Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple Cider Vinegar is a wonderful healthy ingredient that has many uses, both culinary and medicinal, and has a long history in home remedies and natural medicine. It is made from fermented apple juice, and it is important when choosing this product to find one that is undistilled and retains the “mother”, a cloudy residue at the bottom of the bottle. A quality cider vinegar will be a rich amber colour.

Apple Cider Vinegar is a valuable source of potassium,  it can improve digestion, and help with the absorbtion of nutrients into the body. It has a powerful alkalising effect on the body, which is very helpful to assist in regulating proper body function and maintaining good health. It may be taken as a hot drink ( dilute 1 part to 10 parts hot water) or as a cooling drink in summer, with ice and lemon.

Cider vinegar is a delicious addition to salads and dressings, and adds a mellow tartness. It can be used to make raw salads (such as this Crunchy Cauliflower Salad), where leaving the chopped veges to marinate in the vinegar for a while makes them much easier to digest, and brings the raw flavours alive.

Interestingly, Apple cider Vinegar has many cosmetic and medicinal uses, and is helpful when treating stings and bites. It can be used as an astringent facial toner, and as a balancing rinse after using soap or shampoo.

For those interested in further reading, there are many websites devoted to the benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar, such as www.earthclinic.com
www.liveandfeel.com

and some more uses for Cider Vinegar can be found here.