Apple cider vinegar and bragging rights

For those who know me, they know I love to make things from scratch!  In conversations about what I make I often hear "You can make that??"   Yes, you can make most anything and it will almost always be cheaper and much, much better!  Plus you get the satisfaction of making it yourself and that comes with some bragging rights for sure....

My most recent endeavor was making apple cider vinegar.  We have our own apple trees but did not get the best yield this year so at the end of the season. The ones that were left that we did not eat or give to our farm animals were not in the best shape so they were perfect for making vinegar! I had two batches going because we also got a whole bunch of apples for our local orchards who we are looking to support the best we can.  I made and canned apple sauce and used the scraps for the vinegar.

The process is simple but takes time.  I am taking video footage and photos of that process and will let you know when I post it to my YouTube channel but in the meantime, here are some pics! Dan helping me strain the larger batch which I then combined with the smaller for a grand total of almost 5 gallons of apple cider vinegar! That would cost anywhere from $100 - $200 if you purchased it instead of making it.  Huge savings and, again, bragging rights....
The scraps ended up being fed to the chickens, Hazel and Apache - what a treat for them!  #nowaste

​It's got a couple of weeks left until its ready to be bottled but it smells awesome!  Fresh, clean and healthy apple cider vinegar!