Three cheers for the Apple Cider Vinegar – at last!

Just when we were about to give up, we successfully bottled 15 litres at The Secret Acre this winter.

We first, and last, successfully made Apple Cider Vinegar back in 2017, using it the following year for pickling all sorts, even radishes.

But the half dozen attempts since then to replicate that initial ‘beginners luck’ success have all failed.

At first we weren’t making the cider strong enough. Often you need to add sugar to your apple juice to make sure you end up with very strong 9-10% cider, because you need enough alcohol (ethanol) to convert into acetic acid (vinegar). Then either we got the aeration wrong (not enough) or the temperature wrong (too cold).

But last autumn we might have finally re-cracked it. Strong cider, bigger bucket for a large surface area and a warmer home, which I thought might have proved too warm. I was wrong. By Christmas it smelt like vinegar, and one test tasting was enough to transport you to a fish and chip shop.

Our best and strongest ever Apple Cider Vinegar for sure. So expect a return to a cornucopia of weird and wonderful pickling on the veg patch this summer!