How to Make Fermented Fruit

A large mason jar of fermented fruit on the counter top.

4.50 from 20 votes

Learn how to make fermented fruit for results that are not only delicious, but full of probiotics. These fermented blueberries are a great way to eat get beneficial bacteria into your diet.

Prep Time10

Additional Time (Fermentation)3

Total Time3 10

Course: Fermented Foods

Cuisine: American

Keyword: fermented fruit

Servings: Quart Size Mason Jar

Author: Lisa Bass

Equipment

Ingredients

2 cups fresh blueberries
6 tablespoons liquid whey
¾ teaspoon good quality salt
6 tablespoons organic cane sugar
9 tablespoons filtered water

Instructions

To collect whey from yogurt, line a fine mesh strainer with a few layers of cheesecloth and set it over a bowl. Spoon in plain yogurt and let it drain in the fridge for several hours, or until you’ve collected about 6 tablespoons of whey.
Warm the water in a saucepan to help dissolve the salt and sugar.
In a clean jar, combine the sugar and salt.
Pour in the warm water. Stir or shake until fully dissolved. Let the mixture cool to room temperature.
Once cooled, add the whey and blueberries to the jar.
Use a fermentation weight to keep the blueberries fully submerged in the liquid. If you don’t have a weight, you can use a small glass jar or pinch bowl that fits inside the jar opening to press the fruit down. Another option is to fill a small zip-top bag with water and place it on top to weigh everything down.
Make sure all the fruit stays below the brine. If needed, add a little extra water, one tablespoon at a time, until everything is covered.
Cover the top of the jar with a loose lid to allow carbon dioxide to escape.
Let the blueberries ferment at room temperature. After 24 hours, begin tasting daily until they reach your desired level of tanginess, usually 2 to 3 days.

Notes

For quality of ingredients, you will want to choose non-iodized salt, filtered water, and organic fruit when fermenting.
You can also use frozen blueberries, but the blueberries melt down into a more mashed up/syrupy consistency.
Fruit ferments quicker than vegetables. Make sure to test it every day after 24-48 hours, because it can cross the threshold into alcohol quickly.
With fruit fermentations, it is best if they have a jump starter culture like the whey, water kefir, or kombucha, so they will ferment quickly and not turn into alcohol.
Make these recipes in small batches, because they will not last more than a few weeks in the fridge.
Keep your fermentation mixture in a dark place like a cupboard or pantry, or out of direct sunlight during the fermentation process.
In this post, I’m going to show you how to ferment blueberries, but you could also try cherries, pineapple, and raspberries.

Nutrition