Sauerkraut Recipe – Nature’s Probiotic!
Fermented foods are a staple in nearly every traditional culture around the world. They are a rich and diverse source of probiotics that provide a number of benefits when consumed regularly. Sauerkraut (fermented cabbage) is one of the easiest fermented foods to make at home making it a great option for those who want to start incorporating food-based probiotics into their diet.
Benefits of Sauerkraut (and fermented foods in general):
- Increased nutrient bioavailability. Sauerkraut actually has much more Vitamin C than cabbage
- Fermentation breaks down plant matter making it more digestible
- Fermented foods serve as a better probiotic source than supplements (actually, food sources of nutrients is always superior to supplements in our opinion)
- Long shelf-life when stored in a cool, dark place
Ingredients:
1 Head of Cabbage (*organic)
2 Tbsp Celtic sea salt, Redmond real salt, or Pink Himalayan Salt
1-2 Onions depending on size
2-3 Cloves of Garlic
*Always use organic vegetables when making fermented foods. Fermentation uses the natural microbes found in foods which will be largely absent in conventionally grown produce if sprayed with pesticides. If you grew it yourself or trust the source of the cabbage, do not wash the cabbage to maintain the microbes found on the outside of the veg.
Instructions
Preparation Phase:
1. Remove the outer layer of the cabbage (2-3 large leaves) and SAVE IT FOR LATER.
2. Roughly cut cabbage into chunks. Remove the hard core and discard.
3. Peel onions and garlic. Chop onions into large chunks that you can later place in a food processor.
4. Put the cabbage, onion and garlic into a food processor – pulse or use low setting to chop cabbage into small pieces. You will need to do this in multiple rounds so don’t over stuff your food processor! If you do not have a food processor, then simply chop into small strips.
5. Transfer to a large bowl, add salt and mix until everything is well salted.
6. Press down cabbage mixture with a plate, add some weight on top (I typically use a large glass jar filled with water) and let it sit for a few hours to encourage the release of water from the cabbage. If you are impatient/ in a time crunch you can skip this step.
7. Thoroughly massage mixture with hands further releasing water from cabbage for about 5-10 minutes (this will take longer if you skipped the last step). Your hands/forearms will be sore by the end!
8. Once mixture is soft and there is plenty of water in the bottom of the bowl, add mixture to a CLEAN glass jar. Press down mixture with a wooden spoon as much as you can to eliminate air bubbles and release water. Place outer layer of cabbage on top of mixture as a “lid” and press down again.
9. By the end you should have enough liquid (referred to as the Brine) to cover cabbage by at least an inch. If there is not enough, add some filtered water until it is well covered. This is important or else your sauerkraut may become mouldy.
10. Loosely place lid on jar OR a cover with a clean towel secured with an elastic band.
Fermentation Phase:
11. Place in a cool dark place for a couple days to a couple weeks depending on how strong you like it. You can taste test it along the way to monitor its progress. Ensure the cabbage is always emerged in its brine. Remember, you can always top it up with water if the cabbage isn’t fully covered!
12. The fermentation process is completed after 3-7 days. When you are first starting out, or if you don’t love the strong taste of sauerkraut, opt for a shorter fermentation length (3 days). If you want maximum benefit and maximum taste, opt for a longer fermentation. It is safe to eat at every stage of the fermentation process, so give it a taste once per day to get to know your optimal length of time to ferment.
13. Once finished, store with a firmly secured lid in the fridge. It will last a loooooong time! We like to eat about 2-3tbsp per day, and we think of it like nature’s probiotic. Food is medicine! Enjoy!
Sauerkraut is something we are often recommending to patient’s as we are huge proponents of recommending foods over supplements. Is this something you are interested in? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to check out our other recipes coming soon in our Recipe Academy!
