Place the apple scraps (peels and cores) in a quart jar. Add apple cider vinegar, honey and enough water to fill the jar. Make sure all your apple scraps are covered with water.
Stir well and cover with a piece of muslin or a coffee filter secured with a rubber band. It’s important for the mixture to get plenty of air while the fermentation process is taking place. Store your jar at room temperature, out of direct sunlight.
Within 24 hours, you may see the first bubbly signs that fermentation is underway.
By the end of day 2, serious foaming should be underway, and you may see the gaseous bubbles moving much like carbonation bubbling up in a glass of soda.
Once the primary fermentation activity has settled down, set it aside and stir it daily for the next several weeks. Make sure all of your apple scraps remain covered by water.
You may notice around week 4, that a film (a “mother” that is full of “friendly” bacteria) has formed across the top of your apple cider vinegar. This indicates the secondary fermentation is progressing nicely.
By week 5, the mother will have increased significantly, and it’s time to taste your vinegar! You may choose to leave it for another week or two or you may strain it and use the mother to start another batch of vinegar.
Store your vinegar in a cool, dark place. The apple cider vinegar will last indefinitely and the flavor will develop and evolve over time. It does not need to be refrigerated.
