Low sugar fermented dates

Making your own low sugar fermented dates is easy, fun and a great way to add a gut-supportive food into your families diet. Fermented dates are a low carb, probiotic, mineral- rich living food (that won’t hurt your sensitive teeth when you snack on them).

I love fruit as much as the next person, but truth be told I limit it. The more fruit I eat the more I notice sensitive teeth, and while I still love the taste and benefits of fruit I prefer to ferment fruits naturally high in sugar. Bananas, dates, dried stone fruit or fresh tropical fruits are all great choices.

 

 

FEREMENTING FRUIT 101

While it may sound new, fermenting fruit (and all food) is almost as old as humans themselves- only these days we have lost the wisdom and knowledge around fermentation.

I can’t tell you how many times someone has messaged me to say they want to try fermenting but they are concerned they will poison their family.

Fermenting is an easy, cost effective and generally safe method of preservation, and while things can go wrong (as with anything in life) you simply need to read up on good fermenting techniques.

I cannot recommend strongly enough to do your research when it comes to food safety. Know what to look out for and you will feel much more confident. 

I recommend reading this blog post here, but a general run down is:

• Invest in good quality, air tight fermenting crocks. This is the number one way to ensure successful ferments.
• Learn what mould looks like. If you see any mould or thing you see any mould, discard your ferment.
• White, fluffy mould is the least harmless growth however there are contrasting opinions on what to do if your ferment grows white mould. I suggest you do some research to make up your own opinion.
• When fermenting vegetables it is critically important to use the correct amount of salt (this hinders bacterial growth). This guide here is a wonderful reference. 
• When fermenting fruit use a strong liquid culture. I use the Kultured wellness cultures which are inoculated with specific straights yah tare both probiotic and helps to prevent undesirable growths.I buy these from the Jivita Lifestyler store my discount code is ‘Jivitalove’. 
• Control the temperature. fermenting is a living process and requires perfect conditions for. perfect ferment. Fermentation is best between 25-35 C, so in winter you will need to create a heated environment. Temperatures below this amount may cause a slow ferment and allow opportunistic mould growth to take over.
• Control oxygen. fermentation is an anaerobic process meaning it does not require oxygen. Using a fermentation crock or jar with an airtight seal (or water seal) is great practice, keeping out any unwatered microbes present in the environment. I love and use Kilner jars and they have been fantastic in my fermenting journey.
• Keep your ferment fully submerged below the liquid line. This is another step in controlling oxygen and is one of the most important steps in successful fermenting. Even when using a weight you may need to ‘burp’ your ferment daily, using clean hands to push the dates (or whatever else you are fermenting) down below the liquid, releasing gas bubbles.

Knowledge is key here, so take the time to find what to look out for.

FERMENTING MEDIUMS

There are a few different options for fermenting dates, but my favourite is now water kefir as it gives the best flavour. Here are your options;

• Coconut water kefir. I use this brand here (use Jivitalove for 15%off), but you can also make coconut water kefir with grains and ferment dates in the second ferment (once you have removed the grains). 
• Kombucha– I’ve used kombucha to ferment fruit for years and while I do enjoy the flavour it definitely makes an impact on the flavour of the fruit
• Jun– as above for kombucha
• Whey. If you enjoy making your own labneh keep the left over whey- it is a perfect starting culture for ferments. If you have not made labneh scroll to the bottom of this post for a recipe.

I hope you love these low sugar fermented dates and enjoy using them in lots of recipes. If you want to do more fermented recipes you might like

• Fermented blueberry lemon bliss balls
• Easy fermented cashew cheese
• Beetroot ginger sauerkraut
• Pistachio cranberry cashew cheese log

I love to hear from you and try my best to respond to all comments and reviews- if you make these low sugar fermented dates please consider leaving a review below so more people can find this recipe too.

Print