I know it seems like a random and slightly odd food to take the time to show you how to make, but the making of saurkraut is a dying art and it is a super powered food so bring it back in to your diet! And adding it to your hot dog from the street-meat vendors is not the way that I am implying.
Saurkraut is finely shredded cabbage that has been fermented by various lactic acid bacteria. No special culture of lactic acid bacteria is needed because these bacteria already are present on raw cabbage.
Saurkraut is a great condiment to add to a meal. It is a great addition for salads, sandwiches or just as a side and of course, has great health benefits. The first is that, being made of cabbage (a proven cancer fighter), saurkraut is rich in vitamin C, fiber, manganese, vitamin B6 and folate.
The added benefit of the fermentation process provides us with the good bacteria, or probiotics, which we are often low in due to antibiotic use and high sugar and refined flour consumption. These probiotics help to produce beneficial enzymes, aid digestion and promote healthy flora (bacteria) in the digestive tract.
Not all saurkraut is created equal. Most that you will find in your supermarket have been pasteurized which means all of the good bacertia have been killed. We want the bacteria! So prepare it yourself and make sure you are getting the best. The recipe is simple.
Traditional Saurkraut
1 medium cabbage
1 TBS caraway seeds
1 TBS sea salt
2-3 TBS chopped or grated ginger (optional)
2/3 cup grated carrot (optional)
- Remove large outer leaves from cabbage and set aside
- Core and shred cabbage
- In a bowl, mix cabbage with carway seeds, sea salt and optional ginger and carrots
- Massage with your hounds (or pound with a wooden mallet shou;d you have one and feel so inclined) for about ten minutes. Juices will be released
- Place into a wide mouth mason jar and pound down untik juices come up and cover the cabbage, leave about 2 inches of space at the top
- Carefully place whole cabbage leaves overtop (inside teh jar) to ensure airtight. Seal jar firmly.
- Keep at room temperature for about 3 days and then transfer to your fridge.
- It may be eaten right away but will improve with time. Yummy!
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Never made it that way. We just put the shredded cabbage in an old pillowcase, put in a large crock, folded the case over, put on a wooden lid & a rock on top. When you could smell it upstairs, it was done….
Oooh I am so going to try this. I Only ever tried Saurkraut one time, in Germany. And it just tasted of vinergar. It was disgusting!
Ive always been suspicious of the priceyness of good quality storebought SK vs the cheapness of crap-filled storebought SK, and suspicious of the simplicity of homemade. I finally got over myself and made some! No caraway though so I used mustard& cumin seeds, purple cabbage, ginger&carrot. Yay! now to wait for th Kraut to Saur. My Ukrainian ancestors would be so proud!
as am i!