Updated October 2026
How to Make Apple Cider Vinegar at Home
Ferment cider to vinegar at 60 to 80°F with plenty of air. Use it in the kitchen, never for canning.
Penn State Extension's method: press fall or winter apples for cider, pour it into containers about three-quarters full, cover with cheesecloth, stir daily, and keep it at 60 to 80°F out of direct sunlight. Fermentation takes about 3 to 4 weeks; taste daily once it smells of vinegar. Because homemade vinegar varies in acidity, do not use it in canned foods or anything stored at room temperature. It is excellent for salads, cooking and refrigerator or freezer pickles.
Sugar for scrap vinegar
Scrap Vinegar Calculator
Making vinegar from apple scraps? Enter how many cups of water you are using and this works out roughly how much sugar to dissolve in it for stage one. The rule of thumb is about 1 tablespoon of sugar per cup of water.
A kitchen rule of thumb for scrap vinegar, not a tested recipe: about 1 tablespoon of sugar per cup of water. Fill the jar half to two thirds with scraps and cover them with the sweetened water.
Step by step
- Use fall and winter apples; summer and green apples do not contain enough sugar.
- Wash, crush and strain to get the juice, or half fill a wide jar with cores and peels covered in sweetened water.
- Yeast is optional but speeds things up. Use wine or cider yeast, not bread yeast.
- Fill containers to about three-quarters and cover with cheesecloth, not a lid.
- Keep at 60 to 80°F, away from sunlight, and stir daily.
- When it is as strong as you like, filter through a coffee filter to remove the mother.
Use glass, plastic, wood, enamel or stainless steel; acid corrodes other metals.
Mother or mold?
| Mother of vinegar: keep it | Mold: throw the batch out | |
|---|---|---|
| Look | Smooth, flat, jelly-like film or disc, pale to tan | Fuzzy, raised spots: white, green, blue, black or pink |
| Smell | Sharp, clean vinegar | Musty or rotten |
Pasteurizing and storing
For long storage, heat the vinegar to between 140 and 160°F, no hotter, and pour it into sterilized bottles, or bottle it and heat it in a hot water bath to the same temperature. Store it at room temperature out of sunlight.
Flavored vinegar
Penn State suggests, per 2 cups of vinegar, 1/2 cup crushed fresh herbs, 1 tablespoon dried herbs, 2 large garlic cloves or 8 small green onions, steeped in a cheesecloth bag for about 4 days (1 day for garlic). Pasteurize and use sterile bottles.
Sources we checked (October 2026): Penn State Extension, Making Cider Vinegar at Home; USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning (2015) through the National Center for Home Food Preservation, General Information on Pickling.
Common questions
Can I use homemade apple cider vinegar for canning?
No. Its acidity varies, so do not use it in canned foods or foods stored at room temperature. Use it in salads, cooking and refrigerator or freezer pickles.
What temperature does vinegar need to ferment?
60 to 80°F. Cooler may not produce usable vinegar; warmer interferes with the mother.
How do I pasteurize homemade vinegar?
Heat it to between 140 and 160°F and bottle it in sterilized bottles.
Is the mother of vinegar safe?
Yes. A smooth, jelly-like mat is the mother. Fuzzy or colored spots are mold, and the batch should be thrown out.
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