Learn all about this fruit-forward vinegar, plus the best way to store apple cider vinegar to maintain its tangy, crisp apple flavor and health-boosting properties.
What Is Apple Cider Vinegar?
Apple cider vinegar is made by fermenting the juice of crushed apples. During the first stage of fermentation, yeasts are added to convert the natural sugars in the apple juice into ethanol (aka alcohol), similar to how beer or wine is made. The cider then undergoes a second round of fermentation, during which acetic acid bacteria convert the ethanol to acid, giving the vinegar its signature tangy flavor. The resulting vinegar is then often diluted with water to create a final product with a standard 5% acidity.
Filtered vs. Unfiltered
After fermentation is complete, the vinegar may be filtered and pasteurized. During the pasteurization process, the vinegar is heated to neutralize the live bacteria and other microorganisms and stop fermentation, which produces a clear, stable product with a clean, consistent flavor. Once the bottle is opened, however, air can slowly start to affect the taste and freshness of pasteurized vinegar.
Raw, unfiltered, unpasteurized vinegar—the type best known for its health-boosting properties—is vinegar that has not been pasteurized and still has the “mother” culture in it. The “mother of vinegar”—a mixture of active acetic acid bacteria, yeast, and enzymes created during fermentation—gives this type of ACV a pleasantly funky, more complex flavor profile that can vary among brands. Unfiltered vinegar often has a cloudy appearance with sediment at the bottom of the bottle, and is likely to start changing in flavor, appearance, and acidity level after a bottle is opened.
Does Apple Cider Vinegar Expire?
While the acidic properties of apple cider vinegar keep it from ever truly going bad, you’ll still find an FDA-required expiration date on the bottle—usually between 2 and 5 years. Once opened and exposed to air, the flavor and look of vinegar will slowly begin to change. It will often become murkier or have more sediment at the bottom of the bottle, and the “mother” may even form a gelatinous biofilm, made of cellulose, that will float in the bottle or jar. Raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar is likely to undergo these changes more quickly than filtered, pasteurized vinegar, but all types of vinegar are subject to change once the cap has been unsealed. While it is completely safe to consume cider vinegar beyond its expiration date, for the best quality and flavor, we recommend using the bottle within 2 years.
How to Store Apple Cider Vinegar
Use these tips to make sure your ACV stays at its best.
- Seal Tight Make sure your bottle cap is tightly sealed to prevent oxygen exposure and keep out dust and other particles.
- Go Dark Light and warmth and can cause quality to quickly deteriorate, so store the bottle out of direct sunlight in a cool, dark place.
- Stay Cool While it is not necessary to refrigerate apple cider vinegar, keeping it cool will slow the evolution and degradation of its flavor. We recommend keeping it on the cool side of room temperature.
- Skip the Plastic Because apple cider vinegar is highly acidic, it can slowly eat away at plastic bottles and leach microplastic particles into the vinegar. If your cider vinegar comes in a plastic bottle, transfer it to glass for long-term storage.
Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar
The microorganisms in raw apple cider vinegar (aka probiotics) may boost the “good” bacteria in your microbiome, which can improve digestion and help the body better absorb nutrients. Research suggests it may help with weight loss, controlling diabetes, and cholesterol, but it has also been used for treating acid reflux, lowering blood pressure, and improving hair and skin health. While apple cider vinegar is generally safe to drink when diluted, talk with your health care provider before consuming it or using it topically on a regular basis.
