On December 5, 2025, I started a batch of apple cider vinegar from scratch and shared those first steps. Then on January 2, 2026, I started a batch of fig vinegar using a pound of organic fig paste from a local market.
I’m happy to report that both batches are slowly doing their thing, and the scent of vinegar is starting to permeate the fermenting room.
As you can see in the images above, both are in the vinegar stage of the process where the airlock is removed and the vessels are covered with cheesecloth to encourage the airflow necessary to encourage the growth of Acetobacter, the acetic acid bacteria that converts alcohol into vinegar. In the inset photo, you can also see the beginnings of the ‘mother’ in the apple cider vinegar.
The mother is a naturally occurring biofilm containing cellulose, yeast, and bacteria. It’s a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (‘SCOBY’) similar to what forms in the production of kombucha, and it is a useful byproduct that makes it easy to inoculate future batches of vinegar for faster and more reliable fermenting.
I set aside expectations about how long the process will take in favor of taking my cues from the ferments themselves. I check in on them weekly, trusting the process and practicing patience.