The week's healthy recipe is full of everything that is good for your gut!

I love fermented foods! But what’s not to love? That slightly tangy flavour, those beneficial probiotics… there is a lot to love about them! And these fermented blueberries just might be my latest addiction. 

Fermented blueberries offer benefits such as enhanced antioxidant activity, anti-inflammatory properties, and improved gut health (fermented blueberries contain probiotics that improve the gut microbiome balance and enhance intestinal barrier function). They may also help lower blood pressure, combat diabetes, and reduce the risk of obesity. The fermentation process makes the nutrients in the fruit more accessible, while creating beneficial probiotics and other compounds. 

Fermentation enhances all of these benefits because it increases nutrient bioavailability (the fermentation process can break down compounds, making beneficial nutrients and other bioactive substances more accessible to the body), it creates probiotics (fermentation introduces live beneficial bacteria (probiotics) that are crucial for gut health), and it causes the degradation of antinutrients (the process can break down antinutritional factors, which can inhibit nutrient absorption).

So on top of all that goodness, these blueberries have the added benefit of being full of a nutrient called anthocyanins (water-soluble pigments found in plants that give them their dark red, blue and purple colors. They are a type of flavonoid with antioxidant properties that may offer health benefits, such as reducing inflammation and supporting brain function). This is one nutrient that I personally cannot get enough of! 

Amazing, right? But don’t even get me started on how yummy they are! Seriously, whip up a batch of these and munch on them all fall and winter long to boost your gut health! 

Fermented blueberries:

• 2 cups blueberries

• 1 tbsp. raw honey

• 1 probiotic capsule (lactobacillus acidophilus)

• ¼ tsp. pink salt or sea salt

• Filtered water

1. In a bowl add the blueberries, honey, probiotic capsule (break open), salt, and stir to combine

2. Transfer to a wide mouth mason jar, pack down fairly tightly. Use a glass fermentation weight to pop in at the top if you have one

3. Gently pour in the filtered water so it covers the ingredients and ends at the shoulder of the jar

4. Seal up the jar, and ferment for 1-2 days or longer. Once you see bubbles forming, it’s ready to transfer to the fridge. Will keep in the fridge for 1-2 months

5. Enjoy!

These fermented blueberries make the best snack!