Maybe you’ve already heard of some of the health benefits of using Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) and you’d love to give it a try, but you’re not sure how to use it? Or maybe, since the taste and smell are so pungent, you’d rather avoid apple cider vinegar altogether?
True, ACV has a strong smell and taste. But the possible advantages to your health may be worth finding a recipe that allows you to incorporate raw apple cider vinegar into your diet.
We have provided 10 simple and delicious recipes that you can use to add apple cider vinegar into your diet and reap the potential benefits of this powerful vinegar. But first, here are a few tips.
Now, you might be wondering, “Can’t I just take a shot of ACV and be done with it?”
No, don’t just take it straight! When undiluted, the acidic blast from the vinegar can harm the enamel of your teeth or damage your esophagus, stomach, and lungs. Be safe and always dilute apple cider vinegar with water or add it to your food. An additional option when drinking diluted ACV is to use a straw to avoid damaging your teeth.
Also, remember to use raw, organic apple cider vinegar with the “mother.” The mother is the brownish cloudy substance floating at the bottom of the jar, which forms naturally as raw, organic vinegar ferments. It’s believed to be abundant in health-boosting bacteria, protein, and acetic acid. Make sure to shake the bottle and use it cold, not cooked, to increase your chances of benefiting from ACV.
Willing to give it a go? Well, you may figure it’s probably safest to add some apple cider vinegar to an overly salty soup, but you would miss out on the potential benefits that the “mother” in raw ACV has to offer you.
But reaping the benefits doesn’t have to be hard. The following no-cook recipes range from very simple to even simpler and cover a variety of palettes as well.
Here’s the beginner’s recipe to incorporate apple cider vinegar into your daily routine. Sipping this drink either first thing in the morning or before eating a meal may stimulate your digestion and aid in weight loss by making you feel full faster.
When trying this recipe, be sure to start slow and increase the amount of apple cider vinegar a little at a time, up to 2 tablespoons per day.
In a single glass, combine:
1 – 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 cup of water
Some honey to taste (optional)
Who couldn’t use an extra shot of energy either in the morning or by the middle of the day? Add the following ingredients, full of electrolytes, to a shot glass for a quick boost to your hydration and energy levels. (This recipe is adapted from Mind Body Green.)
In a single shot glass, combine:
The juice of 1 lemon
A splash of apple cider vinegar
1 pinch of Himalayan sea salt
Water to fill the glass
Get twice the antioxidants by drinking cranberry juice along with the apple cider vinegar (recipe adapted from The Healthy). Just be careful not to use cranberry juice with added sugar. Instead, use maple syrup to sweeten this drink and you’ll have the advantage of adding minerals including zinc, potassium, magnesium, and calcium to each serving.
In a single pitcher, combine:
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup unsweetened cranberry juice
3 cups sparkling water
4 teaspoons maple syrup, to taste
Loaded with vitamin C, combining grapefruit juice (or other citrus juices) with apple cider vinegar may give your immune system a little pick-me-up. As a bonus, the scent of grapefruit can be invigorating and relaxing. Take a deep breath while preparing this refreshing drink and take a moment to enjoy it.
In a single glass, combine:
1 ½ cups of grapefruit and/or orange juice
1-2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, to taste
1-2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup, to taste
What’s old is new again. Originally a 17th century New England drink, the refreshing beverage called Switchel is making a comeback due to the potential health advantages of its key ingredients, apple cider vinegar, and ginger. If you like a tart and spicy drink with a touch of sweetness, then you’ll love Switchel.
DIRECTIONS
Combine in a jar:
1 tablespoon (about an inch) fresh ginger, thinly sliced and/or smashed
½ cup apple cider vinegar
Juice of ½ a lemon and/or orange
3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup, to taste (less if you like it more on the tart side)
Pinch of mineral salt
Attach the lid, shake to blend, and leave in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, strain out the liquid into a glass. Top up your glass with seltzer water for fizz (or filtered water for no fizz) and enjoy this refreshing drink.
Strawberries and raspberries are well-known to be high in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals such as vitamin C and potassium. These berries are also lower in sugar compared to other fruits and make for an enjoyable tangy concoction when combined with apple cider vinegar. (This recipe is adapted from Mind Body Green.)
Combine in a jar:
2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 cup strawberries and/or raspberries
1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
Stir, put the lid on the container, and leave out at room temperature for 2 days. Then place in the refrigerator for at least 2 more days. Or, if you prefer a stronger flavor, leave in the refrigerator for up to a week. Add sparkling water (less water if you like it more tart) to taste.
Smoothies are already a staple in the health routine of many. And they may be even better for you than juice alone because of the retained fiber and nutrition from the pulp that gives smoothies their body and texture. So why not add apple cider vinegar to your smoothies to incorporate even more health benefits? (This recipe is adapted from The Republic of Tea.)
In a blender, combine and blend:
1 – 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 ripe banana, peeled
1 cup mixed berries, frozen
½ cup ice
½ cup water
½ cup yogurt
Honey, to taste, if the berries are extra tart
Vanilla extract, to taste, if you prefer vanilla yogurt but don’t have any on hand
Wouldn’t it be great if a simple and tasty drink could help support seasonal wellness. The powerhouse ingredients of this recipe, from apple cider vinegar to stinging nettle tea, are said to support overall wellness.
5 bags of stinging nettle tea (or 5 tsp of loose-leaf)
1 grated thumb-size piece of fresh, peeled ginger
4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Raw local honey to taste
5 cups water
First, boil the water. Pour over the nettle tea and ginger in a heat-safe bowl, saucepan, or pitcher.
Cover and let steep for 10 minutes. Then strain and discard the tea and ginger—leaving only the liquid.
After the liquid has cooled down and is just slightly warm, then stir in the apple cider vinegar and honey. Keep refrigerated and drink one cup daily.
If you are looking for effortless ways to add apple cider vinegar to your meals, there is no simpler way than to dress your salad with it. You can pretty much substitute any vinegar that is called for in a salad dressing recipe with ACV.
Here is an easy, but delicious recipe that has lots of options. Seriously, you can’t go wrong with any of these ingredients or similar variations.
For a few servings of salad dressing, combine in a bowl and whisk together:
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons mayonnaise and/or oil (choose between avocado, coconut, hazelnut, hemp, olive, or walnut oils)
Salt generously. It’s also optional to add in extra flavorings of choice like black pepper, fresh or dried herbs, storebought or dry mustard, chopped shallot, minced garlic, or citrus zest.
Upgrade the flavor of your vegetables and possibly aid your digestion at the same time by quick-pickling with apple cider vinegar. Veggies have so many health benefits and simply help you feel good.
You can use pretty much any vegetable that you would eat raw. We recommend choosing between asparagus, beets, carrots, cauliflower, cucumbers, ginger, green beans, jicama, peppers, radishes, onions, or shallots. (More watery vegetables, like cabbage, may need to rest in salt for a while before preparation can begin, so we are not listing cabbage here as an ideal “quick-pickle” vegetable.)
You can even make your own combinations! For your inspiration, a pickled carrot-daikon combination is commonly found in Vietnamese and Japanese cuisine. And MyRecipes recommends combining ginger, jicama, and peppers for a zesty summer pickled dish.
Which recipe are you going to try first?
These are just a few of the limitless ways to incorporate this incredible powerhouse of nutrition into your diet, but a word to the wise: As with all new health routines, consult with your doctor to make sure that regularly consuming apple cider vinegar is safe for you. And remember, a little goes a long way. We hope you share your Apple Cider Vinegar recipes with us!
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*FDA DISCLAIMER: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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