I purchased 20 pounds of apples from Azure Standard this month. I decided to make an apple cordial or brandy out of my excess apples. I took this picture in a dark kitchen, so it ended up with a funky glare. I will do a post on the blog of the whole process at a later date. The cordial will not be finished for months. I ended up with a lot of apple cores for making homemade apple cider vinegar.
This is a very simple process...
In a half gallon jar, fill with apple cores and or peels until 3/4 full. Add 1 cup of cane sugar and fill the jar with filtered water. Put a lid on and shake until sugar is dissolved. Remove lid and cover with a clean cloth, coffee filter or napkin. Use a rubber band or string to keep in place. Place the jar in a bowl to prevent bubbling over. Store in a cool dark place. Stir apple mixture every day for two weeks with a wooden spoon. Let mixture sit for an additional two to three weeks. If a scum develops on top, just spoon it off. Strain the apple mixture with a fine mesh strainer and pour strained liquid into a clean jar. Let sit an additional 1 to 3 months. Once it reaches the desired flavor and acidity, pour into glass containers with a plastic lid. Metal lids will corrode. A mother should form on the bottom of the jar. This is normal and a very desirous state of raw vinegar. You can add a couple tablespoons of raw vinegar to speed up the fermenting process.
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| I took out a portion of the apple cores out of the jar to make it 3/4 of the way full and froze the excess until I have enough to make another 1/2 gallon. I will add fresh cores and peels to the frozen ones to ensure a successful brew. |
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| Apple scraps and sugar. |
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| Apple scraps, sugar and filtered water. |
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| I used a coffee filter with a rubber band to cover the jar. |
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| I placed the apple mixture under the cabinet. I put a bowl under it after I took the picture. |
Mrs. Smith
