CAUTION:

• DISCLAIMER: All tips, hints and ideas are used at own risk.
• Brown vinegar will stain almost ANYTHING.
  White vinegar is preferred, but not required.
• Wash promptly if eyes burn.

GARDEN:

• Grow beautiful azaleas. Occasionally water plants with a mixture of two tablespoons vinegar to one quart water. Azaleas love acidic soil.
• Kill grass on walks and driveways. Pour full strength on unwanted grass.
• Kill weeds. Spray full strength on growth until plants have starved.
• Increase soil acidity. In hard water areas, add a cup of vinegar to a gallon of tap water for watering acid loving plants like rhododendrums,gardenias, or azaleas. The vinegar will release iron in the soil for the plants to use.
• Freshen cut flowers. Add 2 tablespoons vinegar and 1 teaspoon sugar for each quart of water.
• Prolong the life of flowers in a vase. Add two tablespoons of vinegar plus three tablespoons of sugar per quart of warm water. Stems should be in three to four inches of water.
• Neutralize garden lime. Rinse your hands liberally with vinegar after working with garden lime to avoid rough and flaking skin. Clean pots before repotting, rinse with vinegar to remove excess lime.

BUGS AND ANIMALS:

• Fish bowl cleaner. Eliminate that ugly deposit in the gold fish tank by rubbing it with a cloth dipped in vinegar and rinsing well.
• Eliminate animal urine stains from carpet. Blot up urine with a soft cloth, flush several times with lukewarm water, then apply a mixture of equal parts vinegar and cool water. Blot up, rinse,and let dry.
• Deter ants. Spray vinegar around door and window frames, under appliances, and along other known ant trails.
• Remove skunk odor from a dog. Rub fur with full strength vinegar. Rinse.
• Keep cats away. Sprinkle vinegar on an area to discourage cats from walking,sleeping, or scratching on it.
• Keep dogs from scratching ears. Clean the inside of the ears with a soft cloth dipped in diluted vinegar.
• Keep away fleas and mange. Add a little vinegar to your pet's drinking water.
• Keep chickens from pecking each other. Add cider vinegar to their drinking water.
• Clean milking equipment. Rinse with vinegar to leave system clean, odorless, and bacteria free without harmful chemical residue.

CARS & TOOLS:

• Polish car chrome. Apply full strength.
• Clean rust from tools, bolts, and spigots. Soak the rusted tool, bolt, or spigot in undiluted vinegar overnight.
• Keep car windows frost free. Coat the windows the night before with a solution of three parts vinegar to one part water.

HEALTH & BEAUTY:

• Dampen your appetite. Sprinkle a little vinegar on prepared food to take the edge off your appetite.
• Soothe a bee or jellyfish sting. Dot or douce the irritated area with vinegar and relieve itching.
• Relieve itching by using a cotton ball to dab mosquito and other bug bites with Vinegar straight from the bottle.
• Relieve sunburn by lightly rubbing it with vinegar. You may have to reapply.
• Take 1 cup of vinegar and warm water into a large glass and use to rinse your hair after you shampoo. Vinegar adds highlights to brunette hair, restores the acid mantel, and removes soap film and sebum oil.
• You take 1 tablespoon full and swollow when you have the hiccups. It stops them instantly.
• Relieve dry and itchy skin. Add 2 tablespoons to bath water.
• Fight dandruff, by rinsing with vinegar and 2 cups of warm water, after shampooing.
• Soothe a sore throat. Put a teaspoon of vinegar in a glass of water. Gargle, then swallow.
• Cure for colds. Mix one-quarter cup Apple Cider Vinegar with one-quarter cup honey. Take one tablespoon six to eight times daily.
• Treat sinus infections and chest colds. Add 1/4 cup or more vinegar to the vaporizer.
• Feel good recipe. A teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water, with a bit of honey added for flavor, will take the edge off your appetite and give you an overall healthy feeling.
• Remove fruit stains from hands. Rub with vinegar.
• Remove warts by applying a lotion of half cider vinegar and half glycerin. Apply daily to warts until they dissolve.
• Relieve arthritis. Before each meal, drink a glass of water containing two teaspoons Apple Cider Vinegar. Give it at least three weeks to start working.
• Remove corns by making a poultice of one crumbled piece of bread soaked in one-quarter cup Vinegar. Let poultice sit for one-half hour, then apply to the corn and tape in place overnight. If corn does not peel off by morning, reapply the poultice for several consecutive nights.
• Cure an upset stomach by drinking two teaspoons Apple Cider Vinegar in one cup water.
• Prevent yeast infections. Douche with one tablespoon vinegar to one quart warm water, to adjust the pH balance in the vagina.
• Clean dentures by soaking them overnight in vinegar, then brush away tartar with a toothbrush.
• Relieve cough by mixing one-half cup Apple Cider Vinegar, one-half cup water, one teaspoon cayenne pepper, and four teaspoons honey. Take one tablespoon when cough acts up. Take another tablespoon at bedtime.

LAUNDRY & OTHER CLOTHES CARE:

• Use in laundry to cut soap.
• Get rid of lint in clothes. Add 1/2 cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle.
• Prevent lint from clinging to clothes: Add one cup vinegar to each wash load.
• Keep bright colors from running. Immerse clothes in full strength vinegar for 10 minutes before washing.
• Freshen up the washing machine. Clean the hoses and unclog soap scum. Once a month pour one cup of vinegar into the washing machine and run the machine through a normal cycle, without clothes.
• Brighten fabric colors. Add a 1/2 cup vinegar to the rinse cycle.
• Take grease off suede. Dip a toothbrush in vinegar and gently brush over grease spot.
• Remove tough stains. Gently rub on fruit, jam, mustard, coffee, tea. Then wash as usual.
• Get smoke smell out of clothes by addibng a cup of vinegar to a bath tub of hot water. Hang clothes above the steam.
• Remove perspiration stains from clothes by applying one part vinegar to four parts water, then rinse.
• Deodorant and anti-perspirants stains may be removed from clothing by lightly rubbing with distilled vinegar and laundering as usual.
• Cotton and wool blankets become soft, fluffy and free of soap odor if 2 cups of distilled vinegar are added to the rinse cycle of the wash.
• Clothes will rinse better if a cup of vinegar is added to the last rinse water. The acid in vinegar is too mild to harm fabrics but strong enough to dissolve the alkalies in soaps and detergents.
• When dyeing fabric, add a cup full of distilled vinegar to the last rinse to set the color.
• Nylon hose will look better and last longer if 1 tablespoon of vinegar is added to the rinse water when washing.
• To obtain a sharper crease in your knit fabrics, dampen them with a cloth wrung out from a solution of 1/3 distilled vinegar and 2/3 water. Place a brown paper bag over the crease and iron.
• Excess laundry suds that develop during hand laundry may be eliminated by splashing a little vinegar into the second rinse. Follow this with another rinse in plain water.
• Deodorize a wool sweater: Wash sweater, then rinse in equal parts vinegar and water to remove odor.
• After a hem or seam is removed, there are often unsightly holes left in the fabric. These holes can be removed by placing a cloth, moistened with distilled vinegar, under the fabric and ironing.
• Unclog steam iron by pouring equal amounts of vinegar and water into the iron's water chamber. Turn to steam and leave the iron on for 5 minutes in an upright position. Then unplug and allow to cool. Any loose particles should come out when you empty the water.
• Clean a scorched iron plate by heating equal parts vinegar and salt in a small pan. Then rub the solution on the cooled iron surface to remove dark or burned stains.

IN THE KITCHEN:

• A mixture of salt and vinegar will clean coffee and tea stains from chinaware.
• Freshen vegetables. Soak wilted vegetables in 2 cups of water and a tablespoon of vinegar.
• Boil better eggs by adding 2 tablespoons water before boiling. Keeps them from cracking.
• Marinating meat in vinegar kills bacteria and tenderizes the meat. Use one-quarter cup vinegar for a two to three pound roast, marinate overnight, then cook without draining or rinsing the meat. Add herbs to the vinegar when marinating as desired.
• Put vinegar on a cloth and let sit on the back of your kitchen faucet and it removes hard water stains.
• Vinegar can help to dissolve mineral deposits that collect in automatic drip coffee makers. Fill the reservoir with vinegar and run it through a brewing cycle. Rinse thoroughly with water when the cycle is finished. (Be sure sure to check the owners manual for specific instructions).
• Brass, copper and pewter will shine if cleaned with the following mixture. Dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt in 1 cup of distilled vinegar.
• Clean the dishwasher by running a cup of vinegar through the whole cycle once a month to reduce soap build up on the inner mechanisms and on glassware.
• Deodorize the kitchen drain. Pour a cup down the drain once a week. Let stand 30 minutes and then flush with cold water.
• Unclog a drain. Pour a handful of baking soda down the drain and add 1/2 cup of vinegar. Rinse with hot water.
• Eliminate onion odor by rubbing vinegar on your fingers before and after slicing.
• Clean and disinfect wood cutting boards by wiping with full strength vinegar.
• Cut grease and odor on dishes by adding a tablespoon of vinegar to hot soapy water.
• Clean a teapot by boiling a mixture of water and vinegar in it. Wipe away the grime.
• Clean and deodorize the garbage disposal by making vinegar ice cubes and feed them down the disposal. After grinding, run cold water through.
• Clean and deodorize jars. Rinse mayonnaise, peanut butter, and mustard jars with vinegar when empty.
• Get rid of cooking smells by letting a small pot of vinegar and water simmer on the stove.
• Freshen a lunchbox by soaking a piece of bread in vinegar and let it sit in the lunchbox over night.
• Clean the refrigerator by washing with a solution of equal parts water and vinegar.
• Clean stainless steel by wiping with a vinegar dampened cloth.
• Clean china and fine glassware by adding a cup of vinegar to a sink of warm water. Gently dip the glass or china in the solution and let dry.
• Get stains out of pots by filling the pots with a solution of 3 tablespoons of vinegar to a pint of water. Boil until stain loosens and can be washed away.
• Clean food-stained pots and pans by filling the pots and pans with vinegar and let stand for thirty minutes. Then rinse in hot, soapy water.
• Clean the microwave by boiling a solution of 1/4 cup of vinegar and 1 cup of water in the microwave. Will loosen splattered on food and deodorize.
• Make buttermilk. Add a tablespoon of vinegar to a cup of milk and let it stand 5 minutes to thicken.
• Replace a lemon by substituting 1/4 teaspoon of vinegar for 1 teaspoon of lemon juice.
• Firm up gelatin by adding a teaspoon of vinegar for every box of gelatin used. To keep those molded desserts from sagging in the summer heat.
• Prepare fluffier rice by adding a teaspoon of vinegar to the water when it boils.
• Make wine vinegar by mixing 2 tablespoons of vinegar with 1 teaspoon of dry red wine.
• Debug fresh vegetables by washing them in water with vinegar and salt. Bugs float off.
• Scale fish more easily by rubbing with vinegar 5 minutes before scaling.
• Prevent soapy film on glassware by placing a cup of vinegar on the bottom rack of your dishwasher, run for five minutes, then run though the full cycle.
• The minerals found in foods and water will often leave a dark stain on aluminum utensils. This stain can be easily removed by boiling a solution of 1 tablespoon of distilled vinegar per cup of water in the utensil. Utensils may also be boiled in the solution.
• Unsightly film in small-necked bottles and other containers can be cleaned by pouring vinegar into the bottle and shaking. For tougher stains, add a few tablespoons of rice or sand and shake vigorously. Rinse thoroughly and repeat until clean or determined hopeless.
• After cleaning the bread box, keep it smelling sweet by wiping it down with a cloth moistened in distilled vinegar.
• To eliminate fruit stains from your hands, rub your hands with a little distilled vinegar and wipe them with a cloth.
• Grease buildup in an oven can be prevented by wiping with a cleaning rag that has been moistened in distilled vinegar and water.
• Formica tops and counters will shine if cleaned with a cloth soaked in distilled vinegar.
• No-wax linoleum will shine better if wiped with a solution of 1/2 cup of white vinegar in 1/2 gallon of water.
• Stains on hard-to-clean glass, aluminum, or porcelain utensils may be loosened by boiling in a solution of one part vinegar to eight parts water. The utensils should then be washed in hot soapy water.

IN THE BATHROOM:

• Kill germs on bathroom fixtures by using one part vinegar to one part water in a spray bottle. Spray the bathroom fixtures and floor, then wipe clean.
• Soap and stain build up can be removed from chrome and plastic fixturesif they are cleaned with a mixture of 1 teaspoon of salt and 2 tablespoons of distilled vinegar.
• Clean soap scum, mildew, and grime from bathtub, tile, and shower curtains. Simply wipe the surface with Vinegar and rinse with water.
• Stubborn stains can be removed from the toilet by spraying them with vinegar and brushing vigorously. The bowl may be deodorized by adding 3 cups of distilled vinegar. Allow it to remain for a half hour, then flush.
• Unclog a shower head by unscrewing it, remove the rubber washer, place the head in a pot filled with equal parts Vinegar and water, bring to a boil, then simmer for five minutes.
• Corrosion may be removed from showerheads or faucets by soaking them in diluted distilled vinegar overnight. This may be easily accomplished by saturating a terry cloth towel in vinegar and wrapping it around the showerhead or faucet.
• Bath tub film can be removed by wiping with vinegar and then with soda.Rinse clean with water.

MISCELLANEOUS:

• Use vinegar in the steam cleaner to reduce soap bubbles.
• Mix vinegar with lindseed oil and use it to clean your wood.
• Clean eyeglasses by wiping each lens with a drop of vinegar.
• Soak new propane latern wicks in vinegar for several hours. Let dry before using. Will burn longer and brighter.
• Deodorize the air. Vinegar is a natural air freshener when sprayed in a room.
• Turn a chicken bone into rubber by soaking it in a glass of vinegar for three days. It will bend like rubber.
• Deodorize a room filled with cigarette smoke or paint fumes. Place a small bowl of vinegar in the room.
• Remove decals or bumper stickers by soaking a cloth in Vinegar and cover the decal or bumper sticker for several minutes until the vinegar soaks in. The decals and bumper stickers should peel off easily.
• Cleaning windows by using undiluted Vinegar in a spray bottle. Dry off with newspaper.
• Prevent patching plaster from drying by adding one tablespoon vinegar to the water when mixing to slow the drying time.
• Plastic can be cleaned and made anti-static by wiping down with a solution of 1 tablespoon of distilled vinegar to 1 gallon of water. This will cut down on the plastics' tendency to attract dust.
• The colors in carpets and rugs will often look like they have taken a new lease on life if they are brushed with a mixture of 1 cup of vinegar in a gallon of water.
• A mixture of one teaspoon of liquid detergent and 1 teaspoon of distilled vinegar in a pint of lukewarm water will remove non-oily stains from carpets. Apply it to the stain with a soft brush or towel and rub gently. Rinse with a towel moistened with clean water and blot dry. Repeat this procedure until the stain is gone. Then dry quickly, using a fan or hair dryer. This should be done as soon as the stain is discovered.
• Spots caused by cola-based soft drinks can be removed from 100 percent cotton, cotton polyester and permanent press fabrics if done so with in 24 hours. To do it, sponge distilled vinegar directly onto the stain and rub away the spots. Then clean according to the directions on the manufacturer's care tag.
• Sponging away grease and dirt with a sponge dipped in distilled vinegar will keep exhaust fan grills, air-conditioner blades and grills dust free.
• Leather articles can be cleaned with a mixture of distilled vinegar and linseed oil. Rub the mixture into the leather and then polish with a soft cloth.
• To loosen old glue around rungs and joints of tables and chairs under repair, apply distilled vinegar with a small oil can.
• Soak a paint brush in hot vinegar, then wash out with warm, sudsy water to soften it up.
• Patent leather will shine better if wiped with a soft cloth which has been moisten with distilled vinegar.
• To add a pleasant scent to a room while at the same time removing an unpleasant odor, add cardamom or other fragrant spice to a bowl of distilled vinegar and place in the warmest corner of the room.
• Varnished wood often takes on a cloudy appearance. If the cloudiness hasn't gone through to the wood, the cloudiness can be removed by rubbing the wood with a soft lintless cloth wrung out from a solution of 1 tablespoon of distilled vinegar in a quart of luke-warm water. Complete the job by wiping the surface with a soft dry cloth.
• Dirt and grime can be easily removed from woodwork with a solution of 1 cup of ammonia, 1/2 cup of distilled vinegar, and 1/4 cup of baking soda in a cup of warm water. This solution will not dull the finish or leave streaks.
• Stubborn rings resulting from wet glasses being placed on wood furniture may be removed by rubbing with a mixture of equal parts of distilled vinegar and olive oil. Rub with the grain and polish for the best results.
• Wood paneling may be cleaned with a mixture of 1 ounce of olive oil and 2 ounces of distilled vinegar in 1 quart of warm water. Moisten a soft cloth with the solution and wipe the paneling. The yellowing is then removed by wiping with a soft, dry cloth.

MAKE YOUR OWN VINEGAR

Vinegar is easy to make, from a variety of products. And you can make your own mother of vinegar too, although you don't actually need it. All you have to do is add already-made vinegar to apple cider, in a proportion of 1:4. However, to make mother of vinegar, expose a mixture of one-half vinegar and one-half cider to a temperature of 80 degrees for a few days. The thin scum that forms on the surface is mother of vinegar.

Vinegar can be made from apples (cider vinegar), grapes (wine vinegar), berries, other fruits, or even from a 10 percent sugar solution. Most homesteaders who make vinegar make cider vinegar. The strength of the finished product is in direct proportion to the amount of sugar in the original solution. For this reason sweet apples usually make stronger vinegar than tart ones. Not always, though: Some sour apples actually have a high proportion of sugar which is masked by a high fruit acid content. Use only fresh uncooked cider or grape juice without any preservatives. Preservatives will prevent it from turning to vinegar. Fill a one gallon glass jug to the neck.

The jug will need an airlock. If you don't have one for winemaking or don't care to purchase one in a winemaking supply store, make a stopper from a dry corn cob. Insert a piece of grape vine, sumac, or some similar material with a large pith, lengthwise through a piece of the cob that will fit into the jug's neck. Punch or burn out the pith with a hot wire. Fit one end of a piece of rubber or plastic tubing over the grape or sumac, and put the other end in a jar of water.

With this setup, as the juice ferments the carbon dioxide passes through the tube and bubbles up through the water, but no oxygen can reach the juice. The first fermentation will take four to six weeks at room temperature. It's not necessary to add yeast to start this process, because the wild yeasts which are always present will do the job. The grey foam that forms on the top is excess yeast, which is harmless.

When the bubbling stops, the sugar has all changed to alcohol: you have made hard cider! To make vinegar, you need a second fermentation that will convert the alcohol into acetic acid.

Unlike the first fermentation, which occurs through the liquid, the second takes place only on the surface. It is caused by an entirely different organism. It requires oxygen, and the larger the surface area in relation to the volume, the faster the vinegar will be produced. To have more surface area, divide your brew between two jugs, so the liquid will be below the narrow neck portion.

This is when you add the mother.

Actually, wild spores floating in the air will act as a starter, so the only reason for using a mother is to get things going faster. Put a bit on a piece of dry corn cob and float it on the liquid.

Tie cloth over the openings of the jugs to admit oxygen but to keep out dust and bugs.

The time the second fermentation takes depends in part on the spores present. All strains work best at a temperature of 70-80 degrees. They become dormant at low temperatures, but high temperatures will kill them. The time required also depends on the surface-to-volume ratio, but ordinarily, you can figure on anywhere from three to nine months.

This homemade vinegar is much stronger than store-bought. Dilute it with water to taste before using it. But naturally there are many other ways of doing it. Here are a few of them.

Sweet apple cider

Use fully ripened apples, free of decay and bad spots. Wash thoroughly and grind or crush, then place in cider press or juice press and extract the juice.

Place juice in an open kettle (stainless steel or enamel) and boil until volume is reduced by one-half, skimming often.

Pour at once into bottles or stone jugs and cork.

Apple cider vinegar

Let sweet cider stand in an open jug 4-6 weeks and it will turn to vinegar.

Put cores and peelings (left over when apples are used for other purposes) into a stone crock or wide mouth jar. Cover with cold water and set in a warm place, adding fresh peelings now and then. Keep the jar covered. The scum (mother) that forms on top will gradually thicken.

When the vinegar tastes strong enough to suit you, strain it through several thicknesses of cheesecloth.

Parings of peaches or pears, grape skins and cherries can be used this way too.

Crush cut-up apples in a crock or tub. You can include windfalls and bruised fruit.

Cover with warm water, then cover the top of the tub with several thicknesses of cheesecloth, tied into place.

Keep this in a warm place 4-6 months. When it tastes strong enough, strain, bottle and cork.

You can speed up the process by adding a lump of unbaked bread dough, or two ounces of brown sugar or molasses, or one package or cake of yeast dissolved in warm water, to each gallon of liquid.

If you make wine, it's easy (sometimes all too easy!) to make vinegar. When the wine is made, just let it stand, covered but exposed to the air. Exposed to summer sun it will take about two weeks; in winter it will take a month or more.

White wine vinegar

Mash two pounds of raisins. Add to a gallon of soft water in an uncorked two-gallon jug. (Old recipes called for rain water, but today. . . Hey, come to think of it, some rain water is as acid as weak vinegar already! So why are we going through all this?)

Let it stand in a warm place and in about two months it will be white wine vinegar.

If you think it's fun to be frugal, pour off the vinegar through a cheesecloth strainer, leaving the raisins and sediment in the jug. Add half a pound of raisins and a gallon of water and start over again.

Raspberry vinegar

Pour three pints of water over 11/2 pints of fresh raspberries. Let stand for 24 hours.

Strain off the liquid, discard the berry pulp, clean the jar, put in another 1-1/2 pints of fresh raspberries, and pour the liquid over them. The next day, do it again.

On day four, strain the clear liquor through several layers of cheesecloth, add one pound of sugar, stir until dissolved, and let stand uncovered until it turns to vinegar. This takes about three months.

Honey vinegar

Pour one gallon of boiling water over 4-1/2 pounds of honey in a clean crock. Stir to dissolve.

Make a paste of one cake or package of yeast and a small amount of warm water. Spread this on a slice of toast, and float the toast on the liquid. Cover with cloth and let stand 16 days.

Skim it, strain it, and let it stand another 4-6 weeks until it tastes like vinegar. Then bottle.

Clover vinegar

In a crock pour one quart of molasses and nine quarts of boiling water. Let stand until lukewarm. Add two quarts of clover blossoms and a cake or package of yeast. Let stand two weeks, then strain and bottle.

Dandelion vinegar

Dissolve two cups of honey in three quarts of hot water. Cool and add one quart of opened dandelion blossoms and one cake or package of yeast dissolved in hot water. Cover with cheesecloth, but stir once a day for 10 days. Strain and bottle.

Gourmet vinegars

Fancy vinegars in fancy stores bring fancy prices-but naturally, these can be made on the homestead for a pittance. After you've made your vinegar from one of the recipes above, spice up a small bottle or two of it with one of these ideas:

Herb vinegars: Use one cup of herbs for each pint of cider vinegar. Tarragon vinegar is common in stores, but you can use almost anything from your herb garden: basil, dill, mint. . . even finely chopped chives or celery leaves. Place in clear glass jars, cover, and let stand in the sun (like making sun tea) for two weeks or until flavor is as strong as you want it. Shake the bottles once or twice a day.

Horseradish vinegar: mix 1-1/2 ounces grated horseradish, 1/2 ounce minced shallot, and 1/2 ounce paprika. Add to one pint of vinegar. Let stand 7-10 days. Strain and bottle. Chili vinegar: Finely chop 25 chili peppers and pour over them one pint of vinegar. Let stand 10-14 days. Strain and bottle.

Garlic vinegar: Put one ounce of finely chopped garlic in a bottle. Pour one pint of strong vinegar over it. Let stand 10-14 days, shaking frequently. Strain and bottle.

Mint vinegar: Fill a wide mouth jar with clean peppermint. Fill the jar with vinegar. Cover tightly and let set 2-3 weeks. Pour the vinegar into another bottle and keep well corked.

Tarragon vinegar: Gather the tarragon just before it blossoms. Strip it from the larger stalks and bruise it, to release the flavor and aroma. Fill a jar or bottle with the herb, and cover it with vinegar. Let stand for two months. Strain and bottle.

Meat flavoring vinegar: mix two chopped onions, three chopped red pepper pods, two tablespoons brown sugar, one tablespoon celery seed, one tablespoon ground mustard, one teaspoon turmeric, one teaspoon black pepper and one teaspoon salt. Put into a quart bottle and fill the bottle with cider vinegar. A tablespoon of this mixed in a stew or gravy will impart a fine flavor and rich color. You can test the strength (acidity) of your homemade vinegar with a wine acid testing kit, with slight modification.

Follow the directions that come with the kit, but of course using your vinegar instead of wine. Then take the number you come up with and multiply it by 0.8. That's the acetic acid strength of the vinegar.

Vinegar is a lot more acid than wine, so this uses a testing kit up fast. To make it last longer, dilute the vinegar at a ratio of one part vinegar to nine parts water. (Use the measuring devices that come with the testing kit.) Follow the directions to test the mixture. But then, multiple the result by 8, (not 0.8, as before).

Diluting vinegar: To dilute tested homemade vinegar to the four or five percent vinegar commonly sold in stores, use this formula. If you want 5% vinegar, measure the strength of what you have made, subtract five, divide the result by five, then add that fraction of a gallon of water to each gallon of the homemade vinegar.

If you want 4% vinegar, subtract four, divide by four and proceed as above. Back in 1978, COUNTRYSIDE'S Country Kitchen columnist Pat Katz mentioned that homemade vinegar is not recommended for making pickles because of the uncertain acid content, it can discolor pickles, and it may look cloudier than store-bought vinegar.

Pat also said fermentation should start within a day or two. "Apple cider is very dependable about fermenting and rarely needs help, as anyone who likes hard cider knows. Other fruit juices or mixtures may not ferment so easily. If their sugar content is low, adding sugar or molasses will help. Sometimes the wild yeasts in the air are not the right kind or strong enough, and adding a little yeast will help."

"If the liquid still refuses to ferment there is no use going on with it."

For canning, a too-weak vinegar can result in spoilage, and even botulism. It should be five percent (or five grain).

Don't want to spend money on a wine testing kit? That's okay: there's a "simple" way to test acidity without one-"simple," in the homestead context of course, meaning it's a lot of work but all it requires is a few small glasses and jars, an eyedropper, a little baking soda, a small amount of store-bought vinegar and a head of red cabbage.

Then all you do is titrate your vinegar. Titration is the process of determining the strength of a solution in terms of the smallest amount of a reagent of known concentration required to bring about a given effect in reaction with a known volume of the test solution. . . but don't worry, you don't have to know all about that to do it.

Titration - How it works:

In one small jar put a solution of baking soda in water. The amount doesn't matter, but it should be enough so that a little undissolved soda settles to the bottom of the jar after you mix it well.

In the other jar, put some water left from cooking red cabbage. You want a strong purple: steam a head of cabbage in just a small amount of water.

Next put a few ounces of water in the two glasses. The amount doesn't matter, but make certain you have the same amount in both.

Use the eyedropper to put enough drops of the purple liquid into the water in the glasses to give the water a definite color. Again, be careful to put the same amount in each glass.

Rinse the eyedropper in water, then in the five grain store-bought vinegar. Then put seven drops of the store-bought vinegar into one of the glasses of colored water which, if you want to be scientific, you can label" standard" or "control."

Rinse the eyedropper in water again, then in your homemade vinegar, and add seven drops to the other glass. . . which you can label "test."

Now rinse the eyedropper in water again, then in the baking soda solution. Put 20 drops of the baking soda solution in the "standard" glass. Stir it with a glass rod or plastic spoon.

The water will turn blue. The exact shade depends on the pH of your water. Then add baking soda solution, one drop at a time-don't forget to keep track of the drops-to the test glass. Stir after adding each drop.

Do this until the color of the water in the test glass exactly matches the color of the water in the standard glass.

If you add a drop too much, no problem. Just don't count that one. When the colors match, the acid content of your homemade vinegar is equal to the number of drops of baking soda solution you put in the test glass divided by four.

Example: if you used 28 drops of solution, the acidity is 28 divided by 4, or 7%.

But your recipe calls for, or more likely assumes, 5%. So what now? Water it down. To make it 5%, subtract 5 from whatever your homemade vinegar tested: in our example, 7-5=2. Multiply that times the amount of vinegar (in ounces) you're going to dilute. Let's say you have one quart, or 32 ounces. 32 x 2 = 64. Divide that by 5, and you get 12.8.

Add 12.8 ounces of water to dilute 32 ounces of 7% vinegar to 5% acidity.