Apple cider vinegar has been used for centuries to in cooking and various other home purposes. In recent years it’s become popular because of various health benefits. Let’s talk about Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) and how you can start using it at home.
What Exactly is Apple Cider Vinegar?
This is a vinegar made from apple cider. It has a pale amber color, a strong vinegar taste with just a hint of apple. In grocery stores today you can get filtered, pasteurized apple cider vinegar, as well as raw, organic vinegar that contains mother of vinegar and helpful probiotics. Mother of vinegar is a living culture of bacteria and cellulose. You will notice it as a spider web like substance floating in raw apple cider vinegar. While it may not look very appetizing, it’s this floating “stuff” that makes ACV so beneficial for your health, along with the added minerals and of course the acid in the vinegar.
Common Uses for Apple Cider Vinegar
ACV can be used like any other vinegar. You can mix up a quick salad dressing by combining the vinegar with oil, a little mustard, salt, pepper, and your favorite fresh or dried herbs. Use it in any recipe that calls for vinegar. Incorporating raw vinegar, particularly in salads, other dishes, and things like green smoothies that aren’t cooked is a great way to add more of this beneficial vinegar into your diet.
You can also drink it as a health elixir daily. If you want to keep it simple, pour a little shot of it, drink it and wash it down with a bit of water. Some people find it easier to take a shot of ACV daily by diluting it half and half with water. Last but not least, you can make switchel, an old-fashioned drink similar to lemonade.
To make switchel get out a large glass. Fill it with ice, add a shot of the vinegar and fill with water. You can sweeten your switchel with honey, simple syrup, stevia, or sweetener of your choice. As with lemonade and iced tea, it can be hard to get sugar to dissolve in this cold drink.
Give apple cider vinegar a try in your favorite foods, use it as a condiment, turn it into a refreshing summer drink, or drink it straight. No matter how you use it, you will start to benefit from this special vinegar full of probiotics, live cultures, and important minerals.
