Apple Cider Vinegar: Uses, Health Benefits and FAQ - Ted's Q&A

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Squiggly Creatures Moving Around in Homeade Apple Cider Vinegar!

Posted by Lia (Vancouver, BC, Canada) on 12/09/2008

Hi Ted, just checked out a webpage and your email was available to answer questions. thanks! My husband has been in the process of making our own apple cider vinegar. We were just holding some up to the light, in a glass and saw that there were several little squiggly creatures swimming around. We next did the same thing with a commercial (but natural) apple cider vinegar and noticed that it had the same thing! Is this okay? Is this good bacteria? Should we still consume our own apple cider vinegar? it kind of creeps us out, but perhaps this is natural. I hope you email us back and let us know, as i have been searching on the internet for a couple of hours now and haven't found any information about this.

Replied by Ted
Bangkok, Thailand
12/18/2008
392 posts

Squiggly things appears to be worms or some sort of insects in a larval stage. I am assuming, of course, since its visible with the eyes. The source may be a contaminated apples. It's generally best to get a laboratory or a local university to examine it.

Replied by Cezz
Toronto, Ontario Canada
06/10/2011

I have found the same squiggly stuff in my Bragg I just bought it from loblaws. I noticed it too. Is it safe is that the live "mother" they are talking about?

Replied by Shadae
Austin, Texas
06/17/2012

Those would be vinegar eels.... see this link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turbatrix_aceti

Replied by Natasha
Auckland, New Zealand
12/04/2012

These creatures called vinegar eels. They are nematodes, they are not harmful to ingest and they are non parasites. They are free living organisms which feed on rotten apples. Normally they appear in an apple cider vinegar after few months from the moment the vinegar was produced. It is normal and natural.


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