"Mother of vinegar" by Nosh On | The Wenatchee World

Mother of vinegar

Blog: Nosh On

May 24, 2011

When you're like me and you enjoy just about anything food-, science- or jar-related you do odd things. For example, I excitedly gave an almost stranger (I'd met the woman maybe five minutes before) my address a couple of weeks ago so she could send me some mother — mother of vinegar that is.

Mother and old wine. (More photos at bottom)

For a few years now, I've been wanting to make my own vinegar. I don't like for things to go to waste and nor do I like to have to drink a whole bottle of wine before it's no longer very good (about three days). The obvious solution (at least in my world) is to make vinegar from leftover wine. Until now, though, the plan had a major road block. One must have a vinegar mother to make vinegar. Most websites and messageboards and the like advised getting mother from someone who already makes vinegar. But how does one find someone who already makes vinegar? You can't exactly go around asking everyone if they have mothers. It's kinda weird.

So, it was with serious serendipity that I happened upon Heather, the woman who gave me my mother. My mother- and father-in-law were in town over Apple Blossom weekend from New Jersey. That same weekend, the people over at Snowdrift Cider (I have to admit I've known them for a while and think they're pretty awesome) were having an cider tasting. I'd been wanting to taste their ciders since they started the cidery and figured going with my mother-in-law (and husband) would be loads of fun.

I was right, the cider tasted fantastic and we had a delightful time watching them press apples next to their blooming orchard. And, I met a few cool people, Heather included. While we were there, she and I started talking about how easy it is to make a bad (as in not very tasty) batch of cider. She then made a comment along the lines of, "At least the vinegar from it will be good." That's when I told her how I'd been inactively seeking mother. She immediately offered to put some in a jar and mail it to me when she returned home. I was thrilled to jot down my address on a piece of scrap paper and hand it to her.

About a week and a half later, the little package arrived with a note for happy vinegar making. That evening I started on my red wine vinegar. It's pretty simple once you have the vinegar mother. Put the mother, 2 parts wine and one part filtered water in a crock (or jar, in my case) cover with cheesecloth and set aside in a dark place. It'll be done when the mother falls to the bottom.

All the materials you need.

The mother.

The old wine.

Here we go! Wine into mother.

In goes the water.

Ready for the cheesecloth.

Done. Except for that four weeks of waiting thing.

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