- Coconut water kefir is easy to make with water kefir grains and pure coconut water. Ask your friends or ask in the Quirky Community if you’re looking for kefir grains – people often have some to give away. See my Coconut Water Kefir recipe in Simple, Healing Food. You may also be able to buy a bottle at a health store.
- Kombucha is easy to buy at most health stores and grocery stores these days – just look for one that doesn’t have added chemical sweeteners like xylitol or erythritol (you want a pure, naturally fermented kombucha if possible) – or of course you can make your own with a kombucha scoby purchased from a health store. See my Honey Kombucha recipe in Simple, Healing Food. I’ve used plain or ginger and lemon kombucha to ferment dates – even berry kombucha would be fine.
- Whey is the cloudy liquid that separates from yoghurt – you can drip your homemade yoghurt (or plain bought yoghurt) through a nut-milk bag or muslin in a colander over a bowl, and it will separate into thick yoghurt (or labne) and whey. Or if you make your own cheeses you’ll have plenty of whey on hand, ready to use.
- Dates can be purchased at the grocery store or health store – either dried dates or medjool dates will work in this recipe.
- Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Milkshake (recipe also in Life-Changing Food)
- Gut-Healthy Chocolate Caramel Slice
- Gluten-Free Maamoul (Lebanese Easter Pastries)
- Salted Caramel Chocolates
- Walnut & Raw Cacao Nib Bliss Balls
- Coconut Caramel Custard
- Chocolate Gingerbread Slice
- Salted Caramel Pecan Pie (recipe in Life-Changing Food)
- Grain-Free Christmas Fruit Cake (recipe also in Simple, Healing Food)
- Baked Pears with Choc-Orange Crumble (Simple, Healing Food)
Fermented Dates
Ingredients
400g pitted dates, roughly chopped
190ml (3/4 cup) coconut water kefir, plain kombucha or whey, or to cover
Instructions
- Place chopped dates into a large glass jar. (I use a 750ml jar with a screw-top lid. You don’t need an airlock jar for this ferment.)
- Pour water kefir, kombucha or whey over the fruit and stir through. Press dates down under the liquid as much as possible.
- Leave on the bench to ferment for 1-2 days. Bubbles will start to form as the dates begin to ferment. You can taste a little bit to make sure they are ready – they should taste slightly tangy but not alcoholic. Fermenting time may take slightly longer (about 3 days) during winter, and in summer you may only need to ferment for 24 hours.
- Transfer the jar to the fridge for storage (don’t strain off any liquid). They will last in the fridge for months or even years.
- Use fermented dates in smoothies, desserts, bliss balls, raw ‘cheesecakes’ and more!