The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-09-12
MAKE YOUR OWN VINEGAR
IT'S CHEAPER THAN BUYING 1T
Simple Directions for Making Vinegar; Fruit Should be
Sound and Ripe ,Many Wild Fruits Can be Utalized;
Don't Add Mother to Fresh Juice


holic fermentation and possibly spoil
the product.
Start Fermentation with Yeast
After the juice has been squeezed
out add fresh yeast cake to every
five gallons of juice. A good fermen-
tation often results from chance in
oculation with the wild yeast of the
air. This is the method ordinarily
followed in making cider vinegar.
Experiments have shown, however,
that much stronger vinegar can be
made by using yeast to start the
fermentation. Work the yeast up
thoroughly in about one-half cup of
the juice and add to the expressed
juice, stirring thoroughly. Cover
with cloth to keep insects from i
and allow to ferment. The best
temperature for fermentation is be-
tween so degrees and 90 degrees. Do
not put in a cold cellar or the fer
lilShbobAOll VIII DC tOO ClOW. n oU
degrees to 90 degrees alcoholic fer
mentation will usually be complete
in from three to four days to *
or when working" starts, as indicate
ed by the cessation of bubbling. The
next step in the process is acetic
acid fermentation during which the
alcohol is changed into acetic acid
After the bubbling stops it will be
found advantageous to add some
good, strong, fresh vinegar in the
proportion of 1 gallon of vinegar to
8 or gallons of fermented juice.
Usually however, no vinegar is added
and the incubation of the ferment-
ed juice with acetic acid bacteria is
left to chance. This chance inocula-
ton usually produces a more or less
satisfactory product, but if vinegar
is added, the results are muc hbetter.
Instead of vinegar one may add a
GOOD quantity of so-called mother.
If "mother" is used however, use
only that growing on the surface of
the vinegar. Vinegar mother" which
has fallen to the bottom is no longer
producing acetic acid
After adding the vinegar, cover
with cloth and keep in dark place
between 70 degrees and 80 degrees.
Do not disturb the film that forms,
for this is the true mother" and do
not exclude the air. Taste the juice
every week and when it ceases to
increase in acid or is as sour as de-
sired, siphon off and store in kegs,
jugs, OF bottles. Fill full and stop
per tight. If this is not done, the
acid will gradually disappear and
the vinegar will "turn to water"
The same bacteria that produces the
acid will also destroy it if allowed to
grow unhindered. If the directions
are followed, especially as regards
Temperature, the process will usually
be completed in six weeks or two
months, where only a few gallons of
juice are used.
( Many fruit juices are turbid after
fermentation while others, parti-
cularly apple vinegar, may clarity
the simplest ways of filtration to use
in the home manufacture of vinegar
is to thoroughly mif about table
spoon of fuller's earth or animal
charcoal with quart of vinegar and
filter through filter paper.
1t is a common practice with many
people to make household vinegar
from fruit parings and cores, cold tea
and even from the water in which |
potatoes or other vegetables are
boiled. Sugar, of course, is added,
just as in the case of fruit juices
that do not contain sufficient sugar.
4 The season for home canning and |
drying does not end with summer or
early autumn. Many things may be
canned or dried in October and No
vember. Among these are turnips, |
spinach, squash, pumpkin, carrots,
cabbage, celery, beets, late
corn, kale, chard, satisfy, and toma-