I love making vinegar and boy you can smell them when you enter the pantry. 😊 So glad we are able to do the things our forefathers/mothers did! Keeps our minds sharp, and our hands busy! Love your outlook!!❤😊
Yes the stirring discouraged me from starting to make my own vinegar, but when I started it now I enjoy doing it every morning before preparing my coffee. Our bring will automate this task and as long as the jars are there on a kitchen counter we will become addicted to stirring after 1 week :) I love it now.
Hi Heidi, Great video!! I am so with you in the stir method. It makes all the difference in the world. And yes - the straining process for getting the vinegar very clarified is great. I use old flour sack towels that I have had for years and they work like a charm!! As always, thank you SO much for all this wonderful information that you share. It’s always SO helpful!! Love, Mary ❤️😘❤️
Question answered! Thank you! I am 2 days away from my first ever batch of vinegar being at 30 days. I made the raisin vinegar. I also made raisin fermentation starter a couple weeks ago and made my first test loaf last night and it came out great!
I've found it surprisingly difficult to find relevant information for vinegar making as a newbie. I kept skimming what I thought was kahm yeast off my vinegar, but saw this video. I let it go, and turns out it became a mother. Thank you for making these videos, it was very helpful for me!
Hi Heidi...crazy about your videos,and you're an inspiration much needed in the world today. You even got me to do my first homemade vinegar. Saw rose petals falling and lavender calling and that was it! Grabbed an empty jar, rose petals, lavender, sprigs of rosemary, sage, 1 bay leaf, organic cane sugar, and distilled water( hope that's okay to use), put a plastic bottle top( off a ice tea container) on top to keep the rose petals from sitting on top, and put a cotton sack over it secured with a rubber band. Phew! It's waiting in the laundry room in a dark spot for me to stir it for 12 more days. Wish me luck! Thank you so much for sharing your talents and may God bless you and your family!!🥰
Yes! GIGATT Heidi! Thank you so much. I Made some great vinegars: apple, apple mint, fig, and grape. Was easy fun and your vinegar vids are SO helpful!
I learned a lot as usual. Keep it up you are helping people,like myself, learn to not be afraid of trying new things. Can't wait to be making my own vinegar .
Love this and the entire vinegar series. You are an inspiration!! My 4 year old grand daughter is so intrigued that we are making vinegar but truth be told, so am I. I have started the apple cider and the raisin about 2 weeks ago and they are doing fantastic. Love that I can make a variety and am not stuck with just a few. Thank you again!!!
She loves it! She helps with so much in the kitchen and she has been a little sponge. Her hands must get involved and help and it's a blessing. She is not fond of store bought items at all and tells me that she wants it homemade!! I thank the Lord for that because I don't know too many 4 year olds that will touch sauerkraut!! I see it this way, if I can teach her at the same time I am learning, then she'll have a bigger head start on frugality than I did!!
Our first vinegar we made with pineapple and Papaya oh my goodness the best tasting vinegar I've ever had this time added banana cant wait until it's ready
Thank you so much for your good advice! I have my first attempt at intentionally making vinegar sitting on my kitchen counter right now. I have been making vinegar as a by-product of my making natural yeast bread for years. I have felt bad about throwing out the sour, colored water since I know it has vinegar in it. Like you, we use it for cleaning as well as cooking. Hope you have a great day!
I've not ventured out to make my own vinegars yet, but by watching your channel it doesn't seem as intimidating a thing to do. Thank you for sharing with us Ms Heidi. Blessings to Rain Country.
I had watched some vinegar making videos on TH-cam but still wasn't sure how long it takes or how you would know it's done fermenting. So, approximately 30 days and it will be done once you stop seeing the bubbles. Thanks for answering my question! I think I'm confident enough to go try my first batch now. I appreciate your taking the time to share your knowledge.
did you try it yet? how is it going so far? A friend gave me great advice: start more than one batch at a time. If you have one batch, and something goes wrong, you've waited 4+ weeks and ended up with nothing but sadness. But if you start multiple batches at once, you will end up with success for sure :) My first few batches were in very small jars, a proof of concept, if you will. After I gained more confidence, I'm now making a big batch
@@mattbuszko That's a good idea, I only started one batch though. Maybe next time I'll make a bigger batch. I think I have about one week left now? I put it in a mason jar with cut up fresh ginger, turmeric roots, and blood orange. I placed a paper towel on the top held in place by a rubber band. For the first few days I was stirring it everyday but then I forgot about it and stopped stirring. It started forming what looks like a very thick kombucha scoby on the top. I don't see any bubbles at all but maybe I'll still wait another week or two and then see how it goes...
@@mattbuszko It doesn't have a strong smell or resemble vinegar. It's a light fruity sweet smell. I'm wondering if I just can't smell the vinegar because the scoby on top is making a tight seal? When I get ready, I thought I would try a bit. But, if I'm unsure if it's safe, I may just use it as a cleaning vinegar?
The best way I have found to keep the fruit under the liquid... is I just keep reusing the scoby.. I get one very time on the top of my vinegars....also when I get too thick of a scoby, I cut it up and feed it to my chickens.. They just love it. Also, after I bottle it or jar it or what ever I put it in after straining.. I just cover loosely... like my bale bottles, I just don't clamp down.. Thanks for helping people with the process Heidi..
I get a lot of mothers from my vinegars but do not use them to start a new batch though one can if they choose. It does not shorten the time or make it any easier to use one. I just prefer to feed mine to the chickens rather than save them for more batches of vinegar when it is not necessary
I am making a raisin vinegar and in fact I got rid of the black mouldy top twice and now it does smell lovely, it smells of wine vinegar!!!!!! I am going to strain it very soon!
@@kleineroteHex I stumble across old comments like this when I am replying to new ones under the same video. It always surprises me as I was sure I had seen them all! haha
Loved this video and subscribed. You explained wonderfully and helped me with a lot of fears. Started a batch of Elderberry and a Elderberry and pineapple mix.🍍 I’m hoping 🤞🏻 of a good outcome 😊
my apple and plum vinegars turned out lovely! the apple has a thin scoby (?) on top. thanks for answering all my questions, never would have even tried or known i could do it without watching your videos!
@RainCountryHomestead My first tries with Apple Vinegar, is at 2.5 to 3. I removed a Mother on one jar, because I saw small white fuzzy stars starting on the Mother. I am in phase 2 and strained and found this "mold" about 1 week after straining. I am going to watch that jar for 2 more weeks and see if I see any mold form. Do you think if no mold is seen after two more weeks and since I removed the questionable Mother, that it will likely be "good" after monitoring for 2 more weeks?
Just finished my first batch of acv after 17 days and stirring once or twice daily. Turned out great I think. I strained it and still looking cloudy but tasted good. Does it continue to ferment?? I just plan to use 2tbsp with water in the morning and evening. Thanks for your videos. God is good! All the time! God bless you! What state do you live??
Cloudy is normal for homemade vinegars. The reason store bought vinegars are usually clear is because they have been distilled. Yes, it wil continue to ferment and then clean up after itself and turn back into water so make sure to store with an air tight lid to prevent that from happening
Thank you for this video, you answered so many of my questions that I did not find on other videos. This is my first time making vinegar. Since you mentioned wine, I would like to try that next😊
I also recommend you watch my newest vinegar making video here: th-cam.com/video/XQ2O-pt1EVs/w-d-xo.html and here is the wine making series: th-cam.com/play/PLzVtTPDzFPKFtB45ulnLxFmo0mPdd23wq.html
Thank you for these videos on Vinegars'. I started with an apple cider vinegar, then a rice vinegar, and had some red grapes that needed to be used before they go bad, I now have a Citrus vinegar brewing.... And it was a HUGE success, I used the red grape vinegar and some of my homemade mustard in the sauce for our favorite cabbage slaw. and It was so tasty. If anyone wishes, you can search Our favorite Cabbage Slaw over at High Plains Ministead. it is one of our first few videos.
Started my first vinegar today. We'll see how it progresses. I already enjoy fermenting cabbage and making my own sauerkraut, and I like learning how to make use of fruit scraps or less than perfect fruit. I'm actually trying to make vinegar from some apples and pineapple cores. We'll see.
I am two weeks into making 2 quarts of floral vinegar using the stir method! It’s going perfectly and I’m so excited! I am learning so much from you and I am so grateful! I do have a question. Can I make vinegar from dehydrated lemons and oranges? Thanks so much! 💜
Yes, dehydrated fruit should work great, I have only ever had issues with previously frozen fruits, not sure why this would be, seems like they just never want to turn to vinegar. I am guessing the yeast on the fruits that helps get it going is killed in the freezing process
Ok thanks GOT IT !...I'm WAS concerned about when is it would explode and when I see bubbles I still think I should keep the Caps loose so that they're not tight and that lets the air escape so like I say I'm new at this thank you
If you allow your vinegar to fully finish so that it is not at all bubbly, then it should not be a concern when putting it back in storage, but yes, it would not hurt to leave the lids just loose enough to allow gasses to escape just in case one put it up too soon
Hi Heidi! I have a question. I made some scrap vinegar after watching one of your videos. It bubbled and fizzed like crazy and I stirred it several times a day. When it stopped, I strained it and put it in a clean sterilized jar with a coffee filter on it. It still has a two weeks to go and I’m seeing a couple of white fuzzy spots with green centers floating on top. Does this mean that it’s going bad? Thank you for your wonderful videos! ❤️
Thanks for this update video. I have raisin, fig, and blackberry going right now, and the fig was freaking me out, with all of the mother/mold growing in it. I was very close to tossing both jars. I used your no stir method. I will have to try your current version. I actually sent you a pic of them on Instagram a while back.
O, I must have missed that photo. I do not fully understand Instagram yet, and do not spend much time on there, I barely have time to post anything! haha
Thank you for going into detail. I followed Stacy's ACV video and I had been questioning myself the entire time on that yeast that forms at the top. I am still curious on what it should smell like. I've had my strained apple vinegar in the pantry since December 2nd, but I don't feel like it smells like Braggs. Not sure at what point it should have that strong smell. 🤔
Every vinegar will vary in it smell and strength and depending on what was used in making it. I have never bought Bragg's so I cannot compare to that but I know when my vinegar is the acidity it needs to be for cleaning and more simply by taste and smell, weaker ones get used in other purposes such as cleaning and conditioning my hair or used in food preparation (though not pickling)
Thank you for all the info. I was stirring mine 2-3 times a day and still had the fruit pushing out of the bottle for like 4-5 days! It ruined all my towels… weight didn’t work either.. i have a fuzzy layer but i don’t know if it’s white, beige, grey, or green… since i am making grape vinegar, my liquid has turned purple…. Coukd you please make a video showing the different types of fuzzy tops that can form and which ate harmless and which are toxic? Thank you
Rain Country,Thank you so much for sharing.😊 I am in the process of making apple cider vinegar and it smells and looks great. I do stir it every morning for three weeks already,should I stop stirring and let the mother take over or keep stirring daily? Thank you,God bless you for sharing.Love your work...
Heidi, our vinegar tasted musty to me. We used wild apples, and sugar and water. We did not stir, it was about 8 weeks and unstrained. What did we do wrong? Does any of that stick out as a mistake? We love your videos! I make my own eggshell capsules for bone health, I got that tip from you:)
I’ve been loving all your videos! I wish I found them sooner!!! So I’m doing my first batches of different fruit vinegars. However my question is with my Apple cider and red wine vinegar. Do I need to add any sugar to either apple or red wine for the vinegar process or there enough in the original product to get it going. Thanks! Side note my Apple cider vinegar has green mold and that’s what brought me to this video. So glad I found it! My red wine doesn’t seem like much is happening after a week. Thanks again!
You may need to add more sugar to the cider, depending on how sweet it is but since wine is already wine, it has already been fermented and work through the sugars so now it needs to be allowed to go the next step through exposure to oxygen
so very good...I tried making apple vinegar and it did not turn out...going to try your way. I have no clue how to use it in cooking..I so want to learn and hopefully can figure it out. My 21 yr old wants to learn so the pressure is on....
I have a thin, white dryish looking layer on top of my raisin vinegar. It's only been 10 days since I started the vinegar. My question to you is, I thought vinegar need oxygen? If I leave the white layer in then how will it get oxygen? Thanks for your videos.
If it looks dry, iit is likely kahm yeast. Please see this video about "What is on My Vinegar?", you should find it helpful in determining what is going on: th-cam.com/video/qOSBQfopQxA/w-d-xo.html
Thank you for your video. Do I need to strain out fruit pieces after they sank down. Or just leave them there until vinegar completely done the whole process. Thank you
I do not bother to strain until they are finished but some people strain after two weeks and then allow to finish. It is a matter of choice. I do believe that straining early can prevent the kahm yeast from forming (which can add an odd flavor) but then that is less time for the herbs and fruit to infuse their flavor and nutrients.
Fabulous information. I have several jars of apple vinegar on the go. They look really good except two of them, the water has turned slimy but it's still clear. Is this ok. Thank you.
Hello Heidi, I am just learning that Rose of Sharon is beneficial. Just to clarify, I can make a hair rinse vinegar or medicinal vinegar out of ROS? (with sugar of course).Thanks. All my other vinegars turned out great!
I made rose of Sharon infused /fermented honey, and rose of Sharon vinegar for.medicinal use and for cleaning. I also dry rose of Sharon leaves and flower for tea
So glad you did this video. I don’t have a great space to allow my vinegars to ferment. I have a cabinet above my fridge. If I put them in a cabinet near my stove will the jars still colorectal the yeast in the air? Or should I just keep out on counter. Hubby grumbles a bit about them:)
I am sure they will be fine in the cabinet, my problem would be "out of sight, out of mind" haha! So as long as you can remember to stir daily for the first couple of weeks and keep track of how long they are fermenting, it should be good
Super! It is an essential thing of wine and vinegar making in my grandma time. she used to make rice wine and rice vinegar in huge 5 gallon glas jars when i was little. Now it became modern , all these basic knowledge all lost. I did made grape vinegar, it was great , until after 2 years in cool store room, that it became flat, no more aroma, the whole thing like soda water that out of fizziness. is that the "spoil" that you mentioned ? i thought vinegar never goes bad, it is the last state of product of it's line. How i dissapointed that all my vinegar that i stores "thinking it would last indefinately" gone flat. Is there any use of it anymore after they goes flat ? no mold or what so ever, just clear liquid almost like water.
Vinegars are not actually finished until they are flat. They should no longer be fizzy. If it is still fizzy, it simply means it is still working through the sugars to complete the process
A tip for you to keep the fruit submerged. Cut a coffee cup lid to the width of the jar. Insert the lid into the jar with the lid being upside down. You may have to bend the lid to squeeze it through a small opening but once inside it will unfold. Put some glass marbles used by florist on top of the lid. Lots of craft stores have the glass marbles. Just make sure they are sterilized. Works great for me, anyway!!!
I heard that the "mother" is actually the yeast colony from that batch and if you get a good tasting batch if you use that "mother" to start your next batch you should get that good taste again. It will actually kind of kick start the fermentation process.
@@RainCountryHomestead so don't use frozen ? i froze my tomato scraps because all my jars where in use. I was intending on using them to make vinegar. not a good idea?
Yes, I love these videos on vinegar! You inspired me to make rose/calendula vinegar for my hair. Also I have apple cider vinegar now. You are a wealth of knowledge! Side note.... I love, love that apron you have on 😉
I am making my first vinegars- really exciting! My strawberry vinegar was started 5/31 - and I added some sugar after the first week. It is already not bubbling. I stir daily. Any advice?
Too much sugar added after it starts bubbling can bring the fermenting to a stop. Depending on just how much was added, it may pick up again or it may not. I have since found that it is actually best to just add the total amount of sugar you think it needs based on if it is a fruit or herb vinegar and how much natural sugars are in the produce being used right from the start and not add more later.
@@RainCountryHomestead thank you for the advice! I will continue to watch it, but I might have to toss I guess. Btw, I love your channel so much, I've been binging!!
You don't necessarily need sugar. I make mine with adding some vinegar to fruit and water and its much better than using sugar. It takes much longer time but I believe its healthier.
Sugar in some form IS necessary and as long as it is allowed to run the full process and turn to vinegar, there NO sugar left so the addition of sugar does not hurt but it does create a stronger vinegar. Yes, vinegar can be made with just fruit juice or a high sugar content fruit mixed with water but it may not turn out as strong as one that has had sugar added to it. The more sugar (or simple carbs) the yeast and bacteria have to consume and turn the sugars to alcohol then the alcohol to vinegar, the more acidity you will get in your final result
Just stumbled across your video and I got a lot of my questions answered apart from 1 question... do you sterilise your bottles or jars before you start your vinegar and after when you strain the fruit and put it into different bottles are they sterilised? Thanks hope you get back to me as I was to make vinegar soon. Xx
I am going to try making a vinegar with sage and thyme from my garden with organic lemon slices. Mostly sage. Is it important to remove all of the stems from the sage? Some of them are kind of woody. (Just realized I'm asking from husbands account, I'm Beth)
ALWAYS great info Mom! My pear vinegar turned out great! The watermelon I tried...not so much. It never got fizzy, just stinky. Idk what I did wrong. I was so sure it’d be a good one cause of the natural sugars too! Melon anything is my favorite so I wish I could make a melon vinegar of some type. Have you tried to make a melon one? TFS. Love, hugs and blessings ~The Kid! ❤️
Watermelon was very DIFFICULT for me. I had 7 jars of watermelon vinegar going last week. I had to throw all of them out. I was so sad. They smelled horrible and were full of mold.
I am so happy to hear other people tried the watermelon. I was going to, but not now. I would guess at this point the rind may work,but not the pink part. I make pickles with the rind because the fruit part dose not turn out very well.
Though I have yet to try watermelon, I am guessing there may not be enough yeast present in it so I would recommend trying it again but adding some vinegar from another batch, making sure to get the sediment from the bottom of the matured vinegar into it or even add a scoby from another vinegar. It may just need a boost to get going
Hi ya, great video. A friend gave me a bag of ambrosia apples a month or so ago. So with all the left over peelings etc i decided to try making vinegar. It was very active and after a month really started to smell like vinegar. From all the videos i watched it said to strain the fruit off and let it sit for another month or so to finish. Anyways when i strained it....the liquid was thick...like pectin, which i assumed that because apples contain pectin thats what it was. So do i just leave it, i have found very little online on vinegar that is thicker than water. Thats so much, i learnt so much from your video. Any help or advice would be great appreciated. Thanks again
I cannot remember for certain but I think that happened to me one time but no, that is not normal, not even for apple vinegars. I have had others say the same thing. My question would be: how much sugar did you add to it? It is possible if there was a lot of sugar, this could have made it mroe syrupy, but then too much sugar can actually prevent it from turning to vinegar. While vinegar needs sugar in the first place, too much can "smother" it
@@RainCountryHomestead Hi, no i added very little sugar...like a tablespoon of sugar to a cup of water or something like that. You can definitely smell it turning to vinegar and i can start to taste a mild acidy flavor
I'm very excited to have my vinegar still going. Actually I have 2...Craisins & Rose Petals. Both seem to be coming along good. But I did have one that attracted the little tiny "sugar ants". Was not happy with the little creatures lol It sits on top my fridge now. Thanks so much for all the info you share.
What blessing Heidi that you can share so many useful things that i can do in my home. I have started many vinegar's and it's going just fine. My question is i cannot buy anything on your Etsy store in Canada. I want to be able to buy the seeds. Do you sell any of them on Amazon and will you be in the near future? I would love to buy the seeds. Thanks
I know you can convert the scoby to a kombucha scoby, I am experimenting now, so far it has not worked well for me but hoping this second try will work just for the sake of knowing since I do not care for kombucha. If you have chickens, they love them so I always toss mine to them. Some people have said they dehydrate theirs, powder, and then use a a healthy seasoning. Which sounds interesting
Help! I made a fruit citrus and chamomile vinegar and some how a few fruit fly got into the jar :( Is it ruined? It smells good and has a nice mother on it but there was a dead fly in the mother. Do I need to toss this lovely batch or can I just remove the offenders?? I've made several batches with your instructions and they turned out great!! So far my favorite is strawberry. So delicious! Thanks in advance, you're a gem!
I have two questions I haven’t seen answered, I apologize if you have answered them somewhere. My first attempt was a peach vinegar that was doing wonderfully, it got to a point where it tasted like lemon juice, so I left it a bit longer to get stronger and it developed what I thought was a mother however it started to smell extremely yeasty. The smell got worse and worse, and after a while I ended up throwing it away. Currently I am making a plum vinegar and a blackberry vinegar. The blackberry I started a week later than the plum, and I have stirred it with the same wooden spoon, only rinsed between stirring the two jars. The blackberry is fizzing and bubbling and looks like it’s progressing great, but it is getting a strong sulfur odor. Not quite sure what to do.
Each vinegar will be unique. Some does take on a very yeasty smell but you have to realize it is mostly yeast that is converting the sugar into vinegar. In many cases once the vinegar has been filtered, this smell will be gone, not always though. I cannot recall if I had one come out with a sulfur odor but would not doubt that I may have. The only reason I have had to toss some batches is because somewhere along the way, they stopped fermenting properly and thus the process never finished and never became vinegar, no matter how long I let it set. One good way to know for certain if you do not have pH test strips is to strain and put in storage, if it forms green mold on top then, it is not vinegar.
Thank you so much for these lessons. On the 2nd week of my soursop vinegar. I've religiously stirred them twice a day. In the mornings, I place them under the sun, although lately there have been typhoons. A bottle has already stopped bubbling, but not sure yet if it is ready. Waiting for my pH strips to arrive. The other ones are still bubbling on and off. If under the sun, they do; but if weather is cold, the fruits sink and there's no activity. For the banana peel vinegar, it smells like raisins now, but still bubbling. However, my pomelo peel vinegar has no activity since it started almost 2 weeks ago. The fruit is from our garden, so no chemicals. I've added sugar 2nd time. Added some honey, in case the yeasts are choosy with their sweets. I'm about to toss it to the chickens, but I'm trying to be patient...
When it stops bubbling that only means that it has converted most of the sugar to alcohol. The second step is to convert the alcohol into vinegar so it needs at least another two weeks for this to happen
@@RainCountryHomestead Thank you for this comment. I just need re-confirmation about the next step as I am unsure why the top liquid tasted bitter. It was alcohol after all :D
You mean for weighing down the top? As long as they fit, they should work but I personally do not like the idea of weights because not only are they a hassle, the prevent a good amount of air flow
Hi can I put sugar to the apples without water?while when I’m making vinegar because my grandma use to do it without sugar and water thank for u knowledge ❤
Trying my hand at making vinegar again. Last time it tasted like a bums pocket lol. Question: it's been 5 days and I still see no activity... What's wrong? Apple peels and cores, quart jar, about a quarter cup of sugar, coffee filter lid. Should I add another quarter cup of sugar? It taste pretty sweet to me but I don't consume sugar a lot so that is to be expected.
If it is cooler where you are at, it may need more time but I still think it should be doing something by now. It is not a bad idea to add something to get it going. If you have some lively kombucha on hand or have made the fermentation starter I mention frequently, you can try adding about 1/4-1/2 cup of either of those to give it a boost
@@RainCountryHomestead since I found you I have binge watched your videos. I have made the fermentation starter and it is now starting to get bubbly so I think probably by tomorrow that should be well and active. I'll add 1/4 cup of it to my vinegar tomorrow... thank you so much. I have always done your regular salt fermentation and was completely floored by your fermentation Starter video! I am over-the-moon. I'll be starting a jug of wine when my fermentation starter is ready. Which I believe should be ready by tomorrow. The last time I made wine it also tasted like a bums pocket LOL. My fault... I let it sit too long. Better luck this time though
I recieved some apples that had been attacked by apple worms. I sorted through to find the good apples and the bad apples(the ones with worm holes). Can I use the bad apples to make vinegar?
30 nov 2019 11:26 am est:thanks. summary: 0:35 help i'm getting black-mold growing on top of my vinegar. i've seen black-mold a lot on raisin-vinegar which is an older video. 0:48 my vinegar-making-method evolve/change often so i put my latest vinegar-making-video here. 1:16 raisin-vinegar never give problem about raisin floating to the top, other fruit-vinegar give problem about fruit floating top the top. sometimes fruit float then sink won't stay on the top. 1:30 if fruit float to the top and stays on the top and not being stirred then mold will grow. no worry, initially mold has white-color then change to green-color then change to black-color, black-color-mold means dead-mold. vinegar kill that mold making that mold has black-color. mold has black-color because mold is dead and dried. if never stirring vinegar then mold growing then lift mold then toss/discard mold. anything below top-vinegar-surface will be killed so mold won't grow under vinegar-surface. mold which fall to vinegar, will be killed. if not wanting to see mold then during 1st 2 week in vinegar-making-process then stir vinegar daily. stirring vinegar, prevent mold growing on top. (1st reason why stirring is good) sugar change to alcohol then make bubble which push fruit to top so stir to remove bubble then make fruit sink. other benefit of stirring/2nd reason:help give oxygen to vinegar. oxygen change sugar-water and fruit-water to vinegar. without oxygen, sugar-water and fruit-water change to wine. if wine receive oxygen then that wine change to vinegar. so sugar change to alcohol then change to vinegar. 4:24 bubble means sugar-water, fruit-water change to wine ? --> mistake ? 'wine' should be 'vinegar' ? 4:30 3rd reason why stirring daily is good:bubble push fruit, herb upward then bubble push liquid upward as well then overflow/spillage happen. putting plate underneath will catch overflow/spillage. so stir 1 time per day minimum. stirring 2 time per day is good but 1 time per day is enough. so stir prevent overflow/spillage, prevent mold, hasten vinegar-making-process. more sugar will slow-down vinegar-making-process but more sugar will make stronger-vinegar. 7:56, 8:20 white-or-beige-colored-gleatinous-layer is normal, that is kahm-yeast, sometimes grow on vinegar-top-surface during in storage. [source:'Kahm yeast is not a type of mold, but rather an aerobic yeast that forms when the sugar is used up and the PH of the ferment drops because of the lactic acid formation.' in www.fermentools.com/blog/what-is-kahm-yeast/ from google(kahm yeast)result 1] 8:53 white-colored-layer not on vinegar-top-surface, is mother-vinegar mother-vinegar often grow during vinegar-making-process. after filtering vinegar and storing vinegar in jar, mother-vinegar doesn't grow. so that's why after 2 week stirring not needed anymore because bubble-making stop, and mother-vinegar prevent fruit floating to top-surface and growing mold. mother-vinegar is scoby what is scoby ? 'SCOBY (or SCOBAY) (for symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) is a syntrophic mixed culture of yeast and bacteria used in production of several traditional foods and beverages' in en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCOBY from google(scobie)result 3 scoby is healthy, ppl save scoby. scoby can be inserted on next vinegar-making-glass to prevent fruit floating to top-surface. but if willing to stir then scoby is not needed. 10:35 mother-vinegar can be many, not just 1. 10:50 stevia can not replace sugar. 11:34 vinegar should not have sugar left because all sugar change to vinegar. sugar in stevia is less than sugar in sugar/sugar-cane, honey 12:32 need sugar to make wine, stevia can not make wine. 12:46 vinegar inside bottle, explode during opening that bottle because vinegar-making-process was not finished. that unfinished-vinegar is good for sauteeing, marinade-sauce. to finish unfinished-vinegar: put unfinished-vinegar inside a jar add sugar then close jar loosely to let in oxygen then wait 2 week. if bubbling then vinegar-making-process is not finished yet. bubble means yeast and bacteria still change sugar to vinegar. 15:04 vinegar can be used for cleaning, cooking, baking (shown in other video) 15:30 vinegar can be put in spray-bottle for cleaning furniture 15:50 mesh-strainer can be used to (1)filter vinegar, (2)remove fruit and herb from vinegar fruit can be eaten by chicken. and herb can be eaten by earthworm then become vermi-compost. 16:19 vinegar for cleaning needs extra-straining after straining with mesh-strainer, need to strain again using 100% cotton 2-cloth-layer or 3-cloth-layer so mini-fruit-chunk, mini-herb-chunk can be removed and won't clog spray-bottle-hose 17:33 vinegar can be stored in jar which not allow oxygen to come in. then vinegar-jar can be stored inside dark-kitchen-cabinet. vinegar with ph 4.5 has acidity 5% is acid-enough to make long-shelf-life. 18:54 vinegar which lack acid, go bad in few month. maybe because lack stirring and lack sugar. 19:07 mold-apperance on vinegar means vinegar already expired because lacking acidity, taste nasty then must be discarded.
Goodmorning, I started my vinegar on November 27th 2020. It is covered with cotton, stirred each day and I used raw organic honey. But, I find it is evaporating at least an inch. Should I leave it or add water? Thank you for your help.
I usually just leave it myself, you have to realize that water is liquid that has not been infused with the fruits or herbs and can water down the finished product.
Yes, you can do that. Apple cider vinegar is not made from scraps but from pure juice so using pear juice will be more similar to that but you an call it PCV instead, haha
One good method to stop mold is to do it in the two-step process like professional vinegar makers use. It’s to make a vine first, through traditional methods with yeast, a container and an airlock. When the wine is done fermenting, then they make the vinegar by adding the acetobacter that make the vinegar from consuming the alcohol in the wine. It works well, because the alcohol keeps most of the unwanted yeast and bacteria from growing too fast in there. I do it this way, and have never experienced anything like this. I get the bacteria from unpasteurized apple cider vinegar from the grocery store, if I don’t have a mother ready. I just add a couple of tablespoons of it to the homemade wine, and get a strong vinegar in about a month 😊
Heidi I need some help. Around the second week of October I placed my apple cores into jars about half way full then covered with water nearly to the top, I placed a coffee filter and an elastic on the top to allow it to breath, placed them in a warm’ish area in my kitchen where I can keep an eye on them.. now I didn’t not add sugar to the jars so my question is should I now do so knowing that sugar is needed for this process or is it too late to do so? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
You should be fine to go ahead and add sugar, especially if nothing has been happening. There is just not enough sugar in those cores and peels to yield a strong vinegar. Start with just a 1/4 cup if your jar is a half gallon and then if and when it starts getting really bubbly, try adding one more 1/4 cup making sure you are starring daily
Hi you talked about stirring, but does that not push back the mould in the vinegar. My other question is do you measure for the ph of the vinegar. Do you have any recommendations for aging vinegar. Also can you recommend any good resources for making larger quantities. Where can good quality buckets be purchased ?
If you stir daily for the first two weeks, mold does not have a chance to develop so you are not pushing it under. To make larger quantities, just increase the amount of fruit and/or herbs, water, and sugar accordingly. So if you do a full gallon, use at least 1/2 to a whole cup of sugar depending on if you are using fruit or not and how much. Fruit has its own natural sugar but most herbs do not. Either way, unless you are using straight fruit juice, you will still need to add sugar to get a good vinegar. I recommend getting yourself glass one gallon jars or a ceramic crock if you need something bigger. I do not recommend using plastic buckets for making vinegar.
Hi! Thanks for these videos, I'm loving them. Question- my raisin vinegar has been going about a week and there have been no bubbles so far- I've been doing the stir technique and only used raisins and water. Do you think this will eventually turn to vinegar?
It is possible you may need more sugar. If you only used raisins without added sugar and did not use enough raisins, there may not be enough sugar. However, the same can be true the other way, too much sugar from the start can slow or prevent the fermentation process
@@RainCountryHomestead thank you! I actually was thinking I was probably a little skimpy on the raisins- you think if I just add more raisins or some sugar I can save it? Or should I start over?
hi sorry, i'm making vineger from raisins in two jars, once they are done, is it possible to put both in a single jar? or in doing that a ruin it? thanks
What is the best PH value for a really good vinegar? This is my very first attempt. I have four started and they all look to be doing really great! So far :)))
3.5 pH is what you want. I will link you to my most recent vinegar making video as I believe it is the most comprehensive one I have: th-cam.com/video/depySASTPrw/w-d-xo.html
@@RainCountryHomestead just curious. Have you ever had a vinegar be slimy? I started a cedar vinegar last week or so. I have been stirring every day. It has gotten quite thick and slimy. Smells good tho.... The rhubarb banana mint I started last month did pretty good. Smells wonderful:))). The ph only went to a 5 tho :((. Suggestions... please and thanks!!
@@traceylilienthal7514 Yes, I have, though it has only happened once or twice. I have no idea why they whole vinegar would turn out slimy, I do end up tossing those ones since I am unure. Now if it is just the scoby forming on top, that is slimy too, but that is also a sign of a healthy vinegar, no, I do not toss those ones
No, you cannot. The yeast needs something to feed on and it cannot feed on a non nutritive sweetener. You can use honey though. It is important to understand that the end product is vinegar and vinegar has no sugar remaining in it as it has all been digested by the yeast
I think I messed up my black berry vinegar. I started it 3 weeks ago and stirred every couple days. My mother was accidently thrown away. Will it be ok to continue making? Also, I made a very tiny batch (3/4 a quart jar) does it still ferment 30 days?
A half cup is usually what I add to a half gallon but you can go as high as one cup but it is usually best to add that second half cup after one week and no later
Today there were some maggots in my applecider(on top of the Apple's:( I throw the apple top with the maggots away and keep the applecider to continue fermenting. Do a have to throw all applecider away? Thank you in advance for your answere
I am guessing what you saw was from fruit flies that managed to get in, I have had that happen before. It should be fine to allow it to continue and then make sure to strain it out well when it is finished. I do not remember if I tossed the one I had or not, it was quite awhile ago.
Hello Heidi, I was curious about making a vinegar that was stronger than 5%. I had a fresh pineapple that was too sour to eat so cut it up, peeling and all, and made a gallon of vinegar with it. It sat for eight weeks. I just tested it with a universal test strip that showed @ 5. I cannot find any information on what the acidity level of that would be. 🤔 Do you have any answers for me? 🙂 it is definitely not for consumption, but, for other useful applications once I understand the %. Grateful to you for all your wisdom and inspiration!! I started making vinegars last year. Such fun! I recently made a garlic vinegar and a garlic basil vinegar that are out of this world delicious!! Appreciate any wisdom you can offer.! 🙂
If the pH is at 5, it is very low acidity. The pH needs to be 3.0 to 3.5 for it to be 5%. Some even say as low as 2.5 but I personally do not believe that is necessary
Hi Heidi. I made my third batch of apple vinegar. This time (30 days) it tastes like alcohol. Just wonderin what i did wrong. Should i add more apples or sugar?
If it tastes like alcohol and is still bubbly, that means it is not done and does not need any more fruit or sugar, simply more time to complete the process. You may have added more sugar than necessary per the amount of fruit used so it will take longer to work through all the sugars. The yeast and bacteria turn the sugar to alcohol then the oxygen exposure turns the alcohol to vinegar
A voice from my vinegar told me to clean my room. And then I realized - it was the mother.. :)
Hahahaha! Good one! :D
🤣🤣🤣
The puns r giving brain cancer
🤣🤣🤣
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
This is the *only* video on YT that explains how to make vinegar properly - thank you very much - subscribed!
I totally agree, you cover all areas and possible problems. I love you!
I love making vinegar and boy you can smell them when you enter the pantry.
😊
So glad we are able to do the things our forefathers/mothers did!
Keeps our minds sharp, and our hands busy!
Love your outlook!!❤😊
Yes, I combine vinegars all the time
Yes the stirring discouraged me from starting to make my own vinegar, but when I started it now I enjoy doing it every morning before preparing my coffee. Our bring will automate this task and as long as the jars are there on a kitchen counter we will become addicted to stirring after 1 week :) I love it now.
Hi Heidi, Great video!! I am so with you in the stir method. It makes all the difference in the world. And yes - the straining process for getting the vinegar very clarified is great. I use old flour sack towels that I have had for years and they work like a charm!! As always, thank you SO much for all this wonderful information that you share. It’s always SO helpful!! Love, Mary ❤️😘❤️
Question answered! Thank you! I am 2 days away from my first ever batch of vinegar being at 30 days. I made the raisin vinegar. I also made raisin fermentation starter a couple weeks ago and made my first test loaf last night and it came out great!
I've found it surprisingly difficult to find relevant information for vinegar making as a newbie. I kept skimming what I thought was kahm yeast off my vinegar, but saw this video. I let it go, and turns out it became a mother. Thank you for making these videos, it was very helpful for me!
Hi Heidi...crazy about your videos,and you're an inspiration much needed in the world today. You even got me to do my first homemade vinegar. Saw rose petals falling and lavender calling and that was it! Grabbed an empty jar, rose petals, lavender, sprigs of rosemary, sage, 1 bay leaf, organic cane sugar, and distilled water( hope that's okay to use), put a plastic bottle top( off a ice tea container) on top to keep the rose petals from sitting on top, and put a cotton sack over it secured with a rubber band. Phew! It's waiting in the laundry room in a dark spot for me to stir it for 12 more days. Wish me luck! Thank you so much for sharing your talents and may God bless you and your family!!🥰
Edit: I realized I read your comment wrong the first time, you are just weighing the petals down, not putting on a tight cap, which is totally fine
Several questions answered! Thank you Heidi for sharing your knowledge 💐
Yes! GIGATT Heidi! Thank you so much. I Made some great vinegars: apple, apple mint, fig, and grape. Was easy fun and your vinegar vids are SO helpful!
I learned a lot as usual. Keep it up you are helping people,like myself, learn to not be afraid of trying new things. Can't wait to be making my own vinegar .
Love this and the entire vinegar series. You are an inspiration!! My 4 year old grand daughter is so intrigued that we are making vinegar but truth be told, so am I. I have started the apple cider and the raisin about 2 weeks ago and they are doing fantastic. Love that I can make a variety and am not stuck with just a few. Thank you again!!!
That is great your grand daughter is interested in that! So glad I could be of help :D
She loves it! She helps with so much in the kitchen and she has been a little sponge. Her hands must get involved and help and it's a blessing. She is not fond of store bought items at all and tells me that she wants it homemade!! I thank the Lord for that because I don't know too many 4 year olds that will touch sauerkraut!! I see it this way, if I can teach her at the same time I am learning, then she'll have a bigger head start on frugality than I did!!
Our first vinegar we made with pineapple and Papaya oh my goodness the best tasting vinegar I've ever had this time added banana cant wait until it's ready
Its more Helpful than most of the videos available on TH-cam... Thank You for sharing your knowledge!
I am excited to try making vinegar now. Your videos are wonderful thank you so much for sharing
Thank you so much for your good advice! I have my first attempt at intentionally making vinegar sitting on my kitchen counter right now. I have been making vinegar as a by-product of my making natural yeast bread for years. I have felt bad about throwing out the sour, colored water since I know it has vinegar in it. Like you, we use it for cleaning as well as cooking. Hope you have a great day!
I've not ventured out to make my own vinegars yet, but by watching your channel it doesn't seem as intimidating a thing to do. Thank you for sharing with us Ms Heidi. Blessings to Rain Country.
Hope you give it a try and thank you! :D
Thank you!!
Thank you for this information. Very helpful
I couldn’t wait to start this and all I had on hand was lemons and cucumber. So, it’s one day old now and smells pretty good.
Wow! Did you do a lemon and cucumber vinegar together?
@@mrsdavenport1031 . Yes. Hopefully it tastes good. Otherwise it’ll smell good as a cleaner. Lol.
Did you use just the lemon rind or did you cut up chunks of the whole lemon? I want to try a cranberry lime vinegar.
@@rachelirvin6567 . I put a couple pieces of lemon in but mostly rind. Same with the cucumber. A few chunks and peel.
Most excellent video with useful information explained simply. Thank you🌷
All the millions of questions I had were answered. One more subscriber
Thank you from Brazil 🇧🇷
Wonderful, thank you Lucas!
I had watched some vinegar making videos on TH-cam but still wasn't sure how long it takes or how you would know it's done fermenting. So, approximately 30 days and it will be done once you stop seeing the bubbles. Thanks for answering my question! I think I'm confident enough to go try my first batch now. I appreciate your taking the time to share your knowledge.
did you try it yet? how is it going so far?
A friend gave me great advice: start more than one batch at a time. If you have one batch, and something goes wrong, you've waited 4+ weeks and ended up with nothing but sadness. But if you start multiple batches at once, you will end up with success for sure :)
My first few batches were in very small jars, a proof of concept, if you will. After I gained more confidence, I'm now making a big batch
@@mattbuszko That's a good idea, I only started one batch though. Maybe next time I'll make a bigger batch.
I think I have about one week left now? I put it in a mason jar with cut up fresh ginger, turmeric roots, and blood orange. I placed a paper towel on the top held in place by a rubber band. For the first few days I was stirring it everyday but then I forgot about it and stopped stirring. It started forming what looks like a very thick kombucha scoby on the top. I don't see any bubbles at all but maybe I'll still wait another week or two and then see how it goes...
@@rjbfunfacts6947 how's it smell?
@@mattbuszko It doesn't have a strong smell or resemble vinegar. It's a light fruity sweet smell. I'm wondering if I just can't smell the vinegar because the scoby on top is making a tight seal? When I get ready, I thought I would try a bit. But, if I'm unsure if it's safe, I may just use it as a cleaning vinegar?
@@rjbfunfacts6947 It's good you have a backup use just in case, but if it smells nice, it's probably going to turn out well :) Enjoy!
The best way I have found to keep the fruit under the liquid... is I just keep reusing the scoby.. I get one very time on the top of my vinegars....also when I get too thick of a scoby, I cut it up and feed it to my chickens.. They just love it. Also, after I bottle it or jar it or what ever I put it in after straining.. I just cover loosely... like my bale bottles, I just don't clamp down.. Thanks for helping people with the process Heidi..
If you have the mother, it is so easy to do ;) I did it 😀 it just takes time
I get a lot of mothers from my vinegars but do not use them to start a new batch though one can if they choose. It does not shorten the time or make it any easier to use one. I just prefer to feed mine to the chickens rather than save them for more batches of vinegar when it is not necessary
Good video 👍🏻 answered many of my questions
I am making a raisin vinegar and in fact I got rid of the black mouldy top twice and now it does smell lovely, it smells of wine vinegar!!!!!! I am going to strain it very soon!
The raisin really has a wonderful smooth aroma, I love it!
Just started my goldenrod vinegar today, though I infuse goldenrod in ACV. Love, love making vinegars! Thank you so much!!!!
Just saw this comment from a year ago, not sure how I missed it the first time!
@@RainCountryHomestead technology, great 😂😂😂
I know you are busy, so if there is no comment, you are still good!!! Don't worry - but it is funny!
@@kleineroteHex I stumble across old comments like this when I am replying to new ones under the same video. It always surprises me as I was sure I had seen them all! haha
I love your videos!
Loved this video and subscribed.
You explained wonderfully and helped me with a lot of fears.
Started a batch of Elderberry and a Elderberry and pineapple mix.🍍
I’m hoping 🤞🏻 of a good outcome 😊
my apple and plum vinegars turned out lovely! the apple has a thin scoby (?) on top. thanks for answering all my questions, never would have even tried or known i could do it without watching your videos!
Thank you for sharing this Janice :D
@RainCountryHomestead My first tries with Apple Vinegar, is at 2.5 to 3. I removed a Mother on one jar, because I saw small white fuzzy stars starting on the Mother. I am in phase 2 and strained and found this "mold" about 1 week after straining. I am going to watch that jar for 2 more weeks and see if I see any mold form. Do you think if no mold is seen after two more weeks and since I removed the questionable Mother, that it will likely be "good" after monitoring for 2 more weeks?
Just finished my first batch of acv after 17 days and stirring once or twice daily. Turned out great I think. I strained it and still looking cloudy but tasted good. Does it continue to ferment?? I just plan to use 2tbsp with water in the morning and evening. Thanks for your videos. God is good! All the time! God bless you! What state do you live??
Cloudy is normal for homemade vinegars. The reason store bought vinegars are usually clear is because they have been distilled. Yes, it wil continue to ferment and then clean up after itself and turn back into water so make sure to store with an air tight lid to prevent that from happening
Thank you for this video, you answered so many of my questions that I did not find on other videos. This is my first time making vinegar. Since you mentioned wine, I would like to try that next😊
I also recommend you watch my newest vinegar making video here: th-cam.com/video/XQ2O-pt1EVs/w-d-xo.html
and here is the wine making series: th-cam.com/play/PLzVtTPDzFPKFtB45ulnLxFmo0mPdd23wq.html
merci....Québec
Thank you for these videos on Vinegars'. I started with an apple cider vinegar, then a rice vinegar, and had some red grapes that needed to be used before they go bad, I now have a Citrus vinegar brewing.... And it was a HUGE success, I used the red grape vinegar and some of my homemade mustard in the sauce for our favorite cabbage slaw. and It was so tasty. If anyone wishes, you can search Our favorite Cabbage Slaw over at High Plains Ministead. it is one of our first few videos.
Started my first vinegar today. We'll see how it progresses. I already enjoy fermenting cabbage and making my own sauerkraut, and I like learning how to make use of fruit scraps or less than perfect fruit. I'm actually trying to make vinegar from some apples and pineapple cores. We'll see.
Thank you
I am two weeks into making 2 quarts of floral vinegar using the stir method! It’s going perfectly and I’m so excited! I am learning so much from you and I am so grateful!
I do have a question. Can I make vinegar from dehydrated lemons and oranges? Thanks so much! 💜
How do you make floral vinegar?
Coco Dior Heidi has videos on it but basically flower petals sugar and water.
I actually have a new floral vinegar one coming out next week :D
Yes, dehydrated fruit should work great, I have only ever had issues with previously frozen fruits, not sure why this would be, seems like they just never want to turn to vinegar. I am guessing the yeast on the fruits that helps get it going is killed in the freezing process
Ok thanks GOT IT !...I'm WAS concerned about when is it would explode and when I see bubbles I still think I should keep the Caps loose so that they're not tight and that lets the air escape so like I say I'm new at this thank you
If you allow your vinegar to fully finish so that it is not at all bubbly, then it should not be a concern when putting it back in storage, but yes, it would not hurt to leave the lids just loose enough to allow gasses to escape just in case one put it up too soon
Hi Heidi! I have a question. I made some scrap vinegar after watching one of your videos. It bubbled and fizzed like crazy and I stirred it several times a day. When it stopped, I strained it and put it in a clean sterilized jar with a coffee filter on it. It still has a two weeks to go and I’m seeing a couple of white fuzzy spots with green centers floating on top. Does this mean that it’s going bad? Thank you for your wonderful videos! ❤️
No but it does sound like there is mold growing so you will want to scoop that out and continue to stir daily. One a day should be fine
Great knowledge Thank YOU
THANKS FOR THE VINEGAR VIDEO. YOU ANSWERED A LOT OF MY QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS ATE NOW ANSWERED...YAY!!!
O good! :D
Thanks for this update video. I have raisin, fig, and blackberry going right now, and the fig was freaking me out, with all of the mother/mold growing in it. I was very close to tossing both jars. I used your no stir method. I will have to try your current version. I actually sent you a pic of them on Instagram a while back.
O, I must have missed that photo. I do not fully understand Instagram yet, and do not spend much time on there, I barely have time to post anything! haha
Thank you for going into detail. I followed Stacy's ACV video and I had been questioning myself the entire time on that yeast that forms at the top. I am still curious on what it should smell like. I've had my strained apple vinegar in the pantry since December 2nd, but I don't feel like it smells like Braggs. Not sure at what point it should have that strong smell. 🤔
Every vinegar will vary in it smell and strength and depending on what was used in making it. I have never bought Bragg's so I cannot compare to that but I know when my vinegar is the acidity it needs to be for cleaning and more simply by taste and smell, weaker ones get used in other purposes such as cleaning and conditioning my hair or used in food preparation (though not pickling)
mujer conocedora y muy agradable💐
Thank you for all the info.
I was stirring mine 2-3 times a day and still had the fruit pushing out of the bottle for like 4-5 days! It ruined all my towels… weight didn’t work either.. i have a fuzzy layer but i don’t know if it’s white, beige, grey, or green… since i am making grape vinegar, my liquid has turned purple…. Coukd you please make a video showing the different types of fuzzy tops that can form and which ate harmless and which are toxic? Thank you
Please see this: th-cam.com/video/qOSBQfopQxA/w-d-xo.html
Rain Country,Thank you so much for sharing.😊 I am in the process of making apple cider vinegar and it smells and looks great. I do stir it every morning for three weeks already,should I stop stirring and let the mother take over or keep stirring daily? Thank you,God bless you for sharing.Love your work...
Yes, I usually stop once a mother starts forming or the fruit and herbs stop floating above the surface
Heidi, our vinegar tasted musty to me. We used wild apples, and sugar and water. We did not stir, it was about 8 weeks and unstrained. What did we do wrong? Does any of that stick out as a mistake? We love your videos! I make my own eggshell capsules for bone health, I got that tip from you:)
I find that stirring just yields a better result all the way around and four weeks before straining should be sufficient.
I’ve been loving all your videos! I wish I found them sooner!!! So I’m doing my first batches of different fruit vinegars. However my question is with my Apple cider and red wine vinegar. Do I need to add any sugar to either apple or red wine for the vinegar process or there enough in the original product to get it going. Thanks! Side note my Apple cider vinegar has green mold and that’s what brought me to this video. So glad I found it! My red wine doesn’t seem like much is happening after a week. Thanks again!
Also to be more clear in my Apple cider vinegar I used just an organic good quality Apple
Cider and not Apple scraps
You may need to add more sugar to the cider, depending on how sweet it is but since wine is already wine, it has already been fermented and work through the sugars so now it needs to be allowed to go the next step through exposure to oxygen
I hope this doesn't sound silly, but can you make vinegars with dried fruits and herbs? Love how informative your videos are..great work!
Not silly at all and yes you can :D
oh my goodness..thanks for the speedy reply! I know what I'm spending the day doing now..lol
Thank you for the Q&A
❤️
so very good...I tried making apple vinegar and it did not turn out...going to try your way. I have no clue how to use it in cooking..I so want to learn and hopefully can figure it out. My 21 yr old wants to learn so the pressure is on....
Be sure to check out my video on the many ways I use my vinegars: th-cam.com/video/D0Id73YiV1s/w-d-xo.html
I have a thin, white dryish looking layer on top of my raisin vinegar. It's only been 10 days since I started the vinegar. My question to you is, I thought vinegar need oxygen? If I leave the white layer in then how will it get oxygen?
Thanks for your videos.
If it looks dry, iit is likely kahm yeast. Please see this video about "What is on My Vinegar?", you should find it helpful in determining what is going on: th-cam.com/video/qOSBQfopQxA/w-d-xo.html
Thank you for your video. Do I need to strain out fruit pieces after they sank down. Or just leave them there until vinegar completely done the whole process. Thank you
I do not bother to strain until they are finished but some people strain after two weeks and then allow to finish. It is a matter of choice. I do believe that straining early can prevent the kahm yeast from forming (which can add an odd flavor) but then that is less time for the herbs and fruit to infuse their flavor and nutrients.
@@RainCountryHomestead thank you so much for quick response.
Fabulous information. I have several jars of apple vinegar on the go. They look really good except two of them, the water has turned slimy but it's still clear. Is this ok.
Thank you.
Yes, that is normal
Ho !! I just realised. It must be the pectin that makes the vinegar gel. I'm using Bramley apples that are high in pectin.
Hello Heidi, I am just learning that Rose of Sharon is beneficial. Just to clarify, I can make a hair rinse vinegar or medicinal vinegar out of ROS? (with sugar of course).Thanks. All my other vinegars turned out great!
Yep, you sure can! Any edible and beneficial herb can be sued to make vinegar :)
I made rose of Sharon infused /fermented honey, and rose of Sharon vinegar for.medicinal use and for cleaning. I also dry rose of Sharon leaves and flower for tea
Thank you so much! This has been very helpful!!
So glad you did this video. I don’t have a great space to allow my vinegars to ferment. I have a cabinet above my fridge. If I put them in a cabinet near my stove will the jars still colorectal the yeast in the air? Or should I just keep out on counter. Hubby grumbles a bit about them:)
I am sure they will be fine in the cabinet, my problem would be "out of sight, out of mind" haha! So as long as you can remember to stir daily for the first couple of weeks and keep track of how long they are fermenting, it should be good
Super!
It is an essential thing of wine and vinegar making in my grandma time. she used to make rice wine and rice vinegar in huge 5 gallon glas jars when i was little. Now it became modern , all these basic knowledge all lost.
I did made grape vinegar, it was great , until after 2 years in cool store room, that it became flat, no more aroma, the whole thing like soda water that out of fizziness.
is that the "spoil" that you mentioned ? i thought vinegar never goes bad, it is the last state of product of it's line. How i dissapointed that all my vinegar that i stores "thinking it would last indefinately" gone flat.
Is there any use of it anymore after they goes flat ? no mold or what so ever, just clear liquid almost like water.
Vinegars are not actually finished until they are flat. They should no longer be fizzy. If it is still fizzy, it simply means it is still working through the sugars to complete the process
Vinger with time turns to nail paint remover
A tip for you to keep the fruit submerged. Cut a coffee cup lid to the width of the jar. Insert the lid into the jar with the lid being upside down. You may have to bend the lid to squeeze it through a small opening but once inside it will unfold. Put some glass marbles used by florist on top of the lid. Lots of craft stores have the glass marbles. Just make sure they are sterilized. Works great for me, anyway!!!
The problem with methods like that is they do not allow as much air flow, which is important for a good acidic vinegar. But thanks for the idea.
I heard that the "mother" is actually the yeast colony from that batch and if you get a good tasting batch if you use that "mother" to start your next batch you should get that good taste again. It will actually kind of kick start the fermentation process.
I have tried it and found no difference myself. The only failed batches were the ones I made from frozen apple peels and cores.
@@RainCountryHomestead so don't use frozen ? i froze my tomato scraps because all my jars where in use. I was intending on using them to make vinegar. not a good idea?
@@annedwards358 YOu can try it but I just recommend adding some kind of starter to it such as a ferment starter or some previously made vinegar
Have you ever made rice vinegar if so how did you make it?
Yes, I love these videos on vinegar! You inspired me to make rose/calendula vinegar for my hair. Also I have apple cider vinegar now. You are a wealth of knowledge! Side note.... I love, love that apron you have on 😉
Thank you! :D
Can you use vegetable scraps to start a vinegar too? Thanks for sharing, a lot of great info.
Yes, but you would need to add up to a half cup of sugar.
I am making my first vinegars- really exciting! My strawberry vinegar was started 5/31 - and I added some sugar after the first week. It is already not bubbling. I stir daily. Any advice?
Too much sugar added after it starts bubbling can bring the fermenting to a stop. Depending on just how much was added, it may pick up again or it may not. I have since found that it is actually best to just add the total amount of sugar you think it needs based on if it is a fruit or herb vinegar and how much natural sugars are in the produce being used right from the start and not add more later.
@@RainCountryHomestead thank you for the advice! I will continue to watch it, but I might have to toss I guess. Btw, I love your channel so much, I've been binging!!
You don't necessarily need sugar. I make mine with adding some vinegar to fruit and water and its much better than using sugar.
It takes much longer time but I believe its healthier.
Sugar in some form IS necessary and as long as it is allowed to run the full process and turn to vinegar, there NO sugar left so the addition of sugar does not hurt but it does create a stronger vinegar. Yes, vinegar can be made with just fruit juice or a high sugar content fruit mixed with water but it may not turn out as strong as one that has had sugar added to it. The more sugar (or simple carbs) the yeast and bacteria have to consume and turn the sugars to alcohol then the alcohol to vinegar, the more acidity you will get in your final result
Just stumbled across your video and I got a lot of my questions answered apart from 1 question... do you sterilise your bottles or jars before you start your vinegar and after when you strain the fruit and put it into different bottles are they sterilised? Thanks hope you get back to me as I was to make vinegar soon. Xx
No, I never sterilize my jars for any purpose. Some do though.
@@RainCountryHomestead so is it safe just to wash the jars really well? X
@@marinaagathangelou4049 For making vinegar, yes it is
@@RainCountryHomestead thanks! X
I am going to try making a vinegar with sage and thyme from my garden with organic lemon slices. Mostly sage. Is it important to remove all of the stems from the sage? Some of them are kind of woody. (Just realized I'm asking from husbands account, I'm Beth)
Nope, you can leave the stems, even if they are woody, they won't hurt anything.
ALWAYS great info Mom! My pear vinegar turned out great! The watermelon I tried...not so much. It never got fizzy, just stinky. Idk what I did wrong. I was so sure it’d be a good one cause of the natural sugars too! Melon anything is my favorite so I wish I could make a melon vinegar of some type. Have you tried to make a melon one? TFS. Love, hugs and blessings ~The Kid! ❤️
Watermelon was very DIFFICULT for me. I had 7 jars of watermelon vinegar going last week. I had to throw all of them out. I was so sad. They smelled horrible and were full of mold.
I am so happy to hear other people tried the watermelon. I was going to, but not now. I would guess at this point the rind may work,but not the pink part. I make pickles with the rind because the fruit part dose not turn out very well.
FYI: Watermelon is very hard.. It don't smell good, and neigher does the wine..
Though I have yet to try watermelon, I am guessing there may not be enough yeast present in it so I would recommend trying it again but adding some vinegar from another batch, making sure to get the sediment from the bottom of the matured vinegar into it or even add a scoby from another vinegar. It may just need a boost to get going
Rain Country Great idea! Thanks, Mom! 😂❤️
Hi ya, great video. A friend gave me a bag of ambrosia apples a month or so ago. So with all the left over peelings etc i decided to try making vinegar. It was very active and after a month really started to smell like vinegar. From all the videos i watched it said to strain the fruit off and let it sit for another month or so to finish. Anyways when i strained it....the liquid was thick...like pectin, which i assumed that because apples contain pectin thats what it was. So do i just leave it, i have found very little online on vinegar that is thicker than water. Thats so much, i learnt so much from your video. Any help or advice would be great appreciated. Thanks again
I cannot remember for certain but I think that happened to me one time but no, that is not normal, not even for apple vinegars. I have had others say the same thing. My question would be: how much sugar did you add to it? It is possible if there was a lot of sugar, this could have made it mroe syrupy, but then too much sugar can actually prevent it from turning to vinegar. While vinegar needs sugar in the first place, too much can "smother" it
@@RainCountryHomestead Hi, no i added very little sugar...like a tablespoon of sugar to a cup of water or something like that. You can definitely smell it turning to vinegar and i can start to taste a mild acidy flavor
I'm very excited to have my vinegar still going. Actually I have 2...Craisins & Rose Petals.
Both seem to be coming along good.
But I did have one that attracted the little tiny "sugar ants". Was not happy with the little creatures lol
It sits on top my fridge now.
Thanks so much for all the info you share.
🌹 wow! How do you make rose petal vinegar? I want to make it, I'm so excited!
You can use any flowers and I do have an old video out on how to do that but also have another floral video coming out next week.
Thank you for this video it helps alot.
What blessing Heidi that you can share so many useful things that i can do in my home. I have started many vinegar's and it's going just fine. My question is i cannot buy anything on your Etsy store in Canada. I want to be able to buy the seeds. Do you sell any of them on Amazon and will you be in the near future? I would love to buy the seeds. Thanks
My raisin vinegars have produced several scoby’s. Can I use this scoby to make kombucha? Or any other uses. 🧐
I know you can convert the scoby to a kombucha scoby, I am experimenting now, so far it has not worked well for me but hoping this second try will work just for the sake of knowing since I do not care for kombucha. If you have chickens, they love them so I always toss mine to them. Some people have said they dehydrate theirs, powder, and then use a a healthy seasoning. Which sounds interesting
Help! I made a fruit citrus and chamomile vinegar and some how a few fruit fly got into the jar :(
Is it ruined? It smells good and has a nice mother on it but there was a dead fly in the mother. Do I need to toss this lovely batch or can I just remove the offenders??
I've made several batches with your instructions and they turned out great!! So far my favorite is strawberry. So delicious!
Thanks in advance, you're a gem!
Just strain him out. That has happened to me from time to time and I do not worry about it, it won't hurt anything
It's my understanding that the fruit fly actually contains the bacteria that converts ethanol into acidic acid (vinegar). So, no worries
I have two questions I haven’t seen answered, I apologize if you have answered them somewhere. My first attempt was a peach vinegar that was doing wonderfully, it got to a point where it tasted like lemon juice, so I left it a bit longer to get stronger and it developed what I thought was a mother however it started to smell extremely yeasty. The smell got worse and worse, and after a while I ended up throwing it away. Currently I am making a plum vinegar and a blackberry vinegar. The blackberry I started a week later than the plum, and I have stirred it with the same wooden spoon, only rinsed between stirring the two jars. The blackberry is fizzing and bubbling and looks like it’s progressing great, but it is getting a strong sulfur odor. Not quite sure what to do.
Each vinegar will be unique. Some does take on a very yeasty smell but you have to realize it is mostly yeast that is converting the sugar into vinegar. In many cases once the vinegar has been filtered, this smell will be gone, not always though. I cannot recall if I had one come out with a sulfur odor but would not doubt that I may have. The only reason I have had to toss some batches is because somewhere along the way, they stopped fermenting properly and thus the process never finished and never became vinegar, no matter how long I let it set. One good way to know for certain if you do not have pH test strips is to strain and put in storage, if it forms green mold on top then, it is not vinegar.
@@RainCountryHomestead wait, yeast don't convert sugar into vinegar. yeast convert sugars into alcohol. acetobacter convert alcohol into acetic acid.
paride corsetti yes, that is correct, and then you have vinegar
Thank you so much for these lessons.
On the 2nd week of my soursop vinegar. I've religiously stirred them twice a day. In the mornings, I place them under the sun, although lately there have been typhoons. A bottle has already stopped bubbling, but not sure yet if it is ready. Waiting for my pH strips to arrive. The other ones are still bubbling on and off. If under the sun, they do; but if weather is cold, the fruits sink and there's no activity. For the banana peel vinegar, it smells like raisins now, but still bubbling.
However, my pomelo peel vinegar has no activity since it started almost 2 weeks ago. The fruit is from our garden, so no chemicals. I've added sugar 2nd time. Added some honey, in case the yeasts are choosy with their sweets. I'm about to toss it to the chickens, but I'm trying to be patient...
When it stops bubbling that only means that it has converted most of the sugar to alcohol. The second step is to convert the alcohol into vinegar so it needs at least another two weeks for this to happen
@@RainCountryHomestead Thank you for this comment. I just need re-confirmation about the next step as I am unsure why the top liquid tasted bitter. It was alcohol after all :D
I just ❤❤your videos! So helpful!
I found some glass candle holders that are heavy like the glass weights. Do you feel that they would be ok to use on my ferments?
You mean for weighing down the top? As long as they fit, they should work but I personally do not like the idea of weights because not only are they a hassle, the prevent a good amount of air flow
@@RainCountryHomestead yes good point
I love your chanel
Hi can I put sugar to the apples without water?while when I’m making vinegar because my grandma use to do it without sugar and water thank for u knowledge ❤
To make vinegar you need both sugar and water OR you straight apple cider
Trying my hand at making vinegar again. Last time it tasted like a bums pocket lol.
Question: it's been 5 days and I still see no activity... What's wrong?
Apple peels and cores, quart jar, about a quarter cup of sugar, coffee filter lid. Should I add another quarter cup of sugar? It taste pretty sweet to me but I don't consume sugar a lot so that is to be expected.
If it is cooler where you are at, it may need more time but I still think it should be doing something by now. It is not a bad idea to add something to get it going. If you have some lively kombucha on hand or have made the fermentation starter I mention frequently, you can try adding about 1/4-1/2 cup of either of those to give it a boost
@@RainCountryHomestead since I found you I have binge watched your videos. I have made the fermentation starter and it is now starting to get bubbly so I think probably by tomorrow that should be well and active. I'll add 1/4 cup of it to my vinegar tomorrow... thank you so much.
I have always done your regular salt fermentation and was completely floored by your fermentation Starter video! I am over-the-moon. I'll be starting a jug of wine when my fermentation starter is ready. Which I believe should be ready by tomorrow.
The last time I made wine it also tasted like a bums pocket LOL. My fault... I let it sit too long. Better luck this time though
I recieved some apples that had been attacked by apple worms. I sorted through to find the good apples and the bad apples(the ones with worm holes). Can I use the bad apples to make vinegar?
Yes, just cut out the bad parts
@@RainCountryHomestead awesome! Thank you Heidi!
30 nov 2019 11:26 am est:thanks. summary:
0:35 help i'm getting black-mold growing on top of my vinegar.
i've seen black-mold a lot on raisin-vinegar which is an older video.
0:48 my vinegar-making-method evolve/change often so i put my latest vinegar-making-video here.
1:16 raisin-vinegar never give problem about raisin floating to the top, other fruit-vinegar give problem about fruit floating top the top.
sometimes fruit float then sink won't stay on the top.
1:30 if fruit float to the top and stays on the top and not being stirred then mold will grow.
no worry, initially mold has white-color then change to green-color then change to black-color, black-color-mold means dead-mold.
vinegar kill that mold making that mold has black-color.
mold has black-color because mold is dead and dried.
if never stirring vinegar then mold growing then lift mold then toss/discard mold.
anything below top-vinegar-surface will be killed so mold won't grow under vinegar-surface.
mold which fall to vinegar, will be killed.
if not wanting to see mold then during 1st 2 week in vinegar-making-process then stir vinegar daily.
stirring vinegar, prevent mold growing on top. (1st reason why stirring is good)
sugar change to alcohol then make bubble which push fruit to top so stir to remove bubble then make fruit sink.
other benefit of stirring/2nd reason:help give oxygen to vinegar.
oxygen change sugar-water and fruit-water to vinegar.
without oxygen, sugar-water and fruit-water change to wine.
if wine receive oxygen then that wine change to vinegar.
so sugar change to alcohol then change to vinegar.
4:24 bubble means sugar-water, fruit-water change to wine ? --> mistake ? 'wine' should be 'vinegar' ?
4:30 3rd reason why stirring daily is good:bubble push fruit, herb upward then bubble push liquid upward as well then
overflow/spillage happen. putting plate underneath will catch overflow/spillage.
so stir 1 time per day minimum.
stirring 2 time per day is good but 1 time per day is enough.
so stir prevent overflow/spillage, prevent mold, hasten vinegar-making-process.
more sugar will slow-down vinegar-making-process but more sugar will make stronger-vinegar.
7:56, 8:20 white-or-beige-colored-gleatinous-layer is normal, that is kahm-yeast, sometimes grow on vinegar-top-surface
during in storage.
[source:'Kahm yeast is not a type of mold, but rather an aerobic yeast that forms when the sugar is used up and the PH of the ferment drops because of the lactic acid formation.' in www.fermentools.com/blog/what-is-kahm-yeast/ from google(kahm yeast)result 1]
8:53 white-colored-layer not on vinegar-top-surface, is mother-vinegar
mother-vinegar often grow during vinegar-making-process.
after filtering vinegar and storing vinegar in jar, mother-vinegar doesn't grow.
so that's why after 2 week stirring not needed anymore because bubble-making stop, and mother-vinegar prevent
fruit floating to top-surface and growing mold.
mother-vinegar is scoby
what is scoby ?
'SCOBY (or SCOBAY) (for symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) is a syntrophic mixed culture of yeast and bacteria used in production of several traditional foods and beverages' in en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCOBY from google(scobie)result 3
scoby is healthy, ppl save scoby.
scoby can be inserted on next vinegar-making-glass to prevent fruit floating to top-surface.
but if willing to stir then scoby is not needed.
10:35 mother-vinegar can be many, not just 1.
10:50 stevia can not replace sugar.
11:34 vinegar should not have sugar left because all sugar change to vinegar.
sugar in stevia is less than sugar in sugar/sugar-cane, honey
12:32 need sugar to make wine, stevia can not make wine.
12:46 vinegar inside bottle, explode during opening that bottle because vinegar-making-process was not finished.
that unfinished-vinegar is good for sauteeing, marinade-sauce. to finish unfinished-vinegar: put unfinished-vinegar
inside a jar add sugar then close jar loosely to let in oxygen then wait 2 week.
if bubbling then vinegar-making-process is not finished yet.
bubble means yeast and bacteria still change sugar to vinegar.
15:04 vinegar can be used for cleaning, cooking, baking (shown in other video)
15:30 vinegar can be put in spray-bottle for cleaning furniture
15:50 mesh-strainer can be used to (1)filter vinegar, (2)remove fruit and herb from vinegar
fruit can be eaten by chicken.
and herb can be eaten by earthworm then become vermi-compost.
16:19 vinegar for cleaning needs extra-straining after straining with mesh-strainer, need to strain again using
100% cotton 2-cloth-layer or 3-cloth-layer so mini-fruit-chunk, mini-herb-chunk can be removed and won't clog
spray-bottle-hose
17:33 vinegar can be stored in jar which not allow oxygen to come in. then vinegar-jar can be stored inside dark-kitchen-cabinet.
vinegar with ph 4.5 has acidity 5% is acid-enough to make long-shelf-life.
18:54 vinegar which lack acid, go bad in few month. maybe because lack stirring and lack sugar.
19:07 mold-apperance on vinegar means vinegar already expired because lacking acidity, taste nasty then must be discarded.
Goodmorning, I started my vinegar on November 27th 2020. It is covered with cotton, stirred each day and I used raw organic honey. But, I find it is evaporating at least an inch. Should I leave it or add water? Thank you for your help.
I usually just leave it myself, you have to realize that water is liquid that has not been infused with the fruits or herbs and can water down the finished product.
can i use raw pear juice with a bit of sugar without any added water?
or do I need to use the scrapes only?
thank you for your valuable info
Yes, you can do that. Apple cider vinegar is not made from scraps but from pure juice so using pear juice will be more similar to that but you an call it PCV instead, haha
One good method to stop mold is to do it in the two-step process like professional vinegar makers use.
It’s to make a vine first, through traditional methods with yeast, a container and an airlock. When the wine is done fermenting, then they make the vinegar by adding the acetobacter that make the vinegar from consuming the alcohol in the wine. It works well, because the alcohol keeps most of the unwanted yeast and bacteria from growing too fast in there.
I do it this way, and have never experienced anything like this. I get the bacteria from unpasteurized apple cider vinegar from the grocery store, if I don’t have a mother ready. I just add a couple of tablespoons of it to the homemade wine, and get a strong vinegar in about a month 😊
Heidi I need some help. Around the second week of October I placed my apple cores into jars about half way full then covered with water nearly to the top, I placed a coffee filter and an elastic on the top to allow it to breath, placed them in a warm’ish area in my kitchen where I can keep an eye on them.. now I didn’t not add sugar to the jars so my question is should I now do so knowing that sugar is needed for this process or is it too late to do so? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
You should be fine to go ahead and add sugar, especially if nothing has been happening. There is just not enough sugar in those cores and peels to yield a strong vinegar. Start with just a 1/4 cup if your jar is a half gallon and then if and when it starts getting really bubbly, try adding one more 1/4 cup making sure you are starring daily
Rain Country okay will do! Thank you for replying so quickly. I will let you know how it works out. Oh and YES God is good ALL the time!♥️🇨🇦🕊
Hi you talked about stirring, but does that not push back the mould in the vinegar. My other question is do you measure for the ph of the vinegar. Do you have any recommendations for aging vinegar. Also can you recommend any good resources for making larger quantities. Where can good quality buckets be purchased ?
If you stir daily for the first two weeks, mold does not have a chance to develop so you are not pushing it under. To make larger quantities, just increase the amount of fruit and/or herbs, water, and sugar accordingly. So if you do a full gallon, use at least 1/2 to a whole cup of sugar depending on if you are using fruit or not and how much. Fruit has its own natural sugar but most herbs do not. Either way, unless you are using straight fruit juice, you will still need to add sugar to get a good vinegar. I recommend getting yourself glass one gallon jars or a ceramic crock if you need something bigger. I do not recommend using plastic buckets for making vinegar.
Hi! Thanks for these videos, I'm loving them. Question- my raisin vinegar has been going about a week and there have been no bubbles so far- I've been doing the stir technique and only used raisins and water. Do you think this will eventually turn to vinegar?
It is possible you may need more sugar. If you only used raisins without added sugar and did not use enough raisins, there may not be enough sugar. However, the same can be true the other way, too much sugar from the start can slow or prevent the fermentation process
@@RainCountryHomestead thank you! I actually was thinking I was probably a little skimpy on the raisins- you think if I just add more raisins or some sugar I can save it? Or should I start over?
@@meganmarie319 I think just adding to it at this point will be just fine
hi sorry, i'm making vineger from raisins in two jars, once they are done, is it possible to put both in a single jar? or in doing that a ruin it? thanks
As long as it will all fit into one, yes. I do that all the time
@@RainCountryHomestead awesome! thanks for the response, i'll try with no fear now, 'cause i was gonna do it anyways hahaha
@@alfreascazuri6335 Ha! Good! :D
Sugar ferments and the acidobactor feeds on the alchohol from the fermentation and then your byproduct is the vinegar
What is the best PH value for a really good vinegar? This is my very first attempt. I have four started and they all look to be doing really great! So far :)))
3.5 pH is what you want. I will link you to my most recent vinegar making video as I believe it is the most comprehensive one I have: th-cam.com/video/depySASTPrw/w-d-xo.html
@@RainCountryHomestead just curious. Have you ever had a vinegar be slimy? I started a cedar vinegar last week or so. I have been stirring every day. It has gotten quite thick and slimy. Smells good tho....
The rhubarb banana mint I started last month did pretty good. Smells wonderful:))). The ph only went to a 5 tho :((. Suggestions... please and thanks!!
@@traceylilienthal7514 Yes, I have, though it has only happened once or twice. I have no idea why they whole vinegar would turn out slimy, I do end up tossing those ones since I am unure. Now if it is just the scoby forming on top, that is slimy too, but that is also a sign of a healthy vinegar, no, I do not toss those ones
Can you use sugar substitute in making viniger?
No, you cannot. The yeast needs something to feed on and it cannot feed on a non nutritive sweetener. You can use honey though. It is important to understand that the end product is vinegar and vinegar has no sugar remaining in it as it has all been digested by the yeast
I think I messed up my black berry vinegar. I started it 3 weeks ago and stirred every couple days. My mother was accidently thrown away. Will it be ok to continue making? Also, I made a very tiny batch (3/4 a quart jar) does it still ferment 30 days?
Yes, it still needs to ferment just as long but it does not need the mother in it to do that so let it be until the bubbling completely stops
Thank you for the video! How much sugar is needed to make the fresh flower vinegar?
A half cup is usually what I add to a half gallon but you can go as high as one cup but it is usually best to add that second half cup after one week and no later
@@RainCountryHomestead Thank you! I can't wait to get started.
Can I use dried herbs to make vinegar? For instance, a fresh lemons and dried lavender? Or does the lavender have to be fresh?
Lilliemarie Gore yes, you can use dried
Today there were some maggots in my applecider(on top of the Apple's:( I throw the apple top with the maggots away and keep the applecider to continue fermenting. Do a have to throw all applecider away? Thank you in advance for your answere
I am guessing what you saw was from fruit flies that managed to get in, I have had that happen before. It should be fine to allow it to continue and then make sure to strain it out well when it is finished. I do not remember if I tossed the one I had or not, it was quite awhile ago.
Hello Heidi, I was curious about making a vinegar that was stronger than 5%. I had a fresh pineapple that was too sour to eat so cut it up, peeling and all, and made a gallon of vinegar with it. It sat for eight weeks. I just tested it with a universal test strip that showed @ 5. I cannot find any information on what the acidity level of that would be. 🤔 Do you have any answers for me? 🙂 it is definitely not for consumption, but, for other useful applications once I understand the %.
Grateful to you for all your wisdom and inspiration!! I started making vinegars last year. Such fun! I recently made a garlic vinegar and a garlic basil vinegar that are out of this world delicious!!
Appreciate any wisdom you can offer.! 🙂
If the pH is at 5, it is very low acidity. The pH needs to be 3.0 to 3.5 for it to be 5%. Some even say as low as 2.5 but I personally do not believe that is necessary
@@RainCountryHomestead How did I miss that!?! Thank you for your wisdom!
Hi Heidi. I made my third batch of apple vinegar. This time (30 days) it tastes like alcohol. Just wonderin what i did wrong. Should i add more apples or sugar?
If it tastes like alcohol and is still bubbly, that means it is not done and does not need any more fruit or sugar, simply more time to complete the process. You may have added more sugar than necessary per the amount of fruit used so it will take longer to work through all the sugars. The yeast and bacteria turn the sugar to alcohol then the oxygen exposure turns the alcohol to vinegar