How to Make Apple Cider Vinegar at Home
Apple cider vinegar is made in two stages: yeasts turn the sugar in apple juice (or apple scraps in sugared water) into alcohol, then acetic acid bacteria, the mother of vinegar, turn the alcohol into acetic acid. Keep it at 16–27°C (60–80°F), covered with cloth rather than a lid so air gets in, stir it daily and taste it until it is sharp enough, which usually takes several weeks.
Homemade vinegar's acidity varies, so use it for dressings, cooking and fridge pickles, never for canning or pickles kept at room temperature.
Ingredients
- 2 litres (about 8 cups) Apple juice or fresh-pressed cider, with no preservativesJuice from autumn or winter apples has enough sugar. Check the label: preservatives such as sorbate or sulphites stop the yeast
- ½ tsp (optional) Wine or cider yeastNot essential, but it speeds up the first stage. Bread yeast isn't recommended
- 100 ml (about ⅓ cup), optional Raw, unpasteurised cider vinegar with the motherAdded at the second stage to bring in the vinegar bacteria and give it a head start
- About 300 g (scraps from 6–8 apples) Or, for the scraps method: apple cores and peelsCover with 1 litre of water in which you've dissolved 2 tbsp (25 g) of sugar
Equipment
- Wide glass jar or food-grade bucket of 3 litres, so it is no more than three-quarters full
- Cheesecloth or a clean tea towel and a rubber band
- Long wooden or plastic spoon
- Sieve, muslin or coffee filters, and a funnel
- Clean glass bottles with non-metal or plastic-lined caps
- Cooking thermometer (for pasteurising)
Method
Choose a non-metal container
Use glass, food-grade plastic, enamel or stainless steel. The acid corrodes other metals and aluminium. Wash everything in hot soapy water and rinse well.1
Start the first (alcohol) ferment
Pour the juice into the jar so it is no more than three-quarters full and stir in the yeast, if using. Cover with cloth held by a rubber band, not a lid, and keep it out of direct sunlight at 16–27°C (60–80°F). Cooler temperatures may not give a usable vinegar.1
Or start from apple scraps
Pack the cores and peels into the jar, pour over the sugared water to cover them and weigh them down with a small plate or a zip bag of water so nothing pokes out. Cover with cloth and stir daily. After 1–3 weeks, when the bubbling slows and it smells boozy, strain out the scraps and carry on with the liquid.
Stir daily and let the alcohol form
Stir once a day. It will bubble as the yeast turns the sugar to alcohol, which typically takes 1–3 weeks depending on the temperature. When the bubbling has mostly stopped and it tastes dry and cider-like rather than sweet, the first stage is done.
Let the vinegar bacteria take over
Stir in the raw vinegar, if using, re-cover with cloth and keep stirring daily: the bacteria that make acetic acid need oxygen. A pale, jelly-like layer, the mother of vinegar, often forms on top. The liquid will start to smell of vinegar.1
Taste until it is sharp enough
Ohio State Extension gives about 3–4 weeks for full fermentation; in a cool kitchen it often takes 1–3 months. Taste a little on a spoon every few days once it smells of vinegar, and stop when it is as sharp as you like.1
Filter out the mother
Strain the vinegar through several layers of muslin or a coffee filter. This removes the mother and stops further fermentation and spoilage. Keep a piece of mother in a little vinegar if you want to start the next batch faster.1
Pasteurise and bottle
To keep it long term, heat the vinegar to between 60°C and 71°C (140–160°F), checking with a thermometer, and pour it into sterilised bottles. Cool, cap and store at room temperature out of direct sunlight. Unpasteurised vinegar can be kept in the fridge and may grow a new mother.1
Safety
- Homemade vinegar's acidity varies, so never use it for canning, room-temperature pickles or any recipe that relies on 5% acidity1,2
- Ferment and store it in glass, food-grade plastic, enamel or stainless steel; the acid corrodes other metals and aluminium1
- Dilute it before drinking. A daily glass of apple cider vinegar has worn away tooth enamel; take it with food and rinse your mouth after3
- Don't swallow it neat or in tablet form: an apple cider vinegar tablet caused injury to the oesophagus (gullet) in a reported case4
- Throw the batch away if fuzzy blue, green or black mould grows on top. A smooth, pale, rubbery layer is the mother and is normal
Variations
Pear peels and cores work the same way. Avoid scraps with mouldy or rotten patches.
Suspend a muslin bag of herbs in strained vinegar for about 4 days, or 2 crushed garlic cloves per 2 cups for 1 day, then remove it. Keep garlic vinegar in the fridge.
Use a piece of mother from a previous batch, or a generous splash of raw vinegar, to get the acetic stage going sooner.
Does it actually work?
Homemade apple cider vinegar is good for dressings and cooking; its health effects are less certain. The clearest result is short-term: a 2017 meta-analysis found that vinegar taken with a meal lowered the rise in blood sugar and insulin after it. A 2025 review of seven small trials (463 people with type 2 diabetes, mostly in Iran) found lower fasting blood sugar and HbA1c, but the trials were short and small.
For weight, a 2025 meta-analysis of 10 trials reported modest losses over up to 12 weeks, but one of the largest trials it included was retracted later that year, which weakens the result. The trials used commercial vinegar at about 15–30 ml a day, diluted. Your homemade batch has an unknown strength.5,6,7,8
Questions people ask
How long does it take to make apple cider vinegar?
Usually several weeks to a few months. The alcohol stage takes 1–3 weeks, then the acetic stage takes from a few weeks to a couple of months, faster in a warm room and with some raw vinegar or mother added. Taste it to judge when it is ready.
Can I use homemade vinegar for pickling?
Only for fridge or freezer pickles, dressings and cooking. Tested canning and pickling recipes rely on vinegar of at least 5% acidity, and you can't know the strength of a homemade batch, so use shop-bought vinegar with the acidity on the label for anything stored at room temperature.
What is the mother of vinegar?
It is the jelly-like layer of acetic acid bacteria that forms on top of fermenting vinegar. It is normal and can be used to start the next batch. Filtering it out before bottling helps stop further fermentation.
Why isn't my apple cider vinegar turning sour?
It probably needs more air or warmth. Keep it covered with cloth, not a lid, stir it daily and keep it between 16°C and 27°C (60–80°F). Adding a splash of raw vinegar with the mother often gets it going.
Is it safe to drink apple cider vinegar every day?
There is no agreed safe daily amount. Trials used about 15–30 ml a day, diluted in water. It is acidic enough to wear tooth enamel, so dilute it, take it with food and rinse your mouth after. If you take diabetes medication, talk to your doctor first.
Sources (8)
- University extension Nicholas C, Herringshaw D. Making Cider Vinegar at Home. Ohio State University Extension, republished by Penn State Extension. 2025.
- University extension Zepp M. Advice about Vinegar. Penn State Extension.
- Case report Gambon DL, Brand HS, Veerman EC. Unhealthy weight loss. Erosion by apple cider vinegar. Ned Tijdschr Tandheelkd. 2012.
- Case report and product analysis Hill LL, Woodruff LH, Foote JC, Barreto-Alcoba M. Esophageal injury by apple cider vinegar tablets and subsequent evaluation of products. J Am Diet Assoc. 2005.
- Meta-analysis Shishehbor F, Mansoori A, Shirani F. Vinegar consumption can attenuate postprandial glucose and insulin responses; a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2017.
- Meta-analysis Arjmandfard D, Behzadi M, Sohrabi Z, Mohammadi Sartang M. Effects of apple cider vinegar on glycemic control and insulin sensitivity in patients with type 2 diabetes: a GRADE-assessed systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of controlled clinical trials. Front Nutr. 2025.
- Meta-analysis Castagna A, Ferro Y, Noto FR, et al. Effect of Apple Cider Vinegar Intake on Body Composition in Humans with Type 2 Diabetes and/or Overweight: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Nutrients. 2025.
- Retraction notice Retraction: Apple cider vinegar for weight management in Lebanese adolescents and young adults with overweight and obesity: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. BMJ Nutr Prev Health. 2025.
Educational only. Patch-test anything new on your skin, and stop if it irritates.
Reader notes
Experiences and questions from readers, read by an editor before they appear. They are personal accounts, not evidence, and are not medical advice.