Probiotic Peach & Mango Slushy

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Growing up my sisters and I would walk down to the local corner store to get slush puppies to help cool us down in the hot, humid Australian summers. Slushies are definitely cold, but they’re also loaded with a ton of sugar and some pretty nasty additives.

Here’s the ingredients of the blue raspberry flavoured slush puppie: sugar, water, fructose, acid (citric acid), flavourings, preservatives (sodium benzoate), colour (e133).

Sodium Benzoate

is a preservative used to extend the shelf life of products while also blocking the growth of bacteria. It can be found in soft drinks, bottled lemon juice, pickles, jelly, salad dressing, soy sauce, and other condiments, medications, cosmetics, toothpaste, mouthwash, baby wipes and more. Studies suggest that sodium benzoate may increase your risk of inflammation, oxidative stress, obesity, ADHD, and allergies. It may also convert to benzene, a potential carcinogen, however, this needs further research.

Citric Acid

is one of the most common food additives in the world. It’s used to boost acidity, enhance flavour, and is commonly used as an additive and a preservative in cleaning agents, nutritional supplements and foods, including; juices, powdered beverages, lollies, frozen foods, dairy products, tinned foods, baby food and more. Citric acid is produced from a type of mold and is fed onto a sugar containing medium. After the mold is filtered out of the resulting solution, citric acid is isolated using other chemicals and extracted using sulfuric acid.⁣⁣⁣ Citric acid is commercially sold as a general disinfectant and cleaning agent for removing soap scum, hard water stains, lime, and rust. Mmm delicious, NOT!

Flavourings

i’ve said this numerous times over on my Instagram - a Strawberry Flavour is made of up to 48 different chemical ingredients. Flavours can also contain MSG and genetically modified ingredients. There are too many possible ingredients that are not divulged when you see the word ‘flavours’ so this is why I avoid them.

Brilliant Blue Colouring (e133)

a synthetic blue colouring dye that adds a blue colour to foods. However, it can disrupt cell metabolism and cause allergic reactions. It’s banned in countries such as Austria, Sweden, Switzerland, France, Germany and Norway.

Okay, so now we’ve gone through a few of those questionable slushy ingredients, I bet you’re wondering how you can make a healthy, homemade version that you and your kids will LOVE!

How I Make My Probiotic Slushy

It really couldn’t be simpler. To make this drink, you simply blend fermented frozen fruit with coconut water kefir in a high-powered blender and you’re done! The result is a delicious, sugar free slushy with the perfect frozen texture and sweet, tart flavour. And the best part, it’s healthy and full of probiotics, unlike the convenience store vice of my youth, the slush puppie. You can use any seasonal fruit that you love. Here’s a few ideas for other fruit combos;

  • Tropical Slushy - mango + pineapple + lime

  • Pink Slushy - watermelon + strawberry

  • Orange Slushy - mango + orange (optional turmeric and ginger)

  • Green Hulk Slushy - kiwi fruit + pineapple + mint

Why I Ferment The Fruit First

I ferment fruit with coconut water kefir because the probiotics eats away all the sugar within the fruit, pre-digests it making it easier to digest, increases the bio-availability of minerals + preserves the nutrients and minerals within the fruit, reduces sugar cravings, increases immunity, creates beneficial enzymes which support digestive health as well as helps to restore the health of your gut.

You can read more about why and how to ferment fruit in my blog post ‘An In Depth Look At Why & How-To Ferment Fruit’.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 peaches

  • 2 ripe mangoes, diced

  • 1 banana (or just use 3 mangoes if you don’t like bananas)

  • 1 tsp vanilla essence

  • A good squeeze of lime juice

  • Probiotic coconut water kefir for blending

STEP 1: How-To Make Probiotic Fruit

Add the chopped fruit into a clean glass jar. Cover it with just enough probiotic coconut water kefir to cover the fruit. You can weigh the fruit down with a glass dish or shot glass that fits inside the glass jar. Close the lid tightly and allow to ferment for 24 hours on your kitchen bench.

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Pour the probiotic fruit + the liquid into a freezer safe container and place it in the freezer.

  2. Once the fruit is completely frozen, remove the container from the freezer. Flip it over and run the base of the container under warm water to allow the chunk of fermented frozen fruit to pop out of the container easily.

  3. Place the large chunk of frozen fruit onto a clean chopping board. Using a sharp knife, carefully slice it into rough cubes. Place these cubes into your thermomix, food processor or high powered blender. Add a dash or two of water or coconut water kefir and blend until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and re-blend until it resembles a smooth sorbet/ slushy texture. If you’re having trouble blending, add another dash of coconut water kefir or water to help it blend more easily.

  4. Add the 1 tsp vanilla and/ or a good squeeze of fresh lime juice if desired and re-blend.

  5. Scoop/ pour into glasses and enjoy immediately.

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