I had always wondered how it would be to cook with a Sous Vide machine, and at IFBC this year, I was able to see them in action – and taste the results. The thing is, when you mention sous vide cooking, meat comes to mind for many, since that is what is often prepared in it (and if you eat meat, it is an amazing way to cook it).
I first played with the machine, using the pouches that come with it, but I wanted to do more with recipes containing liquid. The pouches that are vacuum sealed don’t work with liquid ingredients for sealing. Sous Vide Supreme does carry zip pouch bags, but I wondered….why not just use mason jars instead? That is something I always have plenty of on hand! The mason jars I found worked even better (more about this in another recipe coming soon!) than the pouches.
A plant-based breakfast, ready to eat as soon as I wake up? Even better…..
When you take the lid off, the apples and cinnamon are at the top, wafting into your taste buds.
Slow Cooked Coconut and Apple Oatmeal
Ingredients:
- 2 cups old-fashioned oats (gluten-free if needed)
- ¼ cup Coconut Palm Sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 1 cup dried apples, torn
- 6 cups unsweetened coconut milk beverage
Directions:
Take 4 clean pint canning jars of the same size, with bands and lids. Divide each ingredient between the jars, layering in order (½ cup oats, 1 Tbsp sugar, ½ tsp cinnamon, 1/8 tsp salt and ¼ cup apples), slowly add into each jar 1½ cups of the coconut milk, let settle, then stir gently. Place a lid on each jar and seal tightly with a band.
Fill your sous vide machine to the minimum fill line with water, making sure the perforated grill bottom is in place. and set for 155°. While water is heating, add in the jars. Scoop out water as needed, until the water is just at the bands (make sure it doesn’t cover the tops of the jars). Place lid on machine, let cook for 10 hours.
Remove jars carefully (a canning jar lifter works well), setting on a dry kitchen towel. Open each jar and stir well before serving. If you are saving some for later, place in refrigerator without lid on, cover when chilled fully. To reheat, microwave in jar, or in a microwave safe bowl for a minute, stirring and continuing to heat in 30 second bursts until hot.
Serves 4 to 8, depending on appetite size.
Notes:
On mason jars: use American made ones such as Ball® and Kerr®, for best results. Don’t reuse glass jars from commercial food items. Pick jar sizes that match the volume of your food – you don’t want extra air space, as that can lead to floating jars, a pint jar works perfectly for this recipe. We used Ball® Elite jars, I just love the look of them!
When using dried apples, avoid using ones with sulfites or preservatives. Yes, they soft and easy to chew out of the bag, home dried ones though have a sweet and tart flavor you will never get commercially.
When using pouches, the water is heated first, then the bags are added. When using glass, it is best to let it warm up a bit, then add the jars, while it continues to heat up – you don’t want to shock the glass if your ingredients are too cold inside.
This recipe can be prepared in the zip bags as well, follow the standard directions for removing air from bags before sealing and use the universal pouch rack to hold the bags up. Process for same time and temperature as above.
Sweetener note: brown sugar can be used instead of coconut sugar. Coconut sugar isn’t very “sweet”, if you are used to a sweeter taste, you may want to drizzle on some pure maple syrup before serving.
FTC Disclosure: We were provided with a Sous Vide Supreme Demi machine to develop recipes in.