Easy Naturally Fermented Apple Salsa Recipe (2024)

By Katie Kimball @ Kitchen Stewardship® / Published: 09/15/2015 / Updated: 09/27/2020

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Table Of Contents

  1. Picking the Best Apples for Apple Salsa

Want to use up all of those apples but sick of making applesauce? Fermenting apples is an easy place to try fermentation for the first time. A salsa apple ferment is a crowd pleaser.

This is a guest post from Jo at Nourishing Time. Ferments are an area I feel I’ve been lacking in here at KS so I’m glad to welcome her with this yummy recipe! Fermented foods are key to healing your gut as I said in yesterday’s post, 100 Steps to Healing Your Gut

Easy Naturally Fermented Apple Salsa Recipe (1)

Apple salsa is super simple, so delicious and quite versatile! We love to eat it on its own, or thrown into a yummy grilled chicken salad. When fermented, it adds a host of beneficial bacteria and increases the nutrients naturally in the ingredients included.

The recipe below is for a very simple apple salsa, and you’re welcome to include additional ingredients that you think may go well. I sometimes like to add some chopped bell peppers, but it’s delicious as-is!

Easy Naturally Fermented Apple Salsa Recipe (2)

Picking the Best Apples for Apple Salsa

Many apple varieties will work with this recipe. I personally prefer to use Gala, Fuji and/or Honeycrisp apples. The only real requirement is that you use very fresh, very crisp apples. Well, even that’s not completely necessary, but less crisp apples may lead to a mushier (but still edible) salsa. You can leave the skin on if you’d like.

This recipe will make you a quart. I like to make several quarts at a time because we devour it so quickly. We love it almost as much as pineapple salsa!

Easy Naturally Fermented Apple Salsa Recipe (3)

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Easy Naturally Fermented Apple Salsa Recipe (4)

Easy Naturally Fermented Apple Salsa

5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star4.7 from 3 reviews

  • Author: Jo
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 24 hours
  • Total Time: 24 hours 15 mins
  • Yield: 1 quart 1x
  • Category: Condiments
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Ingredients

UnitsScale

  • 23 large, crisp apples
  • 1/2 large red onion (or about 1/2 cup packed), finely chopped
  • 1 jalapeno
  • 1/2 inch fresh ginger (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp. allspice
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • Approximately 2 cups water

Instructions

  1. Start with a clean 1L (or quart) jar with a lid. I love Fido and mason jars most.
  2. Core and cube or chop apples into bite-sized pieces. Add to a large mixing bowl.
  3. Add finely chopped red onions.
  4. De-seed and slice jalapeno in 4 or more pieces and add to bowl.
  5. Add ginger (whole) to bottom of jar as you just want the flavor to infuse your salsa.
  6. Add your lemon juice and allspice to the mixing bowl and mix all your ingredients together.
  7. Pack your salsa mixture into the jar. Now is the time to add a weight if you’re using one–although it’s not essential, it can help apples stay under the brine and gain the best flavor.
  8. Mix salt (Use the code kitchenstewardship for 15% off of your first purchase) and water together, and pour over into packed jar. If there isn’t enough water to cover, add a little more. You want to only leave about an inch of space in the jar.
  9. Close jar tightly and let ferment for 24-48 hours at room temperature, then move to fridge. It should be a bit bubbly, and smell awesome!
  10. Enjoy chilled!

Notes

You can also use sourdough tortillas to make sourdough cinnamon chips by cutting tortilla into wedges, misting with coconut oil, and sprinkling with a cinnamon sugar mixture then baking for a few minutes until crispy. These are perfect for dipping in salsa!

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Katie’s notes: Fermented foods are SO important to a healthy diet. I’m big on probiotics and having a healthy gut, so I was pleased to add this recipe to KS. It’s a great way to get started with fermented foods without worrying about grains, SCOBYs or other “trickier” forms of bacteria.

Easy Naturally Fermented Apple Salsa Recipe (5)

What’s YOUR favorite type of salsa?

Keep Your Gut Healthy

  • 100 Steps to Heal Your Gut
  • Why Do I Have Stomach Pains After Eating?
  • What Does It Mean to Heal My Gut?
  • Health Benefits of Yogurt

Easy Naturally Fermented Apple Salsa Recipe (6)Jo is an attached mom to her smarty-pants son and a full-time student majoring in Public Health. She is fascinated with holistic healing and loves to read, cook and ferment anything she can get her hands on in her spare time. She blogs at Nourishing Time about natural ways of improving health through food and positivity. Like Nourishing Time on Facebook by clicking here.

Unless otherwise credited, photos are owned by the author or used with a license from Canva or Deposit Photos.

Category: Food Preservation, Real Food Recipes

Tags: appetizer, apples, condiments, fall, fermented foods, side dish, traditional foods

Easy Naturally Fermented Apple Salsa Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How long does it take for apples to ferment? ›

In a large bowl, combine the water with salt and sugar and whisk until dissolved. Pour the brine in the jar all the way to the top, leaving abouta1/3" headspace. Ferment the apples at room temperature (68F-70F) for 10 days. Next, move the jar to the fridge and mature the apples for 30 days.

How long does it take for apple juice to ferment into alcohol? ›

Ferment the juice in fermenters with airlocks, taking care to exclude air and insects. Fermentation will usually take three to six weeks, depending on temperature and yeast, and once it has ceased, immediately siphon the cider off the sediment into a clean fermenter.

What happens if you ferment apple juice? ›

The result of fermented apple juice is cider, which requires the natural yeast in apples to be present for the fermentation process. Cider is simply fresh pressed apples but cider takes on different meanings depending on where you are in the world.

Do apples ferment naturally? ›

Any fruit can ferment naturally, apples included. With the right conditions, natural fermentation can happen, those conditions include the presence of bacteria and yeast. The fermentation usually starts when the fruits are smashed and the yeast and sugar from the fruit juice can react and ferment into alcohol.

Can you ferment apples without yeast? ›

It is possible to ferment apple cider completely naturally, with no added sulfites or commercial yeasts. This may yield you a product that is stunningly good...or something that tastes like acrid library paste.

Which juice ferments the fastest? ›

Purple grape, white grape, and peach juice fermented to potential alcohol the fastest. Fermentation was complete in 6 days. Apple, pear and pomegranate juices also had high sugar content and fermented to potential alcohol in 9 days.

Should I boil apple juice before fermenting? ›

As you are making hard cider you just need to juice the apples then add your choosen yeast to the juice. You don't need to boil or even wash them, but you can. Many traditional ciders are fermented with the yeasts and bacteria found on the skins of the apples with no additional yeasts added.

Why isn't my apple juice fermenting? ›

If you are relying on the wild yeasts which naturally occur in apples, it may take one or two weeks for the fermentation to get under way. If there is still no fermentation after 2 weeks, add a cultured yeast, such as Vigo Presses cider yeast, which is a high quality cider yeast widely used by commercial producers.

What alcohol does fermented apples make? ›

Cider (/ˈsaɪdər/ SY-dər) is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented juice of apples.

How much alcohol is in a fermented apple? ›

1 Apple Wine (Cider) Cider is a fermented alcoholic beverage made from the unfiltered juice of apples. Cider alcohol content varies, generally, between 3% and 8.5%, but some continental cider goes to 12% alcohol.

Can you make alcohol with just sugar and yeast? ›

Luckily, it is straightforward and inexpensive to make alcohol from table sugar (sucrose). You need a fermentation vessel, sugar, and yeast for the fermentation process, and the ability to purify the alcohol you've made. Once you've produced the alcohol, you can use it to make liquors or mixed drinks.

What is fermented apple juice called? ›

Fermented apple juice is called “hard cider.” In Europe, all non-fermented apple juice is referred to as “juice”, and fermented apple juice is referred to as “cider.” Worldwide, cider varies in alcohol content from less than 3% alcohol by volume (ABV) as found in French cidre doux, to 8.5% ABV or above in traditional ...

Can fermented apple juice turn into alcohol? ›

Can expired Apple juice turn into alcohol even if left in the fridge? Once it starts to ferment it'll have some alcohol in it, but it will not become pure alcohol even if you allow it to ferment as long as it can. Once the sugars are used up, no more alcohol will form.

Can you still drink fermented apple juice? ›

Regardless, it's safe to drink, but may contain traces of alcohol. Fermented apple juice, also known as hard cider, is generally safe for most people to drink in moderation. However, it is important to note that some people may have adverse reactions to alcohol or specific ingredients in the cider.

Which fruits ferment the fastest? ›

Purple grape, white grape, and peach juice fermented to potential alcohol the fastest. Fermentation was complete in 6 days. Apple, pear and pomegranate juices also had high sugar content and fermented to potential alcohol in 9 days.

How long to ferment apples for cider? ›

The fermentation time will depend on the room temperature and the initial starting gravity. 5 to 14 days is just a guide. The slower the fermentation the better the cider will taste. It is really important not to exceed 27°C.

How long does it take for fruit to ferment? ›

Fermentation occurs once bubbles appear on the fruit because the yeast is digesting the sugar and converting it into alcohol. Fruit tends to ferment quickly, in 24 to 48 hours. However, some people prefer to ferment the fruit for up to 2 to 3 weeks.

Is there alcohol in fermented apples? ›

Apple cider alcohol content may vary within the range of 1.2–8.5% of alcohol by volume (ABV), and should maintain the character of the fermented apple juice.

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