Banana Vinegar: A Delicious and Healthy Option

Banana vinegar has a pleasant, subtle sour taste and can be used in a variety of dishes. It is mild and refreshing, perfect for making sauces or mixing in salads. This fruit vinegar contains many essential nutrients for the body, such as Vitamin C and calcium. Consuming it properly can help inhibit the formation of nitrosamines, a substance that can cause cancer.

You can easily make banana vinegar at home using simple and accessible ingredients.

How to Make Banana Vinegar at Home

You will need the following ingredients: 1 ripe banana, 1 bowl of sugar, 6 bowls of filtered water, and a vinegar starter. If you don't have a vinegar starter, you can replace it with 30ml of rice wine.

Start by using a glass jar for fermenting the vinegar. Clean the jar with hot water to sterilize it. After that, let the jar air dry before using it. Other tools, like knives and spoons, should also be cleaned thoroughly and dried.

First, pour the water and sugar into the jar. Stir well until the sugar dissolves completely.

Peel the banana and cut it lengthwise into halves. Add the banana into the sugar water. Afterward, add the vinegar starter to the jar. Be gentle, allowing the vinegar starter to float on top. Cover the jar loosely with cloth or a towel. Just cover it lightly to avoid sealing it completely, giving the vinegar starter room to breathe.

If you don't have a vinegar starter, you can add rice wine instead.

Let the mixture ferment for about 2 months. The banana vinegar will have a smooth, mild sour taste and a pleasant aroma. Once fermented, strain the vinegar liquid to use it. The vinegar starter can be used again for the next batch of vinegar.

How to Make Banana Vinegar with Coconut Water

You will need approximately 5 ripe bananas, 1 coconut, 100 grams of sugar, 100ml of rice wine, and 1 liter of filtered water.

Mix the water, sugar, filtered water, and rice wine in a jar, then gently add the peeled bananas cut into small pieces.

Place the jar in a dry, cool place, avoiding direct sunlight.

After about 45-60 days, you will see a white layer of probiotics (known as the vinegar starter) floating on top of the water in the jar.

To check if the vinegar is ready, you can taste it. If you prefer a more sour flavor, let it ferment for a few more days. The longer it ferments, the more sour it becomes. Once it reaches your desired acidity, strain the vinegar liquid to use it.

The vinegar starter created during the fermentation process can be saved and used for future batches of vinegar.

During the fermentation process, occasionally open the jar to allow the vinegar starter to breathe. Make sure the utensils, jars, and bottles used for vinegar making are thoroughly cleaned, rinsed with hot water, and dried before use.