101 Amazing Uses for Apple Cider Vinegar

Soothe an Upset Stomach, Get More Energy, Wash Out Cat Urine and 98 More!

Susan Branson

• Publisher: Familius
• Year: 2021
• Print ISBN: 9781945547140
• eBook ISBN: 9781945547508
• Topic: Medicine
• Subtopic: Nutrition, Dietics & Bariatrics

This complete guide to ACV reveals its many uses for health, beauty, and home—from preserving produce to rejuvenating your hair and much more.
 
You've probably heard that apple cider vinegar can boost your immune system, but did you know it can fight asthma and even cure hiccups? In 101 Amazing Uses for Apple Cider Vinegar, nutrition consultant Susan Branson explores the many uses for this ancient, unfiltered ingredient full of raw enzymes and healthy bacteria.
 
Branson's 101 Amazing Uses series reveals the practical yet little-known uses for common natural products, including ginger, aloe vera, coconut oil, and more. Each book is filled with easy-to-read, bite-sized benefits for everything from health to beauty to household cleaning.

1. FAT SuBSTiTuTE

Having a toasted tuna melt oozing with mayonnaise and buttered in margarine is a delicious lunch, but it will have your intake of saturated and trans fats soaring. Saturated fats are known to increase total cholesterol levels in the blood, including the “bad” low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). This can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Trans fats not only raise the “bad” cholesterol; they lower the “good,” high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). Substituting apple cider vinegar removes the risk introduced by saturated and trans fats and goes further. It decreases “bad” LDL-C and triglyceride levels and increases the “good” HDL-C in the blood.⁹ It also has a beneficial effect on blood sugar levels in diabetics.¹⁰

Next time a tuna melt is on the menu, try mixing apple cider vinegar with olive oil and a sprinkle of dill. Add this to the tuna instead of mayonnaise for a flavorful and healthful sandwich.

2. FOoD PRESERVATIVE

Mold can begin to grow on raspberries very quickly, and green leaf lettuce can decay and wilt before it’s consumed. This is not only wasteful but also frustrating when the foods intended for packed lunches or family dinners are no longer useable. To extend the shelf life of fruits and vegetables, try adding 1 cup of apple cider vinegar to 3 cups of water and soaking the produce in the solution for five minutes. Rinse and dry in a spinner or pat dry with a paper towel. Line a container with paper towel, store the produce on top, and put it in the refrigerator.

The vinegar destroys bacteria, viruses, and mold on the surface of the produce so they can’t multiply and deteriorate the food. The acidity is thought to break down the microorganism’s proteins, thereby destroying them. It works so well that solutions containing 10 percent vinegar are able to reduce bacteria on strawberries by 90 percent and significantly reduce the number of viruses after a two-minute wash.¹¹ A 4 percent vinegar solution is able to inhibit the growth of Penicillium chrysogenum, a common fungus found in indoor environments¹² and whose spores are known human allergens.

3. FOoD TiPS

The versatility of apple cider vinegar in the kitchen will have everyone stocking multiple bottles in their pantries. It can be used in baking and cooking to enhance the process or the final product.

» Adding 1 tablespoon for every 2 1/2 cups of flour will encourage bread to rise, resulting in beautifully fluffy, soft loaves. Just make sure to reduce the amount of water in the recipe by the amount of vinegar used.

» If buttermilk is called for in a recipe and you don’t have any on hand, add 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to a cup of milk and let stand for 10 minutes.

» When poaching eggs, adding a little bit of vinegar to the water helps the eggs hold their shape. Even with cracked eggshells, broken while boiling the eggs, egg whites won’t seep out if you add apple cider vinegar to the pot.

» Pasta and rice also benefit from a little bit of apple cider vinegar. Instead of salt, the vinegar can be used to prevent noodles from sticking and can make rice fluffier.

» Don’t let cheese get dry and moldy. Soak a clean cloth in apple cider vinegar and wrap it around your cheese, then store in a container in the refrigerator. This will preserve the cheese for much longer—hopefully, until it’s gone!

4. MEAT TENDERIZER

With all the work that goes into a backyard barbecue feast, ensuring that the star of the show—the meat—is juicy and tender is essential to crown the occasion a success. Some cuts of meat tend to be tough, but with a little help from apple cider vinegar, they can practically melt in the mouth. Marinating meats in apple cider vinegar allows the acid from the vinegar to break down the muscle tissues, soften the fibers by relaxing the protein, and absorb more liquid. The result is a succulent dish. Try this marinade the next time a barbecue is planned.

APPLE CIDER CHICKEN MARINADE

ALLRECiPES.COM

2/3 cup white wine

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Whisk together the white wine, olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, basil, parsley, rosemary, thyme, garlic, pepper, and salt in a bowl.

2. Marinate chicken in mixture 8 hours or overnight.

5. NO MORE OVERCoOKED BEANS

Despite careful planning, having family members arrive on time for dinner doesn’t always happen. Having a last-minute meeting at the office, getting stuck in traffic, or coaching an overtime basketball game are all unplanned events that frequently happen in our lives. But when beans are on the menu and will be ready at six in the evening, what can be done when someone is late and dinner gets put on hold? Slow down the cooking process. This will prevent the beans from overcooking and turning mushy. Adding a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to the cooking liquid can do this. The acid in the vinegar slows the softening of the bean’s cell walls and makes them more resistant to water absorption. It should be added to the cooking liquid after the beans have already become tender and the desired consistency reached. Make sure not to add the vinegar too early; this may result in tough beans.

6. PICKLING

Long before the days of refrigerators and cold storage, food was preserved in a vinegar or brine solution to extend its lifespan. Pickling in apple cider vinegar creates an acid environment that destroys most bacteria and keeps food edible for several months. As early as 2400 BC, the ancient Mesopotamians are believed to have pickled their food. Ever the forward thinker, Aristotle believed pickled cucumbers had healing effects, and Cleopatra ate pickles to enhance her beauty. Both Julius Caesar and Napoleon fed pickles to their armies to give them strength and good health.¹³ Today, pickled produce is abundant in grocery stores, and a quick look at the shelves will reveal jars of cucumbers, asparagus, carrots, peppers, beans, peaches, eggs, and meats, to name a few. The process is not very difficult, and pickling can be done at home. Here is a recipe for pickled grapes.

PICKLED GRAPES

ALLRECiPES.COM

1 pound seedless red grapes

1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar

1 cup water

1 cup raw sugar

1/2 small red onion, cut into slivers

2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds

1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

1 cinnamon stick

1 bay leaf

1 star anise pod

1 whole allspice

1. Remove stems and discard any grapes that aren’t firm and unblemished. Place grapes in a quart-size mason jar and set aside.

2. Combine vinegar, water, sugar, onion, mustard seeds, peppercorns, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, star anise pod, and allspice in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until onion is softened...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Copyright
• Title
• Contents
• Introduction
• Chapter 1 Boost Your Nutrients and Your Menu
• Chapter 2 Boost Your Health
• Chapter 3 Boost Your Beauty
• Chapter 4 Boost Your Home
• Notes
• About the Author
• About Familius