Apricot Probiotic Fruit Leather

Apricot Probiotic Fruit Leather

Apricots are always the earliest stone fruit to come into season, and for many people, their arrival signifies the beginning of summer.

Apricot Nutrition

Apricots are an excellent source of beta-carotene, a very good source of vitamin C, and a good source of potassium. They even contain a little tryptophan, which is a difficult, but essential amino acid to get in your diet.

Apricots also contain phytochemicals called carotenoids, which are compounds that give red, orange and yellow colors to fruits and vegetables. The powerful antioxidant Lycopene is one of the carotenoids found in apricots.

Apricot seeds, also called “kernels,” are also edible and taste wonderfully like almonds. Some people think that apricot kernels help fight cancer. Oil extracted from the seeds is used in cooking and also makes a wonderful skin care oil.

Apricot Selection and Storage

Apricot season in the U.S. runs from May to August. Look for fruits with a rich orange color or even a blush of pink, and avoid pale and yellow fruits. Apricots should be slightly soft. If they are too firm, they have not been tree-ripened, and tree-ripened fruits always taste best and have the most nutrition.

Wash fresh fruits gently in cold water and pat dry with a soft cloth. Add fresh apricot slices to lunchboxes, salads and cereals, make them into jams, syrups and brandy, or simply sun-dry them and chop them into raisin-size pieces to use in baked treats.

One of the easiest and most kid-friendly ways to preserve fresh fruit is to make it into fruit leather. But since fruit leathers can be very sweet and hard on the teeth, I thought I would bulk up the nutrition a little by culturing the fruit first, so it had a nice tangy taste and a healthy dose of probiotic bacteria for oral and digestive health.

The Importance of Cultured Foods

Eating cultured or fermented foods is the best way to restore and maintain our important gut flora. Without a healthy gut microbiome, we can experience digestive troubles and weight gain, autoimmune diseases, skin problems, and even depression and neurological issues.

Fermented foods like sauerkraut, real sourdough bread, kefir, or homemade yogurt should be an important, daily part of every whole food diet, especially for kids. But getting these types of foods into kids regularly can sometimes be tricky.

This cultured fruit leather recipes gives kids the sweet treat they love, but with enough probiotics to keep their guts—and their parents—happy.

Here’s how to make cultured probiotic fruit leather:

Original article and pictures take www.smallfootprintfamily.com site