Homemade vinegar is one of those unusual but easy projects the whole family can get behind. All you really have to do is stir and wait. What could be simpler?
I’ve been making my own red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, and malt vinegar from scratch for many years. However, when I decided to try fruit vinegar, I realized the process for this is a little different.
Finding good at-home fermentation information used to be difficult. Thank goodness for the 2003 book Wild Fermentation by Sandor Katz, fermentation expert extraordinaire. Although the directions in the book are for pineapple vinegar, I make peach vinegar because I have an excess of peaches growing in my backyard. The same process can be used to make any kind of vinegar from fruit scraps — things like fruit peels, over-ripe fruit, and fruit pulp left over from making jelly or juice. Just don’t use any fruit that’s spoiled. Soft or bruised is OK; rotting is not.
The Difference Between Wine And Vinegar
If you’ve ever opened a bottle of wine with a dried-out cork, you’ll recognize the relationship between wine and vinegar. Vinegar develops when the alcohol is exposed to air. You can think of it as a continuum; bacteria acts on sugar to cause fermentation, resulting in alcohol. Continued exposure to air keeps that process going until the ethyl alcohol is converted into acetic acid, and acetic acid is the chemical designation for vinegar.
This continuum is why it’s quick to make wine or malt vinegar at home; we can start out with premade alcohol that only has to undergo the transition to vinegar. However, when making vinegar from fruit scraps, we’re fermenting first to produce an alcohol byproduct, and then changing that byproduct into vinegar. Even though it takes longer than traditional vinegars, the process remains simple.
Why Home-Fermented Fruit Vinegar?
Just as a loaf of homemade bread bears little resemblance to commercially prepared loaves, home-fermented fruit vinegars are distant cousins to the more readily accessible flavored vinegars. Raspberry, peach, or blueberry vinegars from the grocery store are usually made by steeping berries or herbs in white vinegar. They’re tasty, but they lack the depth of flavor that we get from a fermented fruit vinegar.
These fruit vinegars get their flavor from the extended fermentation process. Each fruit lends its own personality to vinegar: Peach vinegar is mild and delicate; plum or blueberry vinegar is more assertive; and mango or pineapple vinegar falls somewhere in between.
Peach Vinegar
Fermentation Time
Fermentation type: Aceto
Primary Fermentation: 1 week
Secondary Fermentation: 2 to 4 weeks
Aging: 6 months
Total Time: About 7 months
Peach vinegar can be used much like Champagne vinegar — as a delicate dressing for greens. It’s also delicious splashed over roasted vegetables or baked fish, and makes a unique gift.
Yield: About 1 quart.
Ingredients
- 1 to 3 cups peach peels, pulp, or chopped fresh fruit
- 1-1/2 cups sugar
- 4 cups water
- Oak chips, optional
Instructions
- Place the clean, chopped fruit and fruit scraps in a medium-sized bowl.
- Dissolve the sugar in the water, and pour over the fruit. Stir to combine. NOTE: The water can be warm, but should not be boiling; if you heat it to help the sugar dissolve quickly, let it cool to room temperature before combining with the fruit pieces.
- Cover the bowl with cheesecloth, a paper towel, or a coffee filter, and secure with a rubber band. Let it sit in a warm place for about 1 week, or until the mixture darkens to approximately the color of tea.
- Strain out the fruit, re-cover the bowl, and let the liquid sit for another 2 to 4 weeks, stirring occasionally. Before moving on to the next steps, taste the mixture to make sure it’s fermented enough to get that vinegar taste.
Stabilize the Vinegar
- Transfer the vinegar to a large pot, and heat on a stove until it reaches 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Pay close attention during this step; if heated over 160 degrees, the acetic acid will evaporate.
- Pour the vinegar into decorative bottles. Add a few oak chips to each bottle for additional flavor, if desired.
- Plug bottles with caps, corks, or plastic tops. Label with the type of vinegar and the date it was finished, and let the bottles age in a cool, dark place for 6 months to fully develop flavor before use.
Renee Pottle is an author, family and consumer scientist, and Master Food Preserver. She writes about canning, baking, and urban homesteading on her website.
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FAQs
The gooey film that appears on the surface, the vinegar 'mother', holds the highest concentration of Acetobacter and can be used to start the next batch of vinegar. Bottle the liquid with unpasteurized vinegar in a carboy and discard the fruit solids. Ferment the liquid for at least two weeks at room temperature.
How do you make vinegar out of peaches? ›
In a glass or stainless steel sauce pan heat white wine vinegar on the stove to where it is warm, but not boiling. Stir in the peach cubes and cook 1 minutes. Pour the warmed peach-vinegar mixture into a 1 quart glass jar and allow to cool to room temperature before capping with an acid-proof lid (about 15 minutes).
How do I know when my vinegar is ready? ›
Your nose and tastebuds will tell you when your vinegar is ready. Don't worry if it looks a little cloudy – that'll be the mother, which you can filter out at the bottling stage – or is ferociously strong. You can dilute it at the same time.
Can you make vinegar without yeast? ›
If no champagne yeast is available, or you want a truly "wild" ferment, rest assured that the skins of apples are covered with wild yeasts that will also initiate fermentation. A tablespoon of sugar or molasses per quart of liquid will also energize the initial ferment, making it more vigorous and quick.
How do you speed up vinegar fermentation? ›
Oxygen is essential for the fermentation of wine into vinegar. To speed up the fermentation of vinegar, you can increase the oxygenation level of the liquid. For example, an aquarium air pump can be installed in the jar. This technique allows you to produce vinegar in just ten days!
How can I speed up fruit fermentation? ›
Use warm water: Water that is too cold can slow down the fermentation process, so using water that is around 80-85°F (27-29°C) can help speed things up. Use a larger starter: A larger starter will have a higher population of yeast and bacteria, which can help to speed up the fermentation process.
How long to soak peaches in vinegar? ›
The Soaking Method
Add the fruit and make sure that all pieces are submerged in the vinegar solution. Let the fruit sit in the solution for two to three minutes, then strain. Rinse the fruit completely to remove the solution, then pat dry.
What is peach vinegar good for? ›
It may help boost your digestive system, support weight loss, regulate sugar and improve your overall well-being. *Any variation in the color of our Peach Cider Vinegar is thanks to the beautiful variations of color in organic peaches.
What fruit makes the best vinegar? ›
Ideally, fruit vinegar is best made from a juicy fruit. You can use whole pieces of fruit or even just the fruit juice. Apples, plums, peaches, even certain berries or grapes are fantastic for fruit vinegar. You can also make vinegar from drier fruit like pears or apricots, but it's best to cold press the juice first.
How do you test homemade vinegar? ›
Vinegar's pH can easily be tested by using pH strips. pH strips are inexpensive to use and widely available for purchase. They're designed to change color in response to a liquid's pH level and come with a color chart you can use to compare the tested strip against.
When making fermented beverages such as wine, beer or cider, hygiene is very important, but not so much for safety, it's more about taste. So your vinegar should be safe. If it tastes OK, congratulations, you did it! As always, though, if you intend to keep it for a while, you may want to pasteurize it (or freeze it).
What is the difference between pickling and fermentation? ›
Here's what you need to remember: Pickling involves soaking foods in an acidic liquid to achieve a sour flavor; when foods are fermented, the sour flavor is a result of a chemical reaction between a food's sugars and naturally present bacteria — no added acid required.
What is the fermentation process of vinegar? ›
Vinegar fermentation is the process by which ethanol (alcohol) is converted into acetic acid and water by acetic acid bacteria. It is commonly used in cooking, pickling, and as a condiment. The science of fermentation in vinegar production is converting sugar into alcohol and then into acetic acid by microorganisms.
How do you make vinegar step by step? ›
How to Make Vinegar at Home – Step-by-Step
- Step 1: Preparation Before Starting. Decide where you'll keep your vinegar. ...
- Step 2: Sterilize your jar with hot water (not boiling) and drain. ...
- Step 3: Adding liquid. ...
- Step 4: Covering the Vinegar Jar with Cheesecloth. ...
- Step 5: Feeding the Vinegar Mother.
After a successful fermentation start, yeasty smell and off flavor is caused by the active yeast strain. Unfortunately, even some cultivated yeast strains have this issue.
How long does fruit need to ferment? ›
Fermentation occurs once bubbles appear on the fruit because the yeast is digesting the sugar and converting it into alcohol. Fruit tends to ferment quickly, in 24 to 48 hours. However, some people prefer to ferment the fruit for up to 2 to 3 weeks.
How long does it take to make infused vinegar? ›
Place herbs in sterilized quart jar. Heat vinegar to just below boiling point before pouring over herbs. Cap tightly and allow to stand in cool, dark place for three to four weeks, shaking occasionally. Strain out herbs.
What fruits can be fermented into vinegar? ›
Fruit vinegar is made from the fermented fruit juices of apples, mangoes, plums, citrus fruits, grapes, berries, or other fruits. The whole fruit or fruit scraps may be used to produce it.
Does soaking fruit in vinegar make it last longer? ›
Fortunately, common household vinegar is quite effective at killing the mold spores and bacteria that spoil fruit. 1 By washing berries in a mixture of white vinegar and water, you can make your berries last longer in the fridge.
