Does Apple Cider Vinegar Go Bad?

The answer to the question that does apple cider vinegar go bad is, 'not necessarily'. Apple cider vinegar, if stored properly and when not mixed with impurities of any sorts, won't go bad for years altogether. However, after several years, you will notice that its flavor, smell and color, or even the density of the apple vinegar deteriorates. So basically, if preserved properly, apple cider vinegar does not go bad. So what might cause it to go bad? Well first of all, impurities would contribute to its becoming unusable for human consumption. Secondly, some bacteria might occur or infest it to clear out any remaining decomposable contents of the cider. However if you keep the bottle of apple cider vinegar in a sufficiently, cool and safe place, in a well closed bottle, then you can use it for years together.

Constituents of Apple Cider Vinegar

So, what is apple cider vinegar? Let's break down the term into two parts, apple cider and vinegar. Apple cider, which is sometimes just referred to as 'cider' is a fermented beverage. Common apple juice is used as a basic substance or the raw material to make the cider. The basic process is that the apple juice is fermented to make a beverage known as the apple cider, which consists of 2% or 8.5% of ABV (Alcohol by Volume). Some specified cultivars of apple are known to give the best ciders, and are known as cider apples. Though technically, you can make a cider from any kind of apple juice.

After the juice is extracted from the apple, a specialized bacteria is added to the juice to process it, and ferment it. The temperature that is usually used to ferment apple juice to make it into a cider is 4-16 degrees Celsius. The fermentation consumes all the sugar and leaves behind components such as ethanol and alcohol that amount to about 2% ABV to 8.5% ABV. This is the cider that you get to drink in pubs.

For apple cider vinegar, the process gets half way complete right here. Next off, the alcoholic substances that are found in the apple cider need to be polished off. Hence, a bacterium, which is known as the Mother of vinegar or Mycoderma aceti is added to the common cider to derive what we know as the apple cider vinegar. The Mother of Vinegar is basically a combination of cellulose and acetic acid bacteria. In the fermentation alcoholic substances in a common apple cider are converted into acetic acid. Here you get your apple cider vinegar.

What Makes Apple Cider a Self-preserving Substances?

There are two important things that makes apple cider vinegar, a sort of disinfectant, namely, the malic acid and acetic acid. In any common apple cider vinegar, the concentration of these two acids is sufficient, enabling them to kill microbes such as bacteria and fungus. The acetic acid which is found in significant concentrations is known to create very low pH levels, which kills the bacteria. Potassium and sodium are two similar constituents of apple cider vinegar.

Apple cider due to these properties is not just a great preservative, but is also a good natural disinfectant, cleaner and body cleanser. Being a mild and body friendly vinegar, apple cider is often used in several folk medicines, which coincidentally have been revived due to the new-found popularity of apple cider. Some common home based uses of apple cider include, skin toning, treating minor injuries, boosting cholesterol metabolism, killing bacteria which are troubling the human skin or even hair. You can even use it to successfully preserve food.

There is no dearth to the qualities that are depicted by the components of apple cider vinegar. For example, you can even remove satins with the vinegar. However coming back to the point, apple cider vinegar does not go bad, due to its inherited properties. Rather, if you keep it free from impurities, you will be able to use it for a few decades. The key is to keep it clean. Note that the mother of vinegar does not exactly harm the cider vinegar, however since it appears a bit repulsive, it is removed with the help of pasteurization to make the final product.