Fermented Cranberry Sauce

Fermented Cranberry Sauce is a probiotic condiment that's easy and fun to make, and will be a special annual tradition -- because it's so good you'll want to make it again and again.

Course condiment, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword cranberry sauce, fermented, probiotics

Prep Time 15

Total Time 20

Servings cups

Calories 168kcal

Author Megan

Cost $4

Equipment

mason jars or fermentation crock
food processor or blender

Ingredients

5 cups fresh cranberries
1 cup filtered water
1/2 cup dried figs
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup brine from prior ferment , sauerkraut juice for AIP, or *whey if preferred (see how in recipe Notes below)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon or a cinnamon stick
juice 1 orange and 2 tsp. of its zest
juice 1 lemon and 1 tsp. of its zest
1/8 teaspoon cloves (so yummy!)

Instructions

Place cranberries into high powered blender or food processor. Pulse repeatedly until cranberries are diced and minced. Empty cranberries into medium-size fermentation crock or ceramic/glass large bowl. Set aside.
Add remaining ingredients to blender, except the brine and cinnamon stick, (if using). Pulse until ingredients are chopped small, without pureeing.
Add blender contents to crock or large bowl with cranberries. Using a wooden spoon, stir in brine.
Spoon sauce into sterilized jars, if not using ferment crock. Weight down, so brine rises just slightly above weight. Clean the rim and inside upper edge of jar or crock. Place lid on jar or crock.
Leave at room temperature, preferably in a warm location or on a warm sprouting mat (if winter time- see Recipe notes for mat) for about 3 to 5 days. Ferment will be slightly bubbly when complete (and fruit ferments are short).
Refrigerate or place in cold storage for up to 1 month. Serve over time, enjoying up to 1/4 cup with meals.

Notes

How to gather whey

Whey is the clear liquid on top of (dairy or dairy-free) probiotic yogurt or cottage cheese.

How to collect dairy or dairy-free whey:

Pour one cup (or more, as needed) yogurt into a coffee filter-lined colander, positioned over a bowl — overnight.
In the bowl, in the morning, is whey. It drips through very slowly. (The yogurt left behind is now yogurt cheese. It’s extra thick and delicious.)

Fermentation Tools

My three favorite fermentation tools are either glass mason jar weights + Airlock Fermentation Lids -- or -- the Korean-designed part-ceramic crock. Both options eliminate the challenges associated with keeping your ferment under the brine. (Find the weights HERE, the Lids HERE and the crock HERE.)

A sprouting mat (find it HERE) is great for fermentation of all kinds during the colder months. It will keep your cranberry sauce warm and move the fermentation safely forward, even when the house gets cool overnight.

Nutrition