LACTO-FERMENTED CINNAMON APPLES
Yields: 2 quarts
3 medium organic apples
(chose apples on the sweeter side like gala or honeycrisp)
2-4 cinnamon sticks, crushed
1 lemon, juice & zest
4 T. sea salt
7-8 c. filtered water
Directions:
Combine crushed cinnamon (add to desired cinnamony-ness), lemon juice, zest, sea salt, and filtered water in a medium pot. Heat over medium heat until barely simmering and salt is dissolved. Remove from heat and cover to let steep and cool 30 minutes.
Wash apples well with a fruit & veggie wash. Slice the tops off 2 of the apples and reserve for packing the jars (as pictured above). Quarter the apples and slice very thinly (I like to use the blade attachment on my food processor -- saves a TON of time). Pack sliced apples tightly into 2 quart jars, careful not to bruise them as you press down.
Fill the jars with salty water, transferring cinnamon pieces and all. Place a reserved apple top in each other jars to submerge the slices in the liquid. Cover with coffee filters or cheesecloth. Leave at room temperature for 5-7 days, testing around 4 days to gauge how sour it is. The longer it's left at room temperature, the more sour (and less sweet) it will be. The fermented apples will keep for 3-6 months in the refrigerator, as the cold temps will halt the fermentation process right where it's at.
