feed it every day
Hi Heidi. First, thank you for all of your video work!!! I have watched nearly all your videos now and I am sure this is covered somewhere, but I cannot for the life of me find it or remember, so.... on the vinegar making, you state stirring for 2 weeks. Do you leave the cloth on for the full 30 days or replace the cloth with a lid after a certain period of time?
It is important it does the complete run with the cloth as it needs oxygen exposure to convert the alcohol into vinegar. It should not be capped until it is fully done and strained
@@RainCountryHomestead Thank you for your quick response! It is soooo appreciated! Full course it is!
Greetings, Heidi! I finally dipped my fingers into making vinegars. My raisin and banana are coming along and apple seems okay after one week. May have gotten overly ambitious with the peach, though, as all I had was freeze dried peaches and it is doing nothing! The others became active in just a couple of days, peach is just sitting. Thoughts?
Second query, is it possible to over stuff my jar with fruit scraps? I barely have room to stir in one jar and I'm debating dividing into two jars as I'm not yet at two week mark. To anticipate, yes I used filtered water, not tap.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
I wonder if it is because of the freezing process. I have found when I try to make vinegars with frozen items, they are very sluggish or do not do anything. In that case it may be best to add a starter. I am not sure what the difference would be but I do find the freezing thing to be pretty consistent in not making a lively ferment
Thank you, Heidi, but not having a starter. Is there something else I might use? I do have fruit vinegars from a local boutique but, of course, have no knowledge of their process. I am going to put my crowded scrap into a larger jar as it is only 2 days old so hopefully won't damage effort. This is so exciting! My apple smelled vinegarish after only a week!
I have 2 questions?
Have you ever made balsamic vinegars?
Can i make elderberry vinegar using the berries i cooked ( since one should not eat uncooked berries) to make a healthy cordial?
No, I have not made balsamic vinegar. True balsamic vinegar takes a specific blend of grapes that come only from a certain part of Italy then it must be aged a minimum of 12 years.
Since the berries are cooked, you will likely need to add a fermentation starter to get it going.
The "bite" that balsamic vinegar has comes from oak tannins. You could age some in a whisky barel. I tried, but my barrel leaked lol. I'm going to try using European bush cranberries and aronia berries cause they have lots of tannins in them. You could maybe try an oak twig or two in your vinegar. Balsamic is also aged for a good decade. I'd never have the patience for that but maybe cooking it down would be close enough.
True balsamic vinegar uses a blend of Trebbiano and Lambrusco grapes. Sometimes aged in oak barrels but also common are cherry, chestnut, mulberry, and juniper. And yes, as said in my previous comment, the minimum age time for balsamic is 12 years. A balsamic aged 12 years is labeled red, 18 year old vinegar will have a silver label, and 25 year old vinegar earns it a gold label. This is why you will also see variances in prices. Balsamic vinegars that are only mimicking the real stuff are much cheaper and aged in far less time (two months minimum) and not necessarily done in wooden barrels like the real stuff.
@@RainCountryHomestead I've never had real balsamic vinegar, though I'd love to try some sometime. I meant to try and copy the grocery store knock off with fruit from my area. Interesting about the barrels too, I never knew how involved wine and vinegar making could be. My partner used to work in a shop in Spain with huge wine barrels. He would light a sulfur candle in the barrel at the end of the day, and if the wine turned it was just re labeled vinegar lol. But I doubt balsamic vinegar became so famous if it was treated the same lol
@@tinnerste2507 I have never tried it either, just the Napoleon brand mimicry, haha
Hi Heidi. God is good amen! I'm curious if you know about using a rosemary and garlic vinegar for chickens?
If you are asking if you can, absolutely. I often make a garlic and oregano vinegar to add to my chicken's water: th-cam.com/video/Soq3Z11Qq4I/w-d-xo.html
Heidi, would you mind helping me troubleshoot my vinegar making? I tried for the first time - raspberry and mixed berry vinegars. I stored them in the pantry in little bottles with corks and after a few weeks they molded. I wonder if the corks weren’t tight enough, or if there might have been moisture in the vinegar mix. Some of them had a lot of sediment - thicker, berry matter or something - at the bottom. I strained the vinegar through cheesecloth and a mesh strainer but maybe I should have tried to get that sediment out? Should the vinegar be clear throughout? Thanks for any help you can offer. I am not giving up; will try again soon. But it was sad as the organic berries were a splurge and I stirred them daily for 5 weeks. Thank you!!
Was it completely turned to vinegar when you stored it? When you say corks, do you mean the kind made from real cork, not silicone?
@@RainCountryHomestead yes to real corks made of cork. To the other question, I’m not 100% sure. It was about 5-6 weeks of daily stirring. At the point I thought it should be vinegar, it didn’t taste very strong yet so I kept going. I thought you had said should only take 30 days, so I finally just thought it must be done. I keep my house pretty cool- 65-67 degrees. Would that slow down the process maybe?
Thank you for the information on vinegar making. I just have a question, will really appreciate your understanding on this..
If i obtain alcohol after fermenting in water and sugar.. And say, i lock away the alcohol obtained for couple of months and then after many months, add some fresh herbs to it and expose it to oxygen.. Will it then turn into vinegar after sitting in closet as alcohol for many months?
Yes, it should do that
@@RainCountryHomestead thank you so much for your reply.. God bless you..
Totally about 4 weeks from the start of making the dates vinegar for the fermentation process. Stir it everyday?
It should be done by now but yes, it is best to stir daily
What can you do/use if you can't get organic fruits, veggies? The reason I ask is that I live in an apartment and so far the only option I have is the grocery stores.
I get organic product that I cannot grow from Misfits Market and it gets delivered to my door: th-cam.com/video/CE-PFRkXuIo/w-d-xo.html
Is dried cherry vinegar made the same way as raisin vinegar? Or would I need to add sugar? TYIA
Sugar content will depend on the amount of fruit you use and how sweet it is. To save on using so much of the fruit, you can add sugar or honey, same goes with raisin
I started a floral vinegar yesterday, but do I need to stir it at all? I don't have anything to keep the petals and things completely under the water
Yes, you need to stir it daily at least once
Do you ever “top off” the vinegar that is in process because of evaporation?
I don't but you can
I would entirely avoid city water for ferment projects. A common secondary disinfectant used is chloramine, which persists for a very long time. It can also persist after airing out your water and even after boiling your water.
Do you know what steps would need to be taken to make a balsamic vinegar?
Move to Italy where the two varieties of special grapes used are grown, stomp them down into a juice, cook it down to concentrate it down to 50%, add a starter, allow it to brew, then age for a very minimum of 12 years in a wooden barrel. You can see why I have never made it! haha
A couple questions I hope you can help on! I make the fire cider like a lot of other people but was wondering if you can add all the ingredients I pick and do a homemade version instead of adding the store bought Apple cider vinegar? Maybe just add Apple peels to get the apples? Or would that be to much stuff in the jar for it to process? Thinking out loud with ya 😂! Next question. Do the jars need to be out of light or does it not matter (I have more room in my plant room than my kitchen 😂 small house) Thank you God bless 🌼🌺💜
I recommend just making the vinegar first, then adding it. If I was still into making the Fire Cider (formerly known as "Healing Tonic"), I would use whatever homemade vinegar I had on hand.
While it is best to not have in full sun, some light exposure is fine
@@RainCountryHomestead perfect! Thank you! Off to the kitchen! Oh one more thing! I have an abundance of peppers mild and hot can you make a hot vinegar with peppers? I use my fire cider in my tomato sauces so wondering if I can do something different.. I love experimenting even tho more turns out bad than good but its all in science and fun!
So, my peach and apple vinegar smells like yeast. Is that normal and if so, where am I in the process. I always thing I've done something wrong and I don't want to waste anything. Please help or give suggestions.
Thank you!
That is normal during the process, especially around the two to trhee week time frame
I make a lot of vinegar too, and I always wonder about the change in nutrition. I've heard that the vitc content goes up and that the sugars or carbs transform into acids and proteins through the microbes waste and bodies respectively. I wonder which proteins? Does this fermentation produce b12like cheese and natto? Does anyone here with access to scientific journals at their university or work know if there's any real info on how much sugar produces what percent proteins and what kinds? I've looked on Google but didn't find anything useful.
That part about production of protein is a new one to me but thinking of it, it does make sense. Interesting.
My husband is vegetarian and he feels great after drinking some in the evenings so I assumed it was b12 or b6 just cause they are low in a veg diet but it's hard to say without a laboratory. Maybe one day il have a bit of extra money to get some before and after tests done myself
@@tinnerste2507 I do know that b12 that is use for fortifying vegan foods comes from a bacteria though in many cases there it has been genetically modified so it is likely he is getting b12 from the vinegar and that it is a far better one than what is used for fortifying foods
@@RainCountryHomestead I'd love to find out, cause we use a lot of vinegar !
It's been a while since I last saw your video.. And so happy to be back again.
I was wondering, could you tell us, how to make "hard cider" vinegar? Because I want to try to do that.. Should we process the wine first, then strain it, and leave the jar open for at least 2 weeks after that? I'm curious to the core of this..
Well, thank you Heidi. God Bless You..
Yes and you would start with only juice and sugar, not fruit pieces, just as you would for making wine: th-cam.com/play/PLzVtTPDzFPKFtB45ulnLxFmo0mPdd23wq.html
Wow.. I think I messed up..
So, I tried to start by steaming the apples with water and sugar, then letting them cool, and adding about 0.7 gram of yeast.. And now, it's been a few days in an airtight jar.. I can see the "mother" shape..
Now, I'm speechless.. Would you advise me, how to fix my failure.. Should I leave it open, like we usually make vinegar, or..?
Will older dried flowers that have less scent work?
Yes
Hello, how are you doing informative lady! I have a question, I was fermenting some rice water that I had rubbed between my hands for a little bit under a bowl of water until the rice got starchy. I boiled it for a little bit (just the starchy water). I then added the starchy water, some honey and the uncooked rice to an half gallon mason jar with a cloth cover to catch wild yeast. It caught after about a week of daily stirring and so I covered it with a mason lid and put it in my warm closet. Maybe after another week or two, I strained the rice, added more sugar and covered it with my mason jar lid and put it back in my closet. I know I should have kept better notes on what I did and when but I was just “trying something” in the midst of my hectic schedule. Long story short, at some point I drew up some to put in a spray bottle for my hair and I noticed that it was super carbonated and I am looking to recreate the carbonation with various liquid ferments. Do you by chance know what I did to get that to happen?
Thanks in advance for your time.
It is because you put the mason jar lid on instead of putting the cloth back on. Please listen to the above video from the 11:00 minute mark.
@@RainCountryHomestead Thank you very much for responding. I had watched the whole video and then again from the 11 minute mark and I don’t hear anything about specifically ensuring that carbonation remains in the ferment. Like I’m trying to figure out what yeast looks like when it is dead versus when it is not dead, (because I hear that matters in relation to racking). Also when is the optimal time to strain and add more sugar, about how long does it take at various stages. I’m trying to go as low tech as possible so I would rather not use an airlock. I would like basically knowing what things should look like at each stage and when to know if you have caught wild yeast and when should I cap it off and does much airspace in a jar make a difference versus just enough space...a whole video dedicated to carbonation specifically...if you have the time.
Thanks again for your response. You are very kind ❤️
@@Superlife1369 Either I am misunderstanding what exactly it is yare asking or you are misunderstanding how to make vinegar. If it is vinegar you want, then you MUST leave ONLY a cloth, not a mason lid, on the ferment for the entire time until it is totally finished. Then you cap it up tightly for storage. At that point there should be NO carbonation left in the ferment. There is absolutely NO need for an airlock when making vinegar, that is for when you are making wine. I will go ahead and link you to a video I did about the differences between making wine and making vinegar and hopefully that will be helpful: th-cam.com/video/sVtw_E9Nm1Q/w-d-xo.html
I will also link you o a video where I talk about some common problems (and show images) when it comes to various types of ferments and I do talk about and show the kahm yeast that can form on vinegar sometimes: th-cam.com/video/Yn-ILAtgzD8/w-d-xo.html
I think I have a "dead" vinegar, Heidi. I started a pear vinegar on 7/10 (that's 13 days now), just with the scraps we didn't eat....so there was very little skin included. I've stirred it every day since, and it was bubbly, until yesterday, Day 12. Today it's still not bubbly, and has some whitish stuff sort of scattered around the top.
Is it now only fit for the compost pile?
It was really just an experiment, and I didn't expect too much since I had so little of the skin. The raisin vinegar I started the same day is doing GREAT, though!
It does not sound dead to me. right around the two week mark is when it usually stops bubbling as it has already worked through most of the sugars and now is starting to convert the alcohol to vinegar. White stuff on top is normal and can be different things but if you have been stirring, it is certainly not mold so nothing to worry about. I recommend you check out this in depth video I did on ferments and troubleshooting:
th-cam.com/video/Yn-ILAtgzD8/w-d-xo.html
@@RainCountryHomestead Good...thank you!
I hope this message finds you… I have looked through many of your vinegar videos and have not yet seen how you measure the acidity in the vinegar you make. I’m not taking ph.. I have a ph meter. I mean the % of acid in the vinegar so I can consider how I use in preservation lime canning and pickling.… please advise thank you.
I have mentioned in several videos but I do not recall which ones, you just need to get universal pH strips that go down to 0. The ideal pH should be between 2.5-3.5. I have never used a meter so I am not sure exactly how those work but regardless, the pH should still be what I noted there
Where did you get the glass water jugs?
Where ever I can find them. Garage sales, friends, they are all recycled wine jugs. You can also purchase them new: amzn.to/3zATntl
Thanks
Rooster
Thank you for the video. May I know what to do when the fruits has worms after starting vinegar making for two days?
I leave all material in the vinegar for the whole brewing time. Some choose to strain after two weeks but two days is too soon. Then I simply compost it. Some of it my chickens will eat
@@RainCountryHomestead does it mean that it is normal to have worms in the container?
I am so sorry, my eyes ae so bad in the morning, I missed the part about worms. While I have never had them there are a couple of different kinds that can get in there. If the cover on the jar is not tight enough to prevent the fruit flies from getting in, they can lay eggs but two days seems pretty fast. There is also something called vinegar eels that is quite common though I have never seen them. They are harmless really and yes, they can simply be strained out but you may end up with them in there again so you may just want to wait at least two weeks before straining. They feed off the scoby that tries to form but again, are harmless as far as the vinegar or even consumption but straining through a fine cloth would remove them all before you go to bottle or jar it up
@@RainCountryHomestead thank you so much for your prompt reply.
I wonder if you dehydrate your frozen fruit or veggies?
You can, yes
Do you make apple cider vinegar? What is the difference between ACV and apple (cut apples) vinegar? Can you make a video on making ACV?
No, I do not. Apple Cider Vinegar is made from cider so in other words it is made from straight juice. I never make vinegar from juice. Juice is either expensive or hard work to make. I prefer to use scraps or garden excess for making vinegar and save my juice for other things like making wine, gummies, cooking dried apples in for apple pie, making natural sodas, or even just drinking as is.
@@RainCountryHomestead Thanks. Does apple scrap vinegar have the same health benefits as ACV? Do all kinds of vinegar have the health benefits of ACV? I realize they won't have the same nutrients (or whatever) but - the same benefits?
Can you confirm how long it has to be stirred? Every day for the first 2 weeks or everyday until it's done?
The guidelines are approximations as times will vary based on several different aspects. 2 weeks is average. The main thing is to not stop stirring daily until the material used stops floating above the surface of the liquid. After that, you can continue to stir daily but it is not necessary
Hello I love the video but dont seem to see the actual recipe with quantities of fruit and water. Only the sugar amount... Thanks in advance
Because the amount will depend on what you are using and it is not super important for that to be exact anyway and of course the amount of water will depend on the remaining space in the jar and the size jar. When I am using fresh fruit peels, herbs and more, I fill the jar far more full than I do with dried. With the dried ingredients it will depend on the type. Usually I fill the jar up about 1/4 of the way full at most
Thank you very much Heidi. I want to make it with orange peel and dont really know how much sugar to put. If I have a jar of 1 litre and fill up 1/4 of the way with the orange peel, how much sugar do you think? Also shall I remove the pith of the peel? Many, many thanks in advance@@RainCountryHomestead
Can you dehydrate frozen foods?
Yes
I have question too.
I bought an peach vinegar and it tasted great, I saw on the label that they add about 5% of peaches juice to the bottle after the vinegar is done. So I'm wondering of I did the same with my vinegar, will this reuin my vinegar or decrease the shelf life ? Thanks for all your efforts
I wonder what it was made from to begin with then...why not just make the vinegar from peaches in the first place? I use peach peels and pits to make vinegar when I am canning peaches: th-cam.com/video/7ilc7PDHPdw/w-d-xo.html
@@RainCountryHomestead yes, they make vinegar from peaches already, but in the final product and before sealing glass bottles, 5% juice of the same fruit is added for extra flavour, and it really has stronger taste of the fruit, because as you know, nearly all vinegats tastes the same at the end
@@r-alostaz8553 Most vinegars taste the same, not all. I have a special blend I make that turns out tasting just like lemon juice you buy in a bottle. If I make vinegar with garlic and oregano, that taste carries over, just like when I use lavender in vinegar, the aroma carries over. I have had pineapple vinegar that still tasted and smelled like pineapple at the end though it was a strong vinegar. However, if having that taste is important and it is not there when it is finished, then sure, add some juice but make sure you keep it tightly capped or it too will turn to vinegar. Also know that it may turn fizzy on you again while bottled up so make sure it is a tight cap and be very careful when opening and use a good quality bottle or jar
@@RainCountryHomestead Thanks for the info, will try to make some qith hiuce and send you my feedback. I have many vinegars running in the same time as we harvested lits of fruits this summer. Will take a photo of them and send you some.hugs💜💜
I’m attempting these vinegars. I strained the solids but have floating scum? Does that mean it’s bad? We are at week 3.5
It is likely the SCOBY you are seeing: th-cam.com/video/JGbolygJoKY/w-d-xo.html
@@RainCountryHomestead aaaah I can’t believe you answered!! Thank you. I found your channel the other week and fell in love❤️I’ve already tried so many vinegars. I’m hoping they are good. I’m still a little unsure on how to tell during the process.
@@candicetinsley5539 Yes, it is a little scary those first ones. Sometimes you will get some that do not turn out right and you will know by the taste and smell but when that happens i remind myself it was made out of excess herbs or scraps I would have tossed to the chickens anyway, so no big loss :)
Hello Rain Country, I made Apple cider vinegar and after I transferred my vinegar for the second stage, I got mold floating on top of liquid. Should I toss and start over? It's been sitting for 3 weeks in cabinet.
I do not do second stage fermenting on vinegar so I need to know what you mean by that. How long had you been fermenting before you did that? DId you strain it before storing? Did you put on a tight fitting lid? Are you certain it was finished before you put it up?
@@RainCountryHomestead Thank you for responding. So, this is my first time doing apple cider vinegar's. I poured it up after thirty days into another mason jar and the lid was not on tight. I tried to do a pineapple vinegar, but I forgot about it! 😁
@@RainCountryHomestead Question: Would the cloth cause the mold?
@@royalcountrycitygirl2161 oxygen exposure to the produce floating above the surface of the liquid is what causes mold, not hte cloth. This is why you need to stir daily while it is brewing. Oxygen exposure is necessary for making vinegar so the cloth is necessary. If only put a tight fitting lid on AFTER it is finished and strained
@@RainCountryHomestead I put it in a mason jar, but I didn't tighten it on, thank you.
I made the homemade vinegar but I'm not sure if it's right or not I'm going to take a couple of pictures the first one is going to be the job with the fruit in it and what's on top I believe is the mother and I want to know what to do with the mother and all the stuff that's on the bottom of the jar do I keep that also how do I store the mother and the remnants of the vinegar to make more? Also the vinegar came out kind of weak it didn't have a strong flavor to it what did I do wrong? I thought I could send a picture but I can't figure it out so how do I know that the vinegar is good also ?
You can simply strain through plain cotton or cheese cloth of you want less sediments. Here is my video on the SCOBY: th-cam.com/video/JGbolygJoKY/w-d-xo.html
If the vinegar has run its full course and there is no sweetness left but it tastes week, you may not have added enough sugar
@@RainCountryHomestead I'm not sure if even put sugar however I use equal can I use that?
@@vanessas3723 No, that will not work, vinegar needs real sugar. Please note, once the vinegar process is finished, there is NO sugar left as that is what gets converted. Please see this most recent video on making vinegar: th-cam.com/video/depySASTPrw/w-d-xo.html
AND, even more so, THIS video that is more specifically about sugar in vinegar: th-cam.com/video/08mUStkkgc4/w-d-xo.html
What about banana peel vinegar? I think I’d like to try it
Yes, I have made it many times. It makes a great vinegar
You're a great teacher! I was wondering how much alcohol is left over when you make a tincture and what would you recommend for chronic neck pain?
Your first question is a bit confusing to me. What are you planning on using to make your extract? Or are you asking me how much alcohol is left in the vinegar when it is finished (which should be very little to none)? Here is a video I did on pain natural pain relievers and I also cover what I make and use for different types of pain: th-cam.com/video/V5JOC-b74gs/w-d-xo.html
@@RainCountryHomesteadBless you! Yeah I was wondering when using alcohol/solvent for a tincture how much would be left over when it’s finished. I’m new to this I’ve seen people after 60 days strain the material from the alcohol it was sitting in and thought isn’t it mostly alcohol. I heard Apple cider vinegar wasn’t as good of a solvent as alcohol but I’m new and just looked at google.
Yes, if using alcohol of any kind, there will still be that same alcohol content left when it is finished. There are many types of solvents and I have made alcohol free versions using glycerin and water and honey and water if you are looking for something alcohol free. Though "they" say they are not as good, you can always use a higher concentration of herbs and allow to extract longer and get just as an effective extract: th-cam.com/video/TijSC5qSyhQ/w-d-xo.html
@@RainCountryHomestead Thank you!
@@RainCountryHomestead there’s very beyyond mmmthat
I make wine first and then I use Scoby to make the vinegar (symbiotic Culture of bacteria and yeast)
That is one way to do it but I prefer to use excess garden surplus to make vinegar rather than going through the process of making juice, then wine, then vinegar. If I am going to go through the trouble to juice, I will just make wine or save it as regular juice, or even make a soda from it.
Fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.
WHAT ABOUT a potato viniger??? HAVE YOU user a potato viniger AND WHAT might YOU user IT for???
Never made it and likely never will but if I did, I would use it the same way I use most vinegars. As I said, you can use any fruit, herb, or vegetable to make vinegar
I've done vinegar with leftover potato, rice and pasta water full of the starches and it was pretty thick and slimy, raw potatoes would work, I've preserved whole potatoes in saltwater, but they turn sour and no longer brown when cooked. They just sort of go the texture of those potato stick styled chips I guess that without the starch, they cook up a bit different.
I was looking for a free and light colored vinegar to use as a clothing rinse and someone on the permies forum suggested potatoe wash.
Maybe if the starch wasn't first cooked, it might not go slimy, I've not tried making vinegar from raw potatoes
when to add yeast
You do not need to add yeast to the vinegar and I never do. Yeasts are already present on your fresh or dried produce
I have lots of peppermint and lemon balm. Has anyone dried those to make vinegar and how did it work out?
I have used peppermint often to make vinegar but never tried using it dry. I only use fresh herbs as they are coming in and I have lots of excess.
@@RainCountryHomestead okay! I guess I'm never sure when I need to use fresh or dry! Still learning! Thanks!
You can use either, I just prefer to use them fresh instead of going through the trouble to dry them and then use them to make vinegar. I would only do that in winter if I needed to make more vinegar and only had dried herbs on hand
You should pray to god before you make some vinegar from frozen goods. 👍
You can do that and you can also add some fresh produce or herbs or a starter
Can u use sultanas as I don't like rasians to make a vinegar thank u
Yes, any organic fruit or herb, fresh or dried, can be used
Marigold?
If you are asking if you can use marigold to make vinegar, yes, of course. Any edible fruit, vegetable, or herb can be used
Fig vinegar is expensive. Would like a recipe
While I have not made vinegar from figs and likely never would, if I did I would do it the same way I did in other dried fruit vinegar. No specific recipe is needed
Doesn't bacteria turn alcohol into vinegar? Yeast turn sugar into alcohol, bacteria turn alcohol into vinegar. Yes?
I wish you Americans start using metric. I as well as most Europeans and most of the world do not know what quarts or gallons or tablespoons of butter are. How do you place butter in a Tbsp and then spend so much time scraping it out? It’s so time consuming. 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Yes, I wish they would have stuck with it when they tried to change us over to it in the 70's. However, it is super easy to figure this out online by typing it into conversion tables. By the way, I NEVER put butter in a tablespoon, I simply cut off what I know is about right and do not worry about exacts
@@RainCountryHomestead thank you so much for taking the time to reply 🌷🌷
Heidi you should have a book.. I’m so ready to purchase. You are amazing.
I wish I can befriend and interact with you on WhatsApp. I will be grateful
I am very limited on social media for the same reason I have not and will not write a book any time soon - I just do not have the time for either of them.
@@RainCountryHomestead okayyy Heidi