Making Apple Cider Vinegar

With my recent endeavor of processing a box of apples, I was left with lots of apple peels and cores that I didn't want to go to waste.  Normally I would just throw them into the compost pile or feed them to the chickens but this year I wanted to add an extra step to the process to make the most of what I had.  A good portion of the peels were cooked and made into apple cider that I will drink little by little over then next few weeks.  The rest of the peels would become something even a little better: apple cider vinegar.

I had looked up the recipe online and came across quite a few sites that had good instructions.  Basically they all called for fresh clean apple peels and cores, water, and a little sugar.  Pretty simple, right?  It's almost the same as making wine.  The only difference is that you want your juice to be exposed to the air, so it has aerobic fermentation as opposed the the anaerobic fermentation that makes wine.  I also am not adding yeast to the juice that will become vinegar.  I want the natural yeasts that grow on the apple peels to do the work.  They may take a little longer to take off, but I have plenty of time to let them do their thing.

After a week of hanging out in a warm part of the house, I strained out the liquid from the peels and put it back in the jars to let it ferment further.

It already has started to smell like vinegar but I imagine it will be several more weeks before it finished.  For now it can bubble away to it's heart's content on my kitchen counter.  This is my first time attempting to make my own vinegar and I am impressed by how simple the process is.  I am happy that I could make something useful from apple peels that would otherwise go to waste.