16 Easy Fermented Fruit Recipes for Better Gut Health - Nourished Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

What is the easiest fruit to ferment? ›

Lemons, berries, and tropical fruits are great choices for fermentation.

Fruits like peaches, plums and apricots are a popular choice for fermenting, as they are tasty and hold their color well. Wash the fruit, peel the skin and remove any pits. Exotic fruits like mangoes and pineapples ferment well and can be used to make chutney.

The top yeast strains for fruit wine fermentation are K1 (V1116), EC1118, DV10, 71B, D47, M2, VIN 13, VL1, QA23, R2, and W15. For cider fermentation, the top strains are DV10, EC1118, K1 (V1116), M2, Opale, QA23, R2 and VIN 13.

Vegetables are possibly the easiest and quickest fermentation: cut the vegetables, place in glass jars and submerge completely in the brine for 1-2 days until fermented (you'll know it's ready once the ferment has developed a ˜tangy' taste). Then, keep the jar in cold storage.

Kombucha

Kombucha is a fermented tea that's fizzy, tart, and flavorful. It's made from either green or black tea and offers these drinks' potent health-promoting properties. Animal studies suggest that drinking kombucha may help protect the liver from damage caused by exposure to harmful chemicals ( 19 ).

Fermented foods can benefit your health in a variety of ways, such as improving digestion and lowering your risk for certain diseases, like type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Crucially, they promote a healthier and more diverse gut microbiome, the collection of microorganisms living in your gut.

Some of the most widely available include kombucha, yogurt, aged/raw cheeses, sauerkraut, pickles, miso, tempeh, natto and kimchi. Other healthy foods that are fermented include apple cider vinegar, wine, sourdough bread, cottage cheese and coconut kefir.

Based on chemical analyses of pottery shards dating to the seventh millennium BCE, scientists have long believed that fermentation (as a means of preserving food) originated in China, where rice, honey and fruit were fermented into an alcoholic beverage - the oldest of its kind on record.

These ferments are fairly simple and can often be accomplished by simply packing vegetables like cabbage into a jar with some salt and spices and letting the bacteria do its work over the course of a few days.

What vegetables should not be fermented? ›

“There's no vegetable you can't ferment,” he said, but added that leafy greens such as kale — because of their chlorophyll content — aren't to most people's liking. During an NPR interview, Katz explained that pickling and fermentation are not the same, although they are “overlapping” categories.

“The answer is a definite no,” said Dr. Mark Pochapin, director of the Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal Health at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. “Fruit can be eaten at any time.” Nothing can rot in the stomach, Dr.

Grapes are ideal for making wine with no adjustments necessary. Other examples of fruits are blackberries, elderberries, plums and loganberries, all of which require additional sugar. Beer is not made from fruit but grains and usually flavored with hops and other ingredients.

Grapes are the most common fruit used as raw material for alcoholic fermentation.

Bread Kvass: Kvass is an easy version of beer. It is made from toasted bread (rather than grain) and is enjoyed when it is still sweet and sparkling. It is an easy ferment for beginners, as it doesn't need any specialized ingredients or equipment.

Once you find your rhythm and recipe, you will quickly see how easy and straightforward the process is. Some favorite fruits to can are peaches, apples, apricots, berries, pears, and grapes. It is best to can the fruits soon after picking to preserve nutritional content.