Sauerkraut

In my quest for better health, I have discovered home fermented sauerkraut. Previously, I had purchased all of our sauerkraut needs, which weren't really needs. Already prepared kraut from the store is almost always canned, and you don't want that because the bacteria gets killed in the heating process, though you can find some fresher versions in the refrigerated meat case. If you buy that fresh version in the store, check it carefully. I have not found one yet that does not contain preservatives, which sort of defeats the whole purpose of eating sauerkraut.

My doctor suggested that I eat more fermented foods for my never-ending digestive issues: fresh yogurt, sauerkraut, fresh fermented pickles (not in vinegar), kimchi, etc.

I have made my own yogurt in my dehydrator as well as larger amounts in my slow coooker. Great, but in order for the sugars (lactose, which bothers me) to completely "burn out", the yogurt must be fermented for 24 hours or longer. The longer it ferments, the tangier it becomes. I can't find dairy yogurt in the stores that is fermented longer than a standard 12 hours.

I have never tried kimchi, but I have made my own fermented pickles. I am not a huge fan, but I am going to try some different flavors and see what happens. I am a pickle fan for sure, but usually the standard canned in a vinegar brine kind. 

Now, as for the sauerkraut, I had only tried making it once in my crock. That didn't work out for me. The kraut was moldy and buggy and spoiled.

This Christmas, my husband bought me the fermentation kit below. The jar is a wide mouth quart mason jar. The kit includes a bag of celtic sea salt and a packet of spices. I decided to try making a jar of sauerkraut using the recipe (included) for a golden kraut (uses the spice packet). 

To make the sauerkraut, I took a small head of green cabbage and put it through my food processor (grating blade attached). I was in a hurry that day. Then, I put the grated cabbage in a large bowl and sprinkled in a tablespoon of the sea salt (important - must use non-iodized salt). I didn't have a mallet at the time, so I didn't pound it, opting to rub and rub the cabbage with the salt. It's kind of like kneading bread; just keep working in the salt. Before long, I had a good amount of liquid and I just let it sit for a bit (about 1/2 hour). Then I put in the spice mix and worked it a little more before putting it all in the mason jar. It all fit! I did not grate up the outer leaf and I placed that on top of the cabbage in the jar. Pushing down with that leaf, I found that I had plenty of liquid in the jar as is and didn't need to top it off with a salt water brine.

I put the plunger on and pushed down, squeezing everything down, and then placed a wide mouth ring on the jar. Then, I put the bubble cap on top and put the whole jar in a bowl (to catch any spillover during the fermentation process). I put a bit of water in the "moat" at the top of the jar and put the whole thing in my basement, where it is cool but not cold and out of direct sunlight.

Today, after five days, I am seeing bubbles as the cabbage ferments. I will leave this to ferment for another five days before taking off the top leaf and capping off with a regular lid, then placing it in the refrigerator. It is ready to eat after 10 days from the time it is begun. My sauerkraut is yellow because of the turmeric. I can't wait to try it, as it smells wonderful already!

Has anyone tried fermenting other vegetables? I would love to hear your success stories.