Fruit Scrap Vinegar is a modern British recipe for a classic live vinegar made from fruit scraps, sugar and a vinegar starter culture. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Fruit Scrap Vinegar.
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This is an excellent 'waste not' recipe that lets you use the leftover fruit, peels, pips etc from preparing fruit or preparing juices and jellies to make well-flavoured raw fruit vinegars (whether individual fruit or a blend of fruit). This recipe is adapted from my apple scraps cider vinegar with mother recipe. You can use the vinegar from that as the 'living vinegar' which provides the starter culture for this recipe.
Ingredients:
200g granulated sugar
1.75kg fruit scraps from juicing, jelly making etc (skins, cores, seeds, etc)
2 tbsp living vinegar (use my recipe for apple scraps cider vinegar with mother recipe to make this starter culture)
2l water
For Sweetening:
2 sugar, honey or maple syrup; or to taste
Method:
For the initial fermentation: Combine all the ingredients together, stirring until the 200g sugar has dissolved (use a large bowl or bucket for this). pour into a large container (any large food-grade container will do [I use a fermenting bucket]). Cover this vessel with muslin (cheesecloth) and secure with string or a rubber band. Leave out at room temperature to ferment for about 2 weeks. During this time, stir the contents of the vessel with a wooden spoon about twice a day.
After two weeks strain out the solids then pour the mixture into a 2l mason jar or demijohn. Cover with muslin and continue fermenting for a further 4 weeks, or so, until the alcohols have been converted to vinegar and the vinegar taste is nice and strong. When it tastes as sour as regular wine vinegar either decant into bottles and secure with lids or put a lid on your fermenting vessel.
You now have your vinegar. A few tablespoons of this vinegar can be used as your starter culture for the next batch.
Sweetening: If desired (personally I tend not to do this) you can sweeten the finished vinegar by whisking in honey, maple syrup, syrup or sugar to taste. Start with 100g of sweetener per litre of vinegar. Some people add a splash of brandy too.
Heat the sweetened vinegar until hot but not boiling. Cool and store in a container with a tight fitting lid at room temperature for up to two months, or refrigerated for long term storage.
