o weeks, but I don’t believe that to be the truth. I’ve discovered that giving the vinegar a few days to settle in before using it will give it a fresh scent. Just a quick reminder that citrus fruits contain oils that aid in degreasing throughout the cleaning process.
What you need:
- a Mason jar
- The mason jar should be around 3/4 full of citrus peels and fresh herbs of your choice (single measurements: about 3 oranges/2 grapefruits/4 lemons/5 limes/a handful of herbs or any mix thereof).
- unflavored white vinegar
- Citrus peels should be added to the mason jar until it is about 3/4 full. You can also add herbs if you like.
- 90 percent of the way full, fill the jar with vinegar and add peels.
- Shake the jar occasionally for 4-5 days.
- Peels should be removed over a bowl so that the perfumed vinegar is clear of peels, herbs, and floating debris.
- Refill the Mason jar with vinegar and use as needed for regular cleaning (i.e. glass cleaning, floors, etc).
You will be astounded by how nicely these techniques work and will be delighted. While they won’t entirely get rid of the vinegar smell (that’s moving mountains, people), they will greatly cover it up. When employing the right ingredients, it will also increase vinegar’s cleaning ability, therefore it’s a win-win situation!
Does the smell of vinegar disappear on its own?
Due to its acidity, vinegar can easily remove stains, grease, and offensive odors. As much as it can aid in cleaning, it can also leave a bad stink in its wake. Slowly, the fragrance dissipates on its own.
What exactly is the substance circling in my apple cider vinegar?
Don’t be alarmed if you discover any stringy sediment, no matter how minor, in a vinegar bottle. In actuality, congrats—you have a mother. that is, a mother in vinegar. Although this spongy mass of bacteria may appear pretty ominous and unsettling floating on top of the vinegar, it is actually entirely safe. The presence of a vinegar mother in your vinegar simply indicates that some sugars or alcohol were not fully fermented throughout the vinegar-making process. Vinegar mothers are nothing more than bacteria that feed on alcoholic liquids.
With your vinegar mother, you have several choices. Use a coffee filter to drain it out and keep using the vinegar as-is. Alternatively, you shouldn’t even try straining it out because the vinegar mother won’t do you any harm.
You can start your own batch of vinegar if you want to get rid of it and use it for something. You can start afresh by adding the mother to white wine. When allowed to run for years, this homemade vinegar process can result in some really amazing, richly flavorful vinegar.