I’ve been making sauerkraut for a few months now and I LOVE
it! Even my KIDS love it! Yay!
I’ve been reading about how to heal a leaky gut, and found
that adding good bacteria is one of the ways to go. The Specific Carbohydrate Diet that I follow
includes 24 hour yogurt as a major part
of its healing protocol, but I am intolerant to dairy. So instead of the yogurt, I just take daily
probiotic capsules. This has worked well
for me, but after 2 years on SCD, I started to wonder if I could improve
further. SCD is enough to keep me in
remission, but how about actually HEALING my gut?
So I’ve been experimenting with fermenting. My kids have been fairly tolerant (there have
been a couple, ‘What is that smell, mum?’ questions, but they humour me).
So far I’ve made sauerkraut, fermented tomato sauce and fermented
carrot sticks. I’ve also been experimenting
with kefir, but that’s another story. :)
Firstly I tried buying sauerkraut from the supermarket, but
then read that because it is pasteurized, it doesn’t contain the beneficial
lactic acid bacteria.
To get the good stuff, you have to make your own.
Having healthy gut bacteria is so important. I think everyone should add sauerkraut to
their diet to help their immune system.
It is also very high in vitamin C with good amounts of vitamin B6 and
iron. Awesome.
Thankfully, sauerkraut is really easy to make. And fun!
Sauerkraut
Ingredients:
1 head of cabbage
Sea salt
Sauerkraut brine from previous batch (optional)
You’ll also need:
Chopping bowl
Large knife
Large bowl
Large jar or crock
Method:
Wash the cabbage, peeling off the tough outer leaves.
Use your knife (or a food processor) to quarter your cabbage
and cut out the core.
Finely slice or shred your cabbage.
As you chop it, put the shredded cabbage into a large bowl.
Grind some sea salt onto each layer of cabbage as you add it
to the bowl.
(In total, you need around 2
tablespoons of salt for a medium cabbage).
When the bowl is almost full, spend a few minutes massaging
or kneading the chopped cabbage in the bowl.
(I like this step; it’s therapeutic!)
Massaging the cabbage, along with the addition of the salt,
draws out the moisture. Time will also
do this. You can fill your bowl with the
layers of cabbage and salt, leave it to rest for 30 minutes or so and it’s easier
to release the juices.
Then spoon the cabbage and the released brine into your jar
or crock.
Yes, it’s messy! Mine
goes everywhere. :)
Keep chopping up your cabbage and layering up your bowl with
cabbage and salt. Massage and/or leave
each bowlful before adding it to your jar or crock.
Important note: Do
not fill your jar up to the top!
I always find I actually need two jars, so have extras ready
just in case.
Keep adding your cabbage and salt to the jars.
When your jars are three
quarters full, leave them to sit for a while or if you’re impatient, just
go to the next step:
Use the end of a rolling pin to squash down the cabbage in
the jar. This releases more juices.
Keep squashing down the cabbage with the rolling pin until
the brine covers the top of the cabbage.
This may take 5 – 10 mins. Get
the family to help! (Again, very good
therapy!)
If you have a tablespoon of sauerkraut juice from a previous
batch, add it at this stage; it will help kick-start the fermentation.
If you can’t get enough brine to cover the cabbage, make up
some brine by mixing 1 cup of boiled water with 1 teaspoon of salt. (I’ve always had enough brine just from the
cabbage.)
To ferment, the cabbage must be BELOW the surface of the
brine. The fermentation is anaerobic;
without air.
To keep the cabbage below the brine, there are a couple of
options:
If you are using a crock, use an upside-down saucer weighted
down with a sterilized rock (or something heavy) to keep the cabbage
submerged. (traditional method)
In my jars, I use an old glass jar that I’ve put some water
in to weigh it down.
Then cover the whole thing with a tea towel to keep out any
bugs, dust, etc.
You must leave a space (bigger than you think you’ll need)
at the top of your jars, because the fermenting process causes much bubbling
and overflow. I put my jars out of the
sun in a corner of my kitchen bench, but I must admit that each time I don’t
leave enough space at the top of my jars and I have cabbage brine covering my
bench top! Still learning on this one.
After a few days, you can close the lids of your jars. I take out the weighted down with water jars,
close the lids and store them in my pantry until they are ready.
Leave your jars to ferment for at least one week. In warmer temperatures they will ferment
quicker than during winter.
I like my sauerkraut after it’s reached the 4 week mark, but
my last batch I only left for 2 weeks as we had run out and couldn’t wait any
longer. So 2 to 4 weeks to ferment is my
suggestion.
You can taste test your sauerkraut after one week and see
how you like it. Just make sure all the
cabbage is under the brine if you decide to leave it for a bit longer.
Once it’s the taste you like, store your jar in the fridge.
I’ve left my second jar to continue fermenting until we
finish eating the first one.
Apparently white mold can grow on the top of your
sauerkraut as it is fermenting. I
haven’t had this happen, but the advice seems to be just to skim it off, that
the sauerkraut beneath the brine is fine.
What do you eat
sauerkraut with?
I like it on my salads or as a condiment to meat. The sour, tangy taste really adds something
special.
How do you get your
kids to eat sauerkraut?
After I read the GAPS book, I tried the encouragement method
with my teenagers. At first they were
reluctant to give the kraut a go, but after some encouragement, ‘No, you don’t
HAVE to eat it. Go on, give it a
try! Just a tiny bit!’
Followed by lots of over-the-top praise: ‘Awesome!
Well done, sweetie, I’m so proud of you!’ LOL.
They all decided they like it and are eating it most days. Yay!
Isn’t cabbage hard to
digest?
Yes, it can be. I’ve
found sauerkraut easier to digest than cooked or raw cabbage, but start
slowly. The GAPS book suggests starting
with a teaspoon or so of the sauerkraut brine before eating the cabbage. If you are having lots of digestive distress,
this may be a good way to start.
It’s so great to have another delicious food I can eat that
is really good for me.
A few variations I’d like to try:
- Using red cabbage
- Using a combination of green and red cabbage to make a pink
kraut!
- Experimenting with adding spices; caraway seeds are
traditional but I’ve also heard of fennel or coriander seeds, ginger and
chilli.
