Using Apples to Make Cider Vinedar

On our property we have seven large, mature apple trees that produce a large amount of apples. Sadly most of the apples end up on the ground and added to the compost pile. If a situation arises where we become dependent on surviving on our land, these apples need to be utilized. Of course we have the obvious choices of eating them fresh and drying apple slices. But apple cider and apple cider vinegar would be great choices as well.  I am a big fan of apple cider vinegar. I like to use it to brine poultry, pickle eggs, and is a wonderful flavor   to add to vegetable dishes. I found the following information being provided by the Ohio State Extension Office. This is a great place to obtain information on rural living.

This information comes from the following website:

http://ohioline.osu.edu

The Ohio State University
Extension Human Nutrition
1787 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH 43212

Making Cider Vinegar at Home

Two factors require special attention when making vinegar at home: oxygen supply and temperature. Oxygen is spread throughout the mixture by stirring it daily and by letting air reach the fluid through a cheesecloth filter, which is used in place of a regular lid. The temperature of fermenting cider should be kept between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit (F). Lower temperatures do not always produce a usable vinegar, and higher ones interfere with the formation of the "mother of vinegar." Mother of vinegar is a mat that forms on the bottom of fermenting wine that has gone bad.

Do not use a metal container when making vinegar; acid in the mixture will corrode metal or aluminum objects. Glass, plastic, wood, enamel, or stainless steel containers should be used for making or storing vinegar. The same holds true for making or storing foods that have more than 1 Tablespoon of vinegar in the recipe.

Steps for Making Cider Vinegar

The following steps must be followed to make a high-quality cider vinegar:

1) Make a clean cider from ripe apples.

2) Change all of the fruit sugar to alcohol. This is called "yeast fermentation."

3) Change all of the alcohol to acetic acid. This is called "acetic acid fermentation."

4) Clarify the acetic acid to prevent further fermentation and decomposition.

Step 1--Making Cider

Cider is made from the winter and fall varieties of apples (summer and green apples do not contain enough sugar). Fruit should be gathered, then washed well to remove debris. Crush the fruit to produce apple pulp and strain off the juice. Use a press or cheesecloth for straining.

Adding yeast to activate fermentation is not essential, but will speed up the process. Special cultivated yeasts are available for this purpose at wine-making shops and biological labs--bread yeasts are not recommended. To make a starter, crumble one cake of yeast into one quart of cider. This makes enough starter for 5 gallons of cider; double the recipe proportionately when making more.

Steps 2 and 3--Making Alcohol and Acetic Acid

Pour all of the liquid into one or more containers to about three-quarters capacity; do not close the lids on the containers. Stir the mixtures daily. Keep the containers away from direct sunlight and maintain the temperature at 60 to 80 degrees F. Full fermentation will take about 3 to 4 weeks. Near the end of this period, you should notice a vinegar-like smell. Taste samples daily until the desired strength is reached.

Step 4--Filtering

When the vinegar is fully fermented, filter the liquid through several layers of fine cheesecloth or filter paper--a coffee filter works well for this. This removes the mother of vinegar, preventing further fermentation or spoilage of the product.

Storing Your Vinegar

The vinegar is now ready for storage in separate, capped containers. Stored vinegar will stay in excellent condition almost indefinitely if it is pasteurized. To pasteurize, heat the vinegar before pouring it into sterilized bottles, or bottle, then place in a hot water bath. In both cases, the temperature of the vinegar must reach at least 140 degrees F to sterilize the product, and should not exceed 160 degrees F. Use a cooking thermometer to ensure the correct temperature is met. Cool the containers and store at room temperature out of direct sunlight.

Flavored Vinegar

Flavoring can be added to homemade vinegar just before bottling. Good examples of additives include green onion, garlic, ginger, or any combination of dried or fresh herbs. To make flavoring, place material in a small cheesecloth bag and suspend in the vinegar until desired strength is reached. This will take about 4 days, except for garlic, which takes only 1 day. For every 2 cups of vinegar, use one of the following: 1/2 cup crushed fresh herbs, 1 tablespoon of dried herbs, 2 large cloves of garlic, or 8 small green onions. Other good flavorings include tarragon, basil, nasturtium, chives, mint, chervil, borage, hot chilies, and raspberries. Adjust the amounts to taste, but be careful not to overload the vinegar. Too much vegetable matter can destroy the acid and ruin the preservative quality of the vinegar.

Some flavorings may not go well with cider vinegar's distinct taste and color. When flavoring store-bought vinegar, use more delicate or decorative flavors. When flavoring store-bought vinegar, you will still need to pasteurize it and use sterile bottles.

Flavored vinegars taste great and have a beautiful color, making them excellent for use in salads. You will be tempted to display flavored vinegar; however, be sure to keep your bottles out of direct sunlight, which will destroy the flavor, acidity, and color of the vinegar.

Uses for Homemade Cider Vinegar

Because the acidity of homemade vinegars will vary, do not use them in foods to be canned or stored at room temperature. Homemade vinegar is, however, excellent in salads, cooking, or freezer and refrigerator pickled products.

Prepared by Christine Nicholas, Intern Doris Herringshaw, Extension Agent, Family and Consumer Sciences

Meat Preservation.  Today, meat is most often preserved through freezing and refrigeration.  When this method becomes obsolete, new method must be acquired to provide meat throughout the year. Canning, smoking, and curing meat are all effective ways of prolonging the shelf life of meat.
Canning meat is a safe way to preserve meat without refrigeration. You just have to follow the correct procedures. Meat is naturally low in acid. Bacterial growth is hindered by the acid found in foods. Since meat is very low in acid, certain harmful bacteria thrive. Therefore, to can meat, you must super-heat it to 240F degrees, which means it must always be processed by pressure canning, not with boiling water baths that are fine for preserving such high-acid foods such as tomatoes.  Pressure canning as well as boiling water baths can be performed using an open fire.
Curing meat with salt is another practical way to preserve meat. Salt is one of my stockpile items. Table salt is the primary ingredient used in meat curing. Removal of water and addition of salt to meat creates a solution-rich environment where osmotic pressure draws water out of microorganisms, retarding their growth. Doing this requires a concentration of salt of nearly 20%.  In addition, salt causes the soluble meat proteins to come to the surface of the meat particles within sausages. These proteins coagulate when heated helping to hold the sausage together. Salt also slows the oxidation process, effectively preventing the meat from going rancid.
Meat can also be preserved by "smoking", which is to dry the meat in the presence of wood fire that produces a large amount of smoke. Drying meat while smoking it will also keep it tender. Smoking originally kept flies away from the meat until it was dried. Smoking meat can be done in combination with other curing methods such as salting and helps seal the outer layer of the meat making it more difficult for bacteria to enter.

Rural Mom Prepper: Drinking Water

Drinking Water

As a prepper, drinkable water is very important. After all, without it, we die. Many preppers store bottled  water, catch rainwater in storage containers, or store tap water. Other than rainwater, stored bottled water an tap water will eventually be used up. Water goes fast when it i also being used for cooking and cleaning as well as simply drinking.
It is best to have an alternative water source. I live in a place where I am fortunate enough to have a functioning spring house with an endless supply of drinking water. Most people do not have this. I also have a farm pond and a stream 1/4 mile away. Many people can identify a stream or pond within a mile radius of them. This water needs to be filtered to remove protozoa and bacteria. Portable water filters are available for sale. Some require you to pump the water from the pond/stream into your container. Others, only require gravity to work. When purchasing filters look for a pore size efficiency of less than .4 microns. This size is the most effective for removing toxicants.
Water purification tablets provide another good option. These tablets use iodine or other chemicals to kill harmful bacteria. These tablets unfortunately, have a limited shelf life. Purification tablets also leave an undesirable taste. The taste can be overcome by adding flavoring such as Kool-Aid.  Kool-Aid is one of my stockpile items.
Chlorine bleach, although not often used has the ability to kill bacteria and viruses. However, it is ineffective in treating harmful chemicals, radioactive particles, or all protozoa in pond water. For every gallon of warm clear water, add 8 drops of 5.25 percent strength liquid bleach. If the water is cloudy, add 16 drops per gallon. Wait at least one hour and drink the water if you can detect a faint smell of chlorine. If you cannot, add another dose and wait another hour. Chlorine is not healthy for humans so only use this method in emergencies.

I guess you can call me a prepper. The thought of social collapse due to solar flares, electromagnetic pulse, ecenomic collapse, pandemic, natural disater etc is in the back of my mind.  If one of the above happens, you may not have time to gather necessary supplies and prepare yourself for a life without electricity, technology, money, transportations and more. In order to survive comfortably, preparation is a necessity. Food, water, heat, fuel, first aide, shelter, and a new life of sustainable living  need to already be planned out.
I am a wife and mother of two little girls. We live on five country acres in rural ohio. We are lucky enough to have ample garden space, a 1.5 acre pond, chickens, a small apple orchard, and access to a fuctioning spring house. I realize many peopledo not live in a place such as this, however, wherever you live you must be able to utilize what resources you have.
Most likely the world will not end in December 2012. There is no forecasting social collapse. However, there is a chance of one the previousely mentioned scenarios taking place over the next decade. Scientists have determined that there is a 12% chance of a major solar flare occurring within the next decade. That is enough of a chance to concern me.