No mother in my apple cider vinegar

Hey there..

So, I'm on my 3rd attempt at making acv. The first 2 turned out well, tasted great, except that they didn't culture the mother. Google tells me that I should use organic apples, but I don't have access to organic here. Can you not use regular apples to form the mother? I also use bottled water, but how pure it is...who knows..

I'm also using panela instead of raw sugar..

Basically, I'm following what I find on google on how to make it. I use a mixture of 8-10 apples (granny smith, gala, red delicious), add a cup of panela, and let it sit for a month. Remove the apples and let it sit for 3 more weeks. Like I said, great vinegar, but no mother..

Any tips or suggestions?

a reply to: Tucket

What the hell is ACV?

Why does even a cooking query require an acronym?

a reply to: TrueBrit

Apple Cider Vinegar.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

Apple Cider Vinegar.

Aaaah...TYVM.

a reply to: donktheclown

NP. TTYL.

originally posted by: TrueBrit
a reply to: Tucket

Why does even a cooking query require an acronym?

It doesn't. But I figured that anyone who could give advice, probably knows what acv stands for.

But in any case, you're right. Title fixed

Well I am curious what "the mother" means.

I've never tried making it myself.

Well the apple is very absorbent when it comes to pesticides, so organic is definitely the way to go... Panela? Why not just used the raw sugar like suggested if u want to culture a mother... I tried making kombucha but didn't get the desired taste cause of sunlight I think... You keep it in a dark place?

I have never used sugar in making vinegar and never had a problem developing a mother, but the apples came from an un-sprayed tree.
My biggest problem was having any cider left after it got hard to make vinegar from.

originally posted by: chiefsmom
Well I am curious what "the mother" means.

I've never tried making it myself.

It is a colloid formed when cider converts to vinegar, a mass of dead bacteria and cellulose.
Wikipedia: Mother of Vinegar

You can buy a bottle for about six bucks or less most times and it lasts quite a while. Learning to make that when there are some organic ones priced reasonably out there doesn't seem cost effective to me.

We do make a lot of things ourselves. I like homemade strawberry and peach jams.

a reply to: Tucket
Is there a reason you are making it? It can be bought relatively cheap. I use it for a lot of things. Good stuff.

originally posted by: ResearchNOWknowledge
... Panela? Why not just used the raw sugar like suggested if u want to culture a mother... I tried making kombucha but didn't get the desired taste cause of sunlight I think... You keep it in a dark place?

I use panela because I havent came across raw sugar in any of the stores around here. Theres lots of panela...cheap.

But, from what I read, panela is raw sugar, just unrefined; can be used instead.

Good idea though. Ill look harder for raw sugar next time.

I love all this talk of keeping your mother's in dark places. Very Norman Bates.

originally posted by: ugmold
a reply to: Tucket
Is there a reason you are making it? It can be bought relatively cheap. I use it for a lot of things. Good stuff.

The stuff for sale here in Colombia is either fake, or really expensive..

ZZZZttttt

originally posted by: butcherguy
I have never used sugar in making vinegar and never had a problem developing a mother, but the apples came from an un-sprayed tree.
My biggest problem was having any cider left after it got hard to make vinegar from.

Dont you have to let the mixture sit for a lot longer without adding sugar? Like 6 months?

I could give it a shot though..

And yeah, I wish I had some proper British Columbian apples down here..

sorry to hear about no cider being left over..

originally posted by: redoubt


ZZZZttttt

Thanks for editing...makes sense now..

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus


I love all this talk of keeping your mother's in dark places. Very Norman Bates.

Norm probably did his best work while on acv

originally posted by: Tucket

originally posted by: redoubt


ZZZZttttt

Thanks for editing...makes sense now..

Exactly