My apple cider vinegar became infested with fruit flies and maggots. Can I wash the mother and use her again?

Best Answer

Yes, as far as personal use is concerned, but it would not be recommended by food safety professionals.

I'd suggest instead cutting out a small piece of the mother and making sure that it is completely clear of eggs, or you'll repeat the experience even with washing.

Vinegar is known to inhibit bacterial growth across a wide range of foodbourne bacteria (more scientific version here), so the insects are unlikely to have corrupted it unsalvageably.

Further if the vinegar mother is bacterially contaminated, the 3-week period of fermenting the new vinegar will show it well before you use the vinegar. Just be very wary of any off smells or colors.

Note that if you were asking this in a food service context you absolutely would need to throw everything away. The risk of contamination is small and not worse than many other things in home kitchens. However, the standards for professional cooking are higher.

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My apple cider vinegar became infested with fruit flies and maggots. Can I wash the mother and use her again? - Adorable offended little Asian child eating apples and green healthy lettuce while having lunch with anonymous mother in cozy kitchen

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Quick Answer about "My apple cider vinegar became infested with fruit flies and maggots. Can I wash the mother and use her again?"

Yes, as far as personal use is concerned, but it would not be recommended by food safety professionals. I'd suggest instead cutting out a small piece of the mother and making sure that it is completely clear of eggs, or you'll repeat the experience even with washing.

Can fruit fly larvae survive in vinegar?

Pour apple cider vinegar (ACV) into a small bowl, then mix in a few drops of dish soap. Apple cider vinegar works better than white vinegar for fruit flies because it smells like fermenting fruit. Red wine vinegar will also work, but it tends to be more expensive than ACV.

Does apple cider vinegar make fruit flies worse?

Fruit flies especially think vinegar is good\u2014particularly apple cider vinegar, says Hedges. But if you put a cup of apple cider vinegar out on your counter\u2014a common trap tactic\u2014you won't kill the pests. You will only make the problem worse, since fruit flies can actually breed in the cup.

How long does it take for fruit flies to go in apple cider vinegar?

You need to give them a chance to find the scent. You can expect to see flies floating in the bowl within 24 hours but give it at least 48 to work its magic.

Does apple cider vinegar and dish soap catch flies?

Fill a small bowl with the apple cider vinegar and add a few drops of dish soap. Stir it up, and place it in the area you're seeing a fly problem. The smell of the vinegar attracts the flies, while the layer of soap on the surface traps them.

Tutorial: trapping and killing fruit flies and gnats at home

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: SHVETS production, Zen Chung, Alex Green, Zen Chung