Sauerkraut you pick up from the store, or even most homemade versions of sauerkraut are made with vinegar, mayonnaise, too much salt, and unnecessary preservatives. This lacto-ferment recipe for REAL sauerkraut is like none other, and leaps and bounds healthier than the other versions. Just one cup provides 102% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin K, 35% of vitamin C and 12% of iron, according to NutritionData. Another plus is that one serving has just 32 calories, with four grams of fiber.
“Is Sauerkraut the Next Chicken Soup”
This was the title to a very interesting article from ABC News back in 2005. During the days of the Bird Flu, scientists found that infected birds that were fed Kimchi (a version of lacto-fermented sauerkraut) started to recover! Another interesting study showed that women who ate 4 or more servings of sauerkraut per week were 74% less likely to develop breast cancer compared to woman who ate less than 1.5 servings a week.
With this recipe, we are using the lacto-fermentation process. This process has been used for centuries before there were such things as refrigerators and freezers. It is a way to preserve your food, but during this fermentation process, you are also unleashing a wealth of nutrition! When a vegetable is lacto-fermented, it increases vitamin levels, makes the vegetable easier to digest, and best of all creates beneficial enzymes and probiotics.
*Note:
This is a basic sauerkraut recipe, feel free to experiment with added veggies onions, carrots, jalapenos, etc.
Ingredients:
* 1 medium cabbage cored and shredded (any color)
* 1 tb sea salt
* 1 tb caraway seeds (optional)
Tools needed:
* Large bowl
* Meat hammer or wooden pounder
* Large Strainer
* Quart sized mason jar
Directions:
1. Chop or grate cabbage, finely or coarsely. Place cabbage in a large strainer as you chop it then rinse with cold water and dry and transfer to large bowl.
“Is Sauerkraut the Next Chicken Soup”
This was the title to a very interesting article from ABC News back in 2005. During the days of the Bird Flu, scientists found that infected birds that were fed Kimchi (a version of lacto-fermented sauerkraut) started to recover! Another interesting study showed that women who ate 4 or more servings of sauerkraut per week were 74% less likely to develop breast cancer compared to woman who ate less than 1.5 servings a week.
With this recipe, we are using the lacto-fermentation process. This process has been used for centuries before there were such things as refrigerators and freezers. It is a way to preserve your food, but during this fermentation process, you are also unleashing a wealth of nutrition! When a vegetable is lacto-fermented, it increases vitamin levels, makes the vegetable easier to digest, and best of all creates beneficial enzymes and probiotics.
*Note:
This is a basic sauerkraut recipe, feel free to experiment with added veggies onions, carrots, jalapenos, etc.
Ingredients:
* 1 medium cabbage cored and shredded (any color)
* 1 tb sea salt
* 1 tb caraway seeds (optional)
Tools needed:
* Large bowl
* Meat hammer or wooden pounder
* Large Strainer
* Quart sized mason jar
Directions:
1. Chop or grate cabbage, finely or coarsely. Place cabbage in a large strainer as you chop it then rinse with cold water and dry and transfer to large bowl.
2. Sprinkle salt and caraway on the cabbage as you go. Mix together and pound with hammer for about 5 minutes to release juices.
3. Spoon into your mason jar while intermittently pressing the cabbage down firmly with the hammer until the juices come to the top. The cabbage should come 1 inch below the top of the jar.
4. Place the lid firmly on the mason jar and let sit at room temperature for about 3 days.
5. Transfer to refrigerator (where it will keep for months and continue to ferment) and enjoy plain, on sandwiches, or any way you like.
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