This dessert is a delicious but fantastic way to help regulate your immune system by feeding your good gut bacteria.  Sweeten it if you like with some stevia drops.  The reason for the skin is it provides more polyphenols (immune-supporting plant compounds that lower inflammation in your gut).  If your apples are not organic give the skins a good scrub.  In the Autumn, I like to make up a ton of this and bottle it in sterile jars to keep in the larder.  A dollop on your morning porridge (grain-free if you’re on the SC diet), or eat with some natural coconut or dairy yoghurt.  You decide.  I also use it for apple sauce for duck or pork.  If you’re wanting some every day divide into ramekins and store in the fridge for up to a week.  Ceylon cinnamon preserves it.

For 6 servings:
A tray of Bramley (cooking) apples (about 600g), organic if possible
1/2 cup organic raisins/organic sultanas
A little water
2 tsp Ceylon/Sri Lanka cinnamon (plain “cinnamon” is cassia, which doesn’t have the health benefits and in very large amounts cumulatively over time is toxic).
Inulin, honey or (if you must) 100% pure stevia/xylitol or erythritol to sweeten

1. Wash the apples and grate off some of the skin.  Put skin in a saucepan with a little water.
2. Peel and slice the rest and add to saucepan. Add a splash of water, cover and stew gently until the apples soften and fall apart into a puree.  This usually takes around 15 minutes.  This part is important because it releases the pectin, an important prebiotic fibre which feeds your healthy gut bacteria.
3. Remove from the heat and stir in 2 heaped tsp Ceylon cinnamon.

Why this is good for you
Would you like your immune system to be in perfect balance? Protecting against infections and also avoiding/getting into remission from autoimmunity, inflammatory conditions or allergies? These days, lots of us have health conditions where our immune system is out of control.  Allergies, asthma, eczema, colitis and Crohn’s, autoimmune hypothyroidism are just some examples.  Stewed apple may be one of the most perfect foods for helping your good gut bacteria grow in order to dampen down an out-of-control immune system. In treating inflammatory bowel disease a daily serving of stewed apple is as powerful as prednisone, a steroid medication.  Naturally we need LOTS of different plant foods in our week to foster a wide variety of good bacteria.  But stewed apple is a great start, especially if you are someone who can’t tolerate raw fruit at the moment.

When you stew COOKING apples you liberate pectin. Apple pectin encourages growth of the friendly bacteria akkermansia mucinophilia. The clue is in the name. These critters nibble the mucus (yes, I know, yuck!) in your bowel, keeping it trimmed so there’s the right amount. This is important in helping get rid of GI infections and helping nutrient absorption.

Apples naturally contain sugar so it’s better not to have huge amounts of this – just the equivalent of one medium apple is the amount you want as a dessert, otherwise you are overloading with sugars.  Too many sugars, even natural ones, slow down your liver function and immune system and feed health-sabotaging bacteria in your gut.