I came across a vinegar mother recently (and named her Daphne). I also learned that vinegar is best made in a dark environment. Having only clear glass gallon jars at my disposal, I took matters into my own hands…
I found a black T-shirt to sacrifice (In my day job as a software nerd, I get many free T-shirts from tech conferences.) The neck hole fit the collar of the jar perfectly, and I cut off the bottom part to make a breathable cover (I got four swatches from one shirt!)
Voila! Homemade crock.
I am partial to white wine, so I decided to feed Daphne an inexpensive viognier.
Recipe: White Wine Vinegar
Ingredients
- Vinegar mother (swap or get from a brew/winemaking supply shop)
- 2 bottles of wine
- more wine (to add later)
Instructions
- With clean hands (dipped in white vinegar), put the mother in the bottom of a crock or jar.
- Pour two bottles of wine into the jar.
- Cover with a cloth and secure with a rubber band.
- Every 1-2 weeks, add a glass of wine. Be careful not to disturb the top layer (bacterial mat) that has formed (e.g. use a baster and add wine below the bacterial mat).
- After one month, add a glass of wine per week to the crock.
- Let sit for 3 months in a dark warm environment (out of direct sunlight in kitchen, e.g.)
- Strain through a paper coffee filter into a clean glass jar or bottle. Store for up to 4 months.
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Do you have any vinegar-making tips or stories? Please share them in the comments section!
Author and founder of Fermenters Club. I’ve been fermenting food for 14 years.
In 2024, I published my first book, Fearless Fermenting.
When not stuffing things into jars, I enjoy permaculture gardening, cooking, yoga, writing, and studying cosmology and esoteric traditions.
I spent $12 plus shipping for a pint (16 oz) of vinegar starter. I had production problems i.e. mold and it was too expensive to order it again. One day I noticed my bottle of organic raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar was cloudy and had a “mother” in it –so for $5/quart I can start another batch of vinegar. Don’t know if it matters if I start this way-time will tell, I guess.