Apple Cider Vinegar
Beneficial for Health and Beauty
Even though you may be fooled by its name, apple cider vinegar is nothing like the sweet beverage. It does have the same light color, and is made from apples, but the similarities end there. You surely wouldn't want to drink a glass of this vinegar!
Apple cider vinegar has a fruity yet tart flavor, which make it a great choice in recipes and as an ingredient for salad dressing. You will notice that it does have a hint of an apple taste, so it is no surprise that it is often used in countries that use a lot of apples in production such as Britain, France, USA, Canada, Germany, Australia, and New Zealand.
Long ago it was found that grape juice left to ferment would eventually become wine. Not long after this discovery was made, it was found that if this wine was left to encounter air exposure, it would become vinegar. Although this was discovered so long ago, it actually took a while for cooks to begin using vinegar in various recipes. It was the Babylonians who discovered that vinegar worked well when used to preserve food during the pickling process.
You can easily make vinegar yourself by adding mixing water and sugar, then letting the mixture ferment by adding yeast. The yeast will eventually turn the sugar into alcohol and convert it into acetic acid.
When making apple cider vinegar, it is usually created by adding fresh apples that have been organically grown, crushed, and then aged inside wooden barrels that help boost fermentation. But, you'll sometimes find that stainless steel barrels are used to also do the job.
You do not have to refrigerate apple cider vinegar, but it should be kept in a cool place and out of any sunlight. It can be kept for up to three to five years from the bottle date found on the container.
Apple cider vinegar is thought to have health benefits. It has been said to remove toxins from the body, help keep your skin healthy, improve your digestion, help with assimilation, and soothe any muscles or joints that hurt.