Wild Foods with April Danann: Apple Cider Vinegar

April Danann’s has a simple recipe to follow to ferment your own apple cider vinegar, all you need are a handful of ingredients and a bit of patience. But if you aren’t all that patient, she also has a few tips on how to enhance store-bought apple cider vinegar so that you can infuse with herbs and spices for added flavour and health-benefits.

Ingredients:

• 4 organic apples, washed
• 1.5 litres cold water (filtered is best)
• 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar, optional
• 100g white sugar
• Apple cider vinegar scoby/mother

Method:

Roughly chop apples, cut off and discard any bruises, and place apple pieces in a large jar with a wide mouth (you don’t have to remove the cores or seeds). Add the water, apple cider vinegar (if using) and sugar. Give a quick stir. Add the scoby.

Cover the top tightly with a piece of clean kitchen towel or muslin cloth and secure with an elastic band.

Place in a warmish area and leave to stand for about 3 months. You can stir and check on it as needed.

After 3 months, pull off pieces of the mother/scoby and reserve for next time (keep these in the fridge in a sealed jar covered in strong vinegar). Remove and discard the used apples then decant the weak vinegar into a clean jar.

You can use and drink it as-is (lovely in salads or dilute a teaspoon in water to drink in the morning and evening), or re-ferment with the same method as above for a second time.

Or, you can simply strengthen it by leaving the weak vinegar to stand for a few weeks in the glass jar covered securely with a piece of cloth to allow air into the jar. Taste after a few weeks and use when it’s reached your preferred strength. 

A bit more about April…

April Danann is a Medical Intuitive, Naturopathic Nutritionist and practitioner of Herbal Medicine with a focus on gut health and has many years of experience. She has received a BSc (Hons) in Food Management & Marketing, MSc in Nutrition and Exercise Science as well as diplomas in Nutrition, Medical Intuition and Food Packaging Technology. She is currently working on her PhD and has recently qualified in Iridology.

April is in private practice combining this education and experience into assisting clients with diet, lifestyle and conscious living and does occasional talks in natural Nutrition, Fermentation and Intuition and for women in business.

Although she continues to produce some of the best apple cider vinegar, herbal kombucha and herbal products; her interest has shifted towards health potential and creating in-depth residential courses for nature centred studies.

‘Who I am really, aside from what I have learned, experienced and the places I have been – is a person deeply committed to fully understanding my body, mind and soul on the deepest levels. My books, blogs and life are all about living as close to nature and health as possible.’

You can find April at the Skibbereen Farmer’s Market most weekends and sometimes at Dun Laoighaire market. April has some amazing products such as her famous Herbucha and Apple Cider Vinegar.

Visit her website to find out what she’s up to… https://www.aprildanann.com/