Apple cider vinegar is one of the oldest foods and it's been in use for thousands of years. Not only is it easy to make apple cider vinegar at home, but it is one of the most versatile tools you have in your home and medicine cabinet.
As a modern homesteader and natural living pioneer lifestyle loving junky, yep, I totally admit it, I absolutely adore having an item I can put to use in many different ways. Especially when said item is one I can make at home with ease.
Here's how to make easy homemade raw apple cider vinegar with just 2 ingredients and 2 steps!
Click here–>Easy Homemade Apple Cider Vinegar Recipe
What are the Components in Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is fermented apples. We're quickly learning that not only is fermentation of our food a way to preserve it (our ancestors knew this) but it also has many health benefits as well. Apple cider vinegar is taking apples and water and letting them ferment twice to create vinegar, which is high in acetic acid.
Apple cider vinegar also contains pectin, some B vitamins, folic acid, niacin, Vitamin C, minerals potassium, magnesium, calcium and iron, though not enough to be your multi-vitamin. *Source
Apple Cider Vinegar in Your Health
Apple cider vinegar is thought to help with many areas in our health, and recently science is showing this to have real promise as well.
Keep in mind, not all apple cider vinegar is created equal. Look closely, some apple cider vinegar on the store shelves is really colored and flavored to look like apple cider vinegar. Read the fine print on the label.
If you're not making it at home (trust me, it's one of the easiest things you'll ever make in the fermenting world) then look for one with the mother, it's that kind of cloudy, stringy, cob webby thing floating inside the vinegar. And because apples have such a high pesticide load, go for organic.
Health Concerns with Apple Cider Vinegar, it's important to note that too much apple cider vinegar can cause a reduction in potassium levels and in bone density.
Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor and this is not providing any kind of diagnosis or treatment. This article is for informational and entertainment purposes only.
With apple cider vinegar, a little bit goes a long ways. It's best thought to start with 1 to 2 teaspoons and always diluted with water or liquid if drinking it, some people work up to 1 to 2 Tablespoons, but it's not recommended to go over this amount.
- Apple cider vinegar with diabetes and blood sugar, showing to help improve insulin sensitivity in diabetic patients. In this study, people drank 2 Tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in water 2 minutes before eating a high carbohydrate meal. They then tested their blood sugar levels at different intervals and showed overall improvement. *Source/study data
However, before adding in any changes to your regular diet/protocol, if you have any health conditions check with your doctor and pharmacist first. - Apple cider vinegar with blood pressure. Keep in mind, this study was done on rats, not on humans, but there was some promise. It showed that the rats blood pressure and renin activity were reduced. *Source/study data
- Apple cider vinegar with cholesterol. Again, this study was conducted on rats and not on people, but it does show promise in helping aid the body to maintain a healthier cholesterol level. The study showed some levels of cholesterol were lowered, but not all. *Source/study data
- Apple cider vinegar for weight loss. This was pretty minimal in overall weight loss, but in a study done in Japan with 175 people those who used apple cider vinegar lost 1 to 2 more pounds over 3 months. *Source/study data
- Indigestion or stomach acid. If you have stomach acid issues, sometimes its caused by an imbalance of the ph levels in your stomach. Some people swear by drinking a teaspoon or two of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water helps with indigestion or stomach acid issues. Again, consult with your doctor if you have health issues or concerns.
Using Apple Cider Vinegar for Your Skin Care
Apple cider vinegar should always be diluted before being used topically. Start with a 25% vinegar to 75% water ratio first to see how your skin reacts.
6. Facial Toner/acne. Apple cider vinegar is acidic and has anti-bacteria properties, making it a perfect skin toner. It helps with bacteria and the acetic acid in the vinegar helps maintain the ph balance of your skin, especially if you've used a cleaner with soap.
7. Hair rinse. Mix 1 cup of water with 2 to 4 Tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and rinse your hair with it. It helps removes any build up of product and also increases shine.
8. Scalp Treatment for Dandruff. Because apple cider vinegar is acidic and has anti-microbial properties, it can work wonders for your scalp. Apply the above rinse to your scalp, working it into the roots of the hair, then rinse.
9. Under arm treatment. Many people want to use natural deodorants, but a lot of these deodorants use baking soda and a percentage of people break out from the alkalinity of the baking soda. Using a pre-rinse under the arms of diluted vinegar helps create a more natural ph level and allows some people to use the baking soda based deodorants without irritation.
10. Sun Burn many people swear by dabbing apple cider vinegar diluted with cold water onto a sun burn.
11. Athletes foot. Some people say soaking your feet in a diluted mixture of water and apple cider vinegar helps with athletes foot.
12. Bug bite.Many people like to use diluted apple cider vinegar as a treatment to help take away the itch from a bug bite.
Apple Cider Vinegar in the Cleaning Cupboard
13.Clogged drain cleaner. Take about 1/4 cup of baking soda and dump it down your drain, chase it with vinegar until it stops foaming. Wait about 15 minutes and then pour boiling water down your drain.
14. Multi-purpose cleaner. Use 1/4 to 1/2 apple cider vinegar and dilute with water. Use as a multi-purpose cleaner for windows, mirrors, counter tops, etc.
15. Laundry cleaner. Oh yes, place vinegar and water into the fabric softener dispenser of your washing machine. It helps kill odor causing bacteria.
16. Faucet cleaner. You know that gunk around the handles of your sink faucet? Place a paper towel with vinegar around it, leave for a few minutes, then come back and wipe clean.
17. Floor cleaner. Instead of using soap to mop your floors (hello soap scum build up) add some vinegar to your warm water and mop the floor with it.
18. Fruit Fly Killer. Fruit flies drive me bonkers. Fill the bottom of a small glass jar or bowl with apple cider vinegar and add a couple of drops of dish soap. Fruit flies will come flocking, fall beneath the surface of the soap, and drown.
Apple Cider Vinegar in the Kitchen
19. Soak your beans. We all know beans can create a little bit of… ya know, gas. When soaking your dry beans, add a Tablespoon of vinegar to the water and soak for at least 8 hours to help decrease the gas.
20. Soak your grains. Vinegar helps break down the phytic acid in grains and flour, which helps many people digest it easier.
21. Flakier pie crust. Oh, yeah, melt in your mouth pie crust happens with vinegar. Here's my great-grandmother's flaky pie crust recipe with the secret ingredient- apple cider vinegar!
22. Better no-knead bread texture. Yes, add a couple of Tablespoons to your no knead bread recipes for a lighter texture, like this no-knead bread in 5 minutes a day recipe!
23. Quick buttermilk. Let me tell you, buttermilk makes the best breads and biscuits, but if you don't have buttermilk, don't despair, just add 1 Tablespoon of vinegar to 1 cup milk and let sit for 2 minutes.
24. Salad dressing. Make your own salad dressing with 3 parts oil of choice and 1 part vinegar and spices to flavor (I kind of like garlic myself).
25. Homemade Mayo. Whip up some easy homemade mayo!
26. Flavored Vinegar. Don't spend money on those flavored vinegars, make your own! Here's how to make blueberry basil thyme vinegar You can toss just about any fruit, berries or cherries work really well, let them sit in the vinegar to infuse it, then strain and store in the fridge until ready to eat it up!
Apple cider vinegar is also useful for common ingredient substitutions when cooking and baking.
Bonus! 3 Extra Ways to Use Vinegar
27. Produce Wash. Make a vinegar wash to clean your produce before putting it up in the fridge, use 3 parts water to 1 part vinegar, but of course, your sink needs to be clean before filling it with this mix to wash the veggies and fruits with. Let them sit for 5 to 10 minutes, rinse, dry and store in the fridge.
28. Homemade Electrolyte Drink. Don't waste your money on sugar filled sports drinks. Hydrate with this healthy Old Fashioned Switchel instead!
29. Wash your winter squash. When you bring in your pumpkins, spaghetti squash, acorn squash, butternut squash and other winter squashes, wipe off the outside of them with a towel dampened with vinegar. This will help kill any bacteria and remove any dirt on the surface to help them last longer while on the shelf.
I'm not a doctor. This post isn't meant as a diagnosis or a treatment plan for you, just so we're clear, it's for educational and entertainment purposes. I believe this to be true for modern and holistic/natural medicine, each person has to be responsible for what they use and do their own due diligence. I talk about treatment plans with my doctor, my naturopath, my pharmacist (who happens to also be my boss in my day job), and do further research online or in books. I recommend you do the same.
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Can powdered mustard be used in the Mayo recipe?
Most prepared mustards have white distilled vinegar in them. Because of allergies I have to stay away from it.
Yes, you can! I use 1/4tsp mustard powder per whole egg or 2 egg yolks. The recipe I use is as follows: 1 large egg (or 2 yolks), 1 Tbsp vinegar, 1/4 tsp dry mustard powder, 1/4 tsp salt, 1 cup avocado oil. This can easily be doubled, and you can use any vinegar or lemon juice for the vinegar. Sometimes I will use lemon juice if I’m going to put the mayonnaise on fish or if I’m making tartar/dill sauce. I put all ingredients in a pint and a half (tall pint) mason jar, let everything settle, then buzz with an immersion blender at the bottom until mayonnaise forms and then thickens (about 1-2 minutes), then I slowly bring up the immersion blender to combine all. If you take your time and go slow, it won’t break.
Hi, saw your video, just read your article, I cant wait to try using your recipes for ACV and the others you linked in this page. I also was wondering you said it works for fruit flies, but does it work with any type of flies and anything like, ants, spiders, millipedes, slaters, cockroaches? I live in Australia and my partner and i brought our first house and there is alot of bugs and insects that plagues our house inside and out and we cant afford store brought products so i am trying to find home made natural remedies from foods etc to turn into products that help kill or get rid of pests, plus to help naturally for my animals ear troubles, like my cat is dealing with and my dogs arthritis, and read your things that help with our health which i have read and heard too. I was also wondering if you have a link using the ACV to make home made mayo pretty please? I think thats all the questions i have for now, but if i remember any more over reading this page or in general, i will be sure to contact and leave a msg again 🙂 Thanks and Kind regards, Amanda. I am going to try and make home made apple cider vinegar using your recipe, as you said you dont use vinegar or sugar to jump start, and a recipe video before your one was saying to add some sugar and vinegar to it. so i will try the experiment too like you said, plus glad to know that paper towel and a rubber band will do the trick to help make the ACV as i dont have any of the fancy stuff. and hope just normally glass jars from sauces that has been brought or given in foodbank and those type of food support places will still work as a jar since i dont have any big ones or mason jars either
Salt pork is so good, but I am careful with total consumption of salt. It is pretty interesting that stomach cancer rates bottomed out in 1940 when refrigeration replaced salt cured meats. I was trying to find my receiepe for burdock root. Basically a med size plant is dug up and the roots peeled and thin sliced for any stir fry vegetable use. Interesting to know this weed was imported by immigrant farms as tea from the leaves was used to spray food crops and poison insects. So next time you get burrs on your pants, smile!
Besides the bonus value of the cost of Apple Cider Vinegar…it has been in my Pantry since I can remember..my favorite cleaner…(internal and external)..and my absolute fool proof use on avocado used for salads..plus the small amount used in soaking my potatoes for potato salad keeping them firm enough to mix and beautifully white. I usually buy the one with “Mother” Raw and Organic.
I love the video on home made vinegar & wish to see more things you are doing. Thank you.
[…] 28 ways to use […]
Thank you for all the wonderful tips and the recipe to make your own Apple Cider Vinegar. I am definitely going to try these. I already knew about some of the tips, I have using vinegar and baking soda in my drain for years. I also use it as a fertilizer for my flower garden and my houseplants. I did not see anything about using it for fertilizer mentioned. It does work. Again thank you for this very informative article.
I have used about 1/8 tsp to 1/4 tsp when making my scrambled eggs it makes them light and fluffy I don’t add milk or water when making them. I also use only ACV with the mother not the commercial bought ACV. usually it is 1/8 tsp to 2 lg or x lg eggs.
Great tip, thanks Shirley. I’ll have to try it.
I’ve also felt that apple cider vinegar helps with arthritic conditions, but it take a while (2-4 weeks?) of taking a teaspoon a day for results to be felt – accumulative.
ACV is the magic elixer. Balance that body pH and life is good!
Christie,
Good to know!
What does vinegar do to prostate patient?
Sorry Jaybi,
You’d have to check with your doctor or medical professional on that one, I don’t know.
I so enjoy your articles, but have a hard time printing them and always get ads in the printed product. Is there some way you could have a printable version so we could get only the info that we want? (or is it already there and I am just missing it?)
Thanks, Robin. You could just copy and paste the info into a document. I don’t have a button (that I’m aware of) to create a pdf version of the post easily, without saving and uploading it to a database somewhere.
[…] 28 Ways to Use Apple Cider Vinegar – Under arm treatment. Many people want to use natural deodorants … Sun Burn many people swear by dabbing apple cider vinegar diluted with cold water onto a sun burn. 11. Athletes … […]
[…] 28 Ways to Use Apple Cider Vinegar – Because apple cider vinegar is acidic and has anti-microbial properties, it can work wonders for your scalp. Apply the above rinse to your scalp, working it into the roots of the hair, then rinse. … […]
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