Apple cider vinegar punches uppickled onions and coleslaw, forms the bedrock of so manysalad dressings,marinades, andcondiments, and might even be the secret totender, ultra-flaky pie crust. I always keep a bottle on hand. But if your pantry is anything like mine, chances are there’s an ancientbottle of apple cider vinegar hiding in your cabinet’s darkest corner.
So if you recently unearthed a cloudy, years-old bottle of vinegar, you’re probably wondering: Doesapple cider vinegar actually go bad? And what is that cloudysediment floating around the bottle, anyways?
Here’s thebottom line: When stored properly,apple cider vinegar never really expires, though it may undergo some changes in taste and appearance over time.
What is the cloudy stuff in myapple cider vinegar?
If you’ve had thatbottle of apple cider vinegar for a while now, you might notice the vinegar becoming hazy or separating, with cloudysediment collecting at thebottom of the bottle. This is most likely to happen in raw, unfiltered vinegar (the kind usually touted to have purportedhealth benefits), but it can happen in filtered vinegar too.
“The cloudy stuff is one of two things, or a combination of the two,” explainJoanne Krueger and Dan Lehrer, who produceartisanalapple cider vinegar from apples grown at theirSonoma County orchard. “It’s a little bit ofsediment from the apples themselves, and it’s also vinegar mother,” which is a natural by-product of the fermentation process. “The vinegar mother grows over time, and that’s usually the swirly stuff that people see at thebottom of the bottle.”
Or maybe you’ve surpassed the innocent floaters and your vinegar has grown a full-on layer of murk. Not to fear: Even when it’s large, the vinegar mother is still good to use. “Depending on how rustic you like it, you can either cap it and really shake it up (to break up the mother), or strain it through a tea strainer and use it,” Krueger says.
The vinegar mother is completely safe to consume.In fact, Sandor Ellix Katz, author ofThe Art ofFermentation, notes that candied vinegar mother (callednata de coco or nata de piña, depending on the type of vinegar used) is a delicacy in Filipinx cuisine.“It’s just really thick pieces of the mother of vinegar that forms on coconut or pineapple vinegar, sliced up and candied.”
The Art of Fermentation
Does apple cider vinegar go bad?
Apple cider vinegar’s antimicrobial properties make itself-preserving, which means that technically, it never expires. A sealedbottle of apple cider vinegar will last indefinitely on your shelf; however, exposure to oxygen—which happens each time you open the bottle—changes thevinegar’s taste and appearance over time.
“That’s why most vinegars are pasteurized and very well sealed, to protect them from oxygen,” Katz says.
Whileapple cider vinegar does not technically have anexpiration date, it will lose itsacidic nature over time. In fact, with enough time and oxygen exposure, raw vinegar “will eventually turn to water,” says Kirsten K. Shockey, author ofHomebrewed Vinegar and cofounder ofTheFermentation School.
Homebrewed Vinegar
But don’t get too worried: If you’rejust opening the bottle to makesalad dressing, then closing it right away, you likely won’t introduce enough oxygen for any significant changes to happen—at least not for a while.
