This recipe is from Super Nutrition for Babies, The Right Way to Feed Your Baby for Optimal Health, which has been absolutely indispensable in my kitchen especially when introducing solids to my baby.
This is a delicious and easy dessert for the whole family that is without any added sugar, and made all the more nutritious if you also go the extra mile and lacto-ferment it. Since it is so simple to do, I find that it’s a good foray into the world of lacto-fermentation.So what is lacto-fermentation and why should you care about it? To make it extremely simple, LF is the process by which lactic acid bacteria actually “pre-digest” foods and drinks by feeding on the sugars, creating more nutritious goodness than what you began with (more on all that here). These are naturally probiotic foods that have historically been present in many traditional cuisines. Unfortunately they have mostly been left by the wayside nowadays with the onset of the industrialization of our food. Consuming them regularly is good for everybody and especially for baby.
So let’s get to it shall we?
INGREDIENTS
- 1 kg organic apples, cored and sliced although left with the skin on
- Coconut oil, coconut ghee or butter
- 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 2 tbsp whey
1) Heat the fat in a heavy skillet. Add the apples, cinnamon and vanilla extract, coating well.
2) Stew the fruit, covered, over low heat until it becomes soft.
3) Once cool, mix to desired consistency. You can already consume your apple butter as is.
Here are the steps for the lacto-fermentation process:
4) Place the apple butter in a Kilner jar, add the whey and the salt, mix well and close the lid tightly with the rubber seal.
5) Leave in a warm place in your kitchen for about 24 hours. The taste will be slightly salty and a little “cidre-y” and definitely yummy. It will last in the fridge for at least 3-4 weeks.
You can also make this recipe with pears.
