I'm a new father of a mother!?

[Boogity]

It appears that my ACV is finally complete. It has been sitting on the kitchen counter since the first week in October. AND I have a beautiful mother growing in there. It looks like a wad very thick brown snot. This afternoon I removed the mother and strained the vinegar into a gallon jug. I put the mother in a measuring cup with a few ounces of the vinegar and it's sitting here looking at me.

What is a good way to preserve the mother? I have searched here for ideas but I cannot seem to find any. I would like to keep it for next year's apple harvest to start a new ACV batch. Any suggestions? Thanks.

 

[BarredBuff]

Congratulations!!

 

[miss_thenorth]

I'm on da two of making a snotty mother.

 

[Dace]

Hahahahaa.....ok I coukd not figure out that dang title! You got me

 

[journey11]

Mine started out brownish like yours and eventually turned very clear (my first batch). Then I stirred it and it sunk to the bottom and kinda floats around like a little ghost in there. The vinegar tastes awesome! I've heard it's ok to just leave the mother in there with your vinegar.

I take about 3 oz. a day and I can see me running out of it in a month or two, so I better start another batch soon. Now when you use the mother to start a new batch, will it work on cider that you buy at the store, that has been pasturized? I can't find any that hasn't been pasturized and I used up all my homegrown apples already.

 

[freemotion]

a wad very thick brown snot

OK, I admit it, sometimes I have the sense of humor of a nine year old boy.... but.....boogity....snot......

 

[ORChick]

Mine started out brownish like yours and eventually turned very clear (my first batch). Then I stirred it and it sunk to the bottom and kinda floats around like a little ghost in there. The vinegar tastes awesome! I've heard it's ok to just leave the mother in there with your vinegar.

I take about 3 oz. a day and I can see me running out of it in a month or two, so I better start another batch soon. Now when you use the mother to start a new batch, will it work on cider that you buy at the store, that has been pasturized? I can't find any that hasn't been pasturized and I used up all my homegrown apples already.

Yes, the good bacteria in the mother will re-colonize the pastuerized cider.

 

[freemotion]

Really???? Is this still considered to be "raw" cider, since the cider is not pasteurized?

I'm excited now!

 

[ORChick]

Really???? Is this still considered to be "raw" cider, since the cider is not pasteurized?

I'm excited now!

Free, was this in response to my comment?

I don't know if you could call it "raw", since the cider would have been pastuerized. But certainly, the pastuerization just kills the bacteria that are in the cider to begin with, and sealing the bottle stops new ones from entering. Adding a mother, or some finished, unpastuerized vinegar, will just re-inoculate the whole thing.

 

[journey11]

Mine started out brownish like yours and eventually turned very clear (my first batch). Then I stirred it and it sunk to the bottom and kinda floats around like a little ghost in there. The vinegar tastes awesome! I've heard it's ok to just leave the mother in there with your vinegar.

I take about 3 oz. a day and I can see me running out of it in a month or two, so I better start another batch soon. Now when you use the mother to start a new batch, will it work on cider that you buy at the store, that has been pasturized? I can't find any that hasn't been pasturized and I used up all my homegrown apples already.

Yes, the good bacteria in the mother will re-colonize the pastuerized cider.

Yea! I'll start another batch right away!