One day, I was cutting up a pineapple. Normally, I take the scraps and put them in the container for my compost pile. Today, I decided to research other options. I got on Pinterest and I found out people do all sorts of things to recycle leftover pineapple. For example, people grow new pineapples from the crown, distill them into alcohol, make jelly, brew into tea, or ferment into vinegar. Huh. That’s quite an interesting array of opportunities.
I studied the ideas for making vinegar and researched recipes. This seemed to be the simplest and most useful way to recycle my leftover scraps. Plus, making vinegar at home creates another natural product to use, which I think is a healthier decision. “Why not?”, I thought. If nothing else, I decided it would be a cool experiment. And, that is the story of how I began making vinegar in my kitchen.
How Do You Use Homemade Vinegar?
I use the homemade vinegar anywhere I use white or flavored vinegar, like cleaning and cooking. For example, I used it in a traditional oil and vinegar Italian dressing. I mixed white balsamic with the pineapple vinegar and added homegrown basil, rosemary, tarragon, a seasoning pack, and olive oil. It was so yummy, it only lasted for one dinner. People had seconds on the salad!
In addition to traditional uses, I found a new use, rinsing out my hair after shampooing. Once or twice per week, I add the vinegar to my hair and scalp to get an invigorating clean feeling. My hair feels fantastic and I don’t even need to wash it daily anymore, which has to be better for my body.
Let’s Make Some Vinegar
Hopefully, I have convinced you to try this for yourself. The recipe is so simple, you can do it the next time you are slicing up fruit, whether it’s pineapple, apples or something else. Here is what you need (makes on quart):
- 1-2 cups of fruit scraps
- 1 glass jar (I use mason jars with screw-on ring but no lid)
- 2 cups Distilled water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- Coffee filter or cheesecloth
Directions
Take the fruit scraps and put them into a jar. Fill halfway
Add vinegar mother, vinegar from previous batch or white vinegar
Warm the water in the microwave
Add sugar to warm water and dissolve
Pour mixture into jars to cover fruit. Leave room at the top
Add a coffee filter or cheesecloth and secure with a ring (do not seal)
Store in a dark area at or near room temperature
I add three dates to the top of each jar. The first date captures creation date, the second date is 3 weeks out to remove the scraps, and the final date is when the fermentation should be complete. These are notional and part of the experimentation. While fermenting, you need air for the bacteria to turn the sugar into alcohol and then into acetic acid. Once the fermentation process is complete, cutting off the air will stop the fermentation process. That is why the vinegar purchased in a store comes in a bottle with a lid and not a coffee filter!
In the first week, you will see bubbling happening in the jar and a film starting to appear at the top. This is the beginning of a vinegar mother, which is a colony of bacteria developing and is a totally natural thing to occur. After a couple of weeks, remove the scraps and allow the vinegar to continue fermenting. After another two weeks, strain the vinegar and taste it. If it is “good”, you can store it in an air-tight container. Aging will continue to improve its flavor. If it is not ready, return the filter to the top of the jar and put back in its fermenting spot until it’s ready for use.
Experiment, Experiment, Experiment!
Here is a great link to the science behind making homemade vinegar.
I encourage you to try this for yourself the next time you are chopping up some fresh fruit. As you can see in my pictures, I have one batch made with oranges. I plan to use this for cleaning to utilize the citric acid from the oranges. Also, you can use any source with alcohol or sugar to turn into vinegar. Many vinegars are fermented from white or red wine, which can be quite delicious for cooking. I feel an experiment coming on. If you have an old bottle of wine, send it my way. Until then, happy fermenting!