Because of the successful traditional food movement, Fermented Foods have been very popular. Here we are paying attention to our ancestors’ wisdom. For centuries, fermented foods have been a staple of the human diet. For an example, sailors in the 18th century ate sauerkraut to prevent scurvy, a disease caused by vitamin C deficiency.
One tablespoon of sauerkraut equals one bottle of probiotics
By pickling cabbage in a process called lacto-fermentation you can make Sauerkraut.
Sauerkraut has the ability to help with digestion and nutrient assimilation as it is loaded with enzymes. It also boosts your body’s ability to digest foods properly. But you should remember that not all sauerkraut is equal. Most of the sauerkraut in stores is heavily treated and pasteurized. Even though it has the same beneficial properties use your own sauerkraut recipe to ensure that you are getting enough probiotics.
Simple homemade sauerkraut recipe
Ingredients
- 6 pounds cabbage
- 3 tablespoons sea salt
Directions
- Remove large outer leaves from cabbage and set aside.
- Shred cabbage.
- Mix cabbage with sea salt in a bowl.
- To release the juices massage the mixture with your hands for about 15 minutes.
- Place the cabbage in a large fermentation container and pound down until juices come up.
- Cover the cabbage leaving about 2 inches of space at the top.
- Cover the sauerkraut with a plate and keep a heavy glass jar filled with water on the plate to press it down.
- Press down to add pressure to the cabbage and help force water out of it.
- After covering it with a towel, keep it at room temperature. And depending upon the room temperature fermentation will begin within a day. It will ferment best in a cool, dark place at a temperature that is consistently 64 to 70 degrees.
- It can take up to 3 weeks to a month for fermentation. Transfer it to the refrigerator after fermenting.