How to make Vinegar

Vinegar is an invaluable resource to know how to make in SHTF scenarios, as it serves a variety of purposes ranging from food preservation to cleaning and even medicinal uses. While the process itself is relatively straightforward, it does demand a great deal of patience and attention. The second fermentation stage is especially vital to the overall outcome—bottling the vinegar prematurely can result in ongoing fermentation, which may lead to pressure buildup and dangerous explosions of the containers. To ensure a successful outcome, it is crucial to maintain a consistent temperature range between 55–75°F throughout the fermentation process. Additionally, it’s important to remember that the final stage of fermentation can take several months to fully complete, so careful planning and time management are key to achieving the desired results.

Items needed;

• Jar
• Hand mixer or hand blender
• Cheesecloth
• Colander

The following steps are how to make vinegar;

1. You can make vinegar from a variety of bases, such as apples, grapes, or even vegetables with a high sugar content. The base you choose will determine the flavor of the vinegar.
2. Fill a glass jar ¾ of the way with fruit, you can use any fruit, and also add in some herbs and spices, just make sure there is no mold.
3. Cover the fruit with unchlorinated water.
4. Let the fruit ferment for one to two weeks. During this time, the water will go from clear to cloudy, and once it goes back to clear, it is ready.
5. Strain out the fruit, clean the jar, put the water back in the jar, and cover it again.
6. This is the second fermenting stage and will take, potentially many months. However, to test when fermenting is done, and when you can bottle and seal it, you can place the batch into a container and leave it for several hours. If there is no pressure built up in the container, then you can leave it sealed at room temperature, otherwise, as it continues to ferment, pressure will build, and your vessel will explode.