WHATS OLD IS NEW AGAIN!

When life gives you cabbage, make sauerkraut.

Raw sauerkraut is so in trend now, fact is it never went out of style. Our grandmas were the true masters stocking up glass jars or barrels of this delicious gut loving fermented food. Sauerkraut is made by a process called lacto fermentation where salt and water is added to shredded cabbage and left to ferment and break down by the addition of probiotics.

Homemade sauerkraut isn’t as hard as many people make it out to be and much better than store bought and heat treated varieties that offer little beneficial gut loving bacteria. When we expose our bodies to the toxins from food or the environment on a daily basis then we are naturally decreasing the number of healthy bacteria in our bodies and increasing the chances of disease.

Making your own homemade sauerkraut will provide you with significant quantities of dietary fibre, essential for optimal digestive function, vitamin A, C and iron to build immunity, vitamin B to support energy and vitamin K for healthy blood clotting and heart health. Additionally, sauerkraut contains large quantities of vitamin U known to be an effective treatment for peptic ulcers!

Let’s get fermenting…..

Half a green cabbage
1 tbsp sea salt
2 tbsp finely chopped dill
1 tsp of your favourite probiotic (I add a tsp of my favourite Organic Woman Blend)
Clean filtered water

Shred cabbage using a knife or mandolin. Sprinkle salt over cabbage and massage for about 5 minutes to extract some of the liquid. Pack a large sterilised jar full of the sauerkraut mixture and top with filtered water. Water should just cover the cabbage. Cut a whole cabbage leaf to size to fit snug over the top of the cabbage mixture then place something heavy on top. I’ve just popped a ceramic ramekin on top to hold it down. Keep in a cool place for 7-10 days. Keep an eye on it everyday, if any scum comes to the surface simply skim off with a spoon. You’ll know it’s ready when it is sour and crunchy. Store in fridge after opening. If you are not used to eating fermented foods then start off small, 1/2-1 tsp before each meals and work your way up. This will help to avoid gut discomfort, bloating and flatulence.

Nutritionally Yours,

Veronica