Contrary to popular belief, the mother of vinegar is not algae or fungus. As with kombucha
Mother of vinegar is a colony of bacteria (don't gasp). These are the good bacteria called Acetobacter. They perform the same purpose for making vinegar as yeast does to make wine. They form the mother on the surface since they require oxygen to convert wine to vinegar and the surface is where the air is at.
Vinegar mother is perfectly edible, according to fermentation master Sandor Katz, who notes that the gelatinous substance is often candied in sugar to make natural, healthy gummies, per Bon Appétit.
The production of apple cider vinegar uses a mother—a mixture of yeast and bacteria as a result of the vinegar's fermentation process.
Normal vinegar concentration (usually around 5% acetic acid) is too acidic to grow mold in the vinegar itself. Mold can sometimes grow on the bottle or on the surface of the vinegar. It isn't dangerous and can be wiped/skimmed off.
Once opened and exposed to air, however, harmless “vinegar bacteria” may start to grow. This bacteria causes the formation of a cloudy sediment that is nothing more than harmless cellulose, a complex carbohydrate that does not affect the quality of the vinegar or its flavor.
When you find a bit of stringy sediment, large or small, in a bottle of vinegar don't fret. In fact — congratulations — you have a mother. A mother of vinegar, that is. Yes, it looks rather grungy and scary, floating on the top of the vinegar like that, but this spongy mass of bacteria is completely harmless.
Many store-bought apple cider vinegars have the mother removed because it gives the vinegar a cloudy appearance, which can lead some customers to believe that the product has gone bad. But this is not the case. In fact, the mother is the healthiest part!
Unfiltered or raw apple-cider vinegar has a murky appearance and contains something called the "mother," which is a cloudy, gelatinous, living orb-like mass that contains natural and good-for-you bacteria and/or yeast (aka probiotics, which improve digestion and help our bodies absorb more nutrients).
It is possible to make vinegar without a mother of vinegar. Acetic acid bacteria are present in the air. If alcohol is left in the open air, it will sooner or later be contaminated by acetic acid bacteria and naturally turn into vinegar.
It is easy to store mother of vinegar and you can do so almost indefinitely. I have met people who are still using mothers descended from the mother of vinegar their grandfather brought from Italy in the early 1900s.
A vinegar mother is a gelatinous disc that looks like a slice of wobbly raw liver. It's composed of a form of cellulose and acetic acid bacteria (mycoderma aceti) that develops on fermenting alcoholic liquids, and turns alcohol into acetic acid with a little help from some oxygen in the air.
Apple Cider Vinegar with Mother really is the superfood of gut health. It contains healthy bacteria that keeps your digestive system working properly. Not only does the Mother neutralize stomach acid, but the the acetic acid fights against harmful bacteria.
These black spots are called “mother” and are made up of bacteria and yeast. While Mother is not harmful, it can give your vinegar an off-taste. Most people throw away the vinegar if they see Mother floating in it.
“It's a little bit of sediment from the apples themselves, and it's also vinegar mother,” which is a natural by-product of the fermentation process. “The vinegar mother grows over time, and that's usually the swirly stuff that people see at the bottom of the bottle.”
Common to all the different types, the gelatinous mass that is called the MOTHER of the vinegar: it is nothing but cellulose that can be found inside the bottles and it is produced as a “processing waste” of the active bacteria of acetic acid.
It's anti-microbial and kills the bacteria which thrive in your mouth overnight and cause that nasty morning breath. Drinking apple cider vinegar first thing in the morning is also thought to have a 'detoxifying' effect on the digestive system when the stomach is empty of food.
ACV is generally safe when consumed in moderation — no more than 1 to 2 tablespoons (tbsp) daily. But drinking excessive amounts of ACV can decrease potassium to hazardous levels. ACV may interact with some medications (including diuretics, laxatives, and certain medications for diabetes and heart disease).
Apple cider vinegar isn't likely to be effective for weight loss. Proponents of apple cider vinegar claim that it has numerous health benefits and that drinking a small amount or taking a supplement before meals helps curb appetite and burn fat. However, there's little scientific support for these claims.
Apple cider vinegar is simply a vinegar made from apple juice or apple cider. It comes in two versions: filtered and unfiltered. The difference between the two is the “mother,” which is a somewhat murky collection of cellulose and acetic acid bacteria that's removed when the vinegar is filtered.
Usually, mold on ACV will be black and will form in splotches across the surface and along the glass, although sometimes it can be white or greenish. If you see mold on your ACV you'll need to throw it away and start again.
Bacteria that are most common in a wine vinegar fermentation are among the following: Acetobacter Pasteurianus. Acetobacter Aceti. Acetobacter Cervisiae.