On salads, in the kitchen, from a glass: who would have thought the humble apple cider vinegar could have so many uses?
How is it made?
Quite simply, apple cider vinegar is a vinegar made from apple must. The process involves adding bacteria and yeast to the liquid squeezed from crushed apples. This kicks off an alcoholic fermentation process, which turns the sugars in the liquid to alcohol. In a second fermentation process, the alcohol is converted into vinegar by acetic acid-forming bacteria (acetobacter).
What’s a “mother” got to do with vinegar?
“Mother” of vinegar is a body of nutritious amino acids found in unprocessed, unfiltered vinegar. This stringy-looking substance indicates your vinegar is of the best quality. Unfortunately, most store-bought brands of vinegar have been pasteurised and filtered to prevent the mother from forming. This “murky” vinegar is the best option for consumption.
What can I do with it?
- All-purpose dressing: Spruce up your salads, marinade your meats, liven up your vinaigrettes and even sprinkle over popcorn!
- Alkalising aid: Apple cider vinegar helps to reduce pH levels, which can help the body to become more alkaline. Mix 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar into a glass of warm water, or add a dash to your water bottle and sip throughout the day.
- Household cleaner: Mix one part apple cider vinegar with one part water and pour into a spray bottle. And get cleaning!
- Odour neutraliser: Pour apple cider vinegar into a shallow bowl and place it where the odour is strongest. Leave it out the smell disappears.
- Sore throat soother: The antibacterial properties in apple cider vinegar are thought to help to kill off pathogens. Mix 1/3 cup of apple cider vinegar with warm water and gargle as needed.
- Reflux reliever: Reflux is sometimes caused by too little acid in your stomach. Boost the the acid content of the stomach by taking one tablespoon of raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar in a large glass of warm water daily.
- Weed killer: Pouring apple cider vinegar directly onto weeds will kill the plant without damaging the surrounding soil.
- Garden fertiliser: Help plants thrive with a diluted vinegar solution (1:8 ratio of vinegar to water). This helps to raise the acidity in your soil, which is great for azaleas and rhododendrons. Make your own plant food by diluting the mixture even further and adding some sugar.
- Facial toner: Cleanse your skin of acne-causing bacteria by mixing 1 part apple cider vinegar to 2 parts water. Daub over the face with a cotton ball after cleansing. Leave for ten minutes and then rinse with water.
- Conditioning Rinse: Apple cider vinegar helps to add body and shine to hair. Mix 1 tablespoon of cider vinegar into 1 cup of water, and rinse hair with it after shampooing.
- Itch reliever: Take the itch out of insect bites by soaking a cotton ball in apple cider vinegar and pressing against the skin for about 30 seconds. Repeat every hour or so for itch relief.
- Teeth whitener: Apple cider vinegar may help to lift stains from teeth. Rub teeth directly with the vinegar after brushing, and then rinse with water.