Lacto-Fermented Cranberry Pineapple

Last year, I started experimenting with lacto-fermented fruit. One that I made contained apples, cranberries, and pecans, and it was delicious. I blogged about that one. The other contained pineapple, cranberry, and apple, but I didn’t blog about that one. Unfortunately, that means that I can’t find the recipe! I do believe I bookmarked it, but that was on a now dead computer and so is lost. I found a similar recipe after a lot of internet searching, and ended up combining the two. This time I’m going to document it! Following is my adaptation.

Lacto-Fermented Cranberry Pineapple

• 12 oz bag of cranberries, chopped
• 4 small apples, chopped
• 1 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored, and chopped
• 1/2 cup sugar, honey, or maple syrup
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup whey
• filtered water or juice (apple or pineapple) to cover contents of jar

Mix all but the water or juice and place in a half-gallon jar. Pound the fruit down and add water until contents are covered. Put a lid on the jar and let sit in a room temperature place for 2-3 days. Unscrew the lid occasionally, to release the build-up of carbon dioxide. Refrigerate or store in a cold cellar after that. It will gradually become more tart over time.

One question I have been asked about fermenting fruit is, won’t it turn to wine? My answer is no, and here’s why. When wine is made, yeast (commercial or natural air-borne) and extra sugar are added. It’s the yeast that converts the sugars to alcohol. For example, for my elderberry wine, I add equal weights of sugar and fruit, which gives the wine a 5% alcohol content.