Fermented Spiced Apple Sauce

Fermented Spiced Apple Sauce

This spiced apple sauce is special because it's lacto-fermented, using Basic Whey instead of being cooked! Cooking fruits and vegetables diminishes most of their nutrients, while fermenting food enhances them--so the biggest favour that you can do to apple sauce is ferment it! As I mentioned in my “Fermentation 101: The Very Basics of Fermenting Food” post, fermenting food adds probiotics, increases vitamins and minerals, aids in digestion, and helps preserve the food- this apple sauce is no exception.

Currently, fermented spiced apple sauce is one of my one-year-old daughter's favourite foods! I love it, too, but the consistency and the fact that it's full of nutrients are ideal for toothless babies. After all, there are only so many things you can mush up. You can serve this apple sauce by itself, mix it in with some homemade yogurt, pour it on top of vanilla ice cream for a gluten-free dessert that tastes like apple pie, or add a 1/4 cup to a smoothie for a boost of probiotics. 

When I serve it to my daughter, I mix about 1/3 of a cup of yogurt with a couple of tablespoons of apple sauce, and she gobbles it up. Although this spiced apple sauce has added sugar, keep in mind, that during the fermentation process the beneficial micro-organisms break it down into lactic acid, so there is little sugar remaining at the end of the fermentation process.

Fermented food is most beneficial when consumed in small quantities, so don't feel like you have to eat a big bowl of yogurt or apple sauce to reap the benefits. Try to incorporate a small amount of fermented food into your diet each day--this apple sauce is another easy way to achieve that!

Fermented Spiced Apple Sauce

How to Make Fermented Spiced Apple Sauce

Ingredients

• 4-5CupsChopped Organic Apples -about four medium-sized apples

• 1/4CupUnrefined Sugar

• 1tspGround cinnamon

• PinchNutmeg

• 1tspFine-grain, quality sea salt

• 1/4CupBasic WheySearch Basic Whey on the Home Page for Recipe

Instructions

1. Core apples and roughly chop. Leave the skins on! This is where the majority of the nutrients are.

2. Pulse apples in a blender until you get a chunky puree.

3. Combine pureed apples and the remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl.

4. Transfer the mixture to a mason jar with a sealed or airlock lid. Leave at least 1 inch of space below the top of the jar. Scrape down the sides so they're clean.

5. Leave at room temperature to ferment for 2-3 days, then refrigerate. The apple sauce will last for weeks in the fridge.

Recipe Notes

Serve this spiced apple sauce with ice cream, yogurt, or by itself! Try adding a 1/4 cup to a smoothie for a boost of probiotics.