This easy peasy recipe will result in one of the most useful items in your pantry which can be used in your cookery, as a daily health drink household cleanser, skin and facial toner, a hair rinse and doubtless dozens of excellent ideas. Hippocrates, the founding father of medicine in ancient Greece, taught that he depended on two medicinal tonics, honey and vinegar. Apple cider vinegar lowers cholesterol and blood pressure and helps strengthen bones. Best of all, this costs mere pennies to make as you are using the cores and peels only from the apples. Bake a couple of pies while you brew up a tonic to health booster. When you add herbs to vinegar, you are enhancing the healing power for the best of both worlds. All you need is:
8 organic apple cores and peels
2 tablespoons of honey
1 quart of water
Cut up the apple cores and peels into smaller pieces and spoon into a wide-mouthed canning jar. Pour in the water to cover the fruit, spoon in the honey and stir well. Cover that with a clean paper towel or waxed paper and place a rubber band tightly around the neck of the jar, Place on a dark shelf in your cupboard or work area and leave it for two weeks. Strain the liquid and remove the compostable solids that remain and return to the jar and secure the paper and band again. Put it back on the shelf and make sure to stir daily. After one month, take a spoonful and if the acidity and flavor is to your taste, transfer it to a dark bottle with sealable top. Vinegar will corrode metal lids so a pretty bottle with a cork is the best option.
Let the mixture soak for 2 weeks, and then strain out the liquid. Discard the solids.
Make Your Own Herbal Vinegar
If you love everything about lavender, you may well want to create your own lavender vinegar. Many herbs make for excellent vinegars so pay attention to which ones are especially appealing with you as you go about your gardening. The more herbs you pack into the jar, the higher the mineral content in your vinegar which makes it more flavorful and healthful. Once you have your own apple cider vinegar or a premade organic kind you and your family love, pick an herb you know works for you and pack a quart canning jar as full as you can. Pour room temperature apple cider vinegar to cover and seal with paper and bands and pop back on the dark corner shelf for six weeks, giving a shake once a week. At the end of the infusion period, strain out any remaining compostable twigs or stems that remain, if any and store in colored bottle and add a pretty label. These make wonderful gifts so I recommend you get a set of labels for all your herbal brews.