What is Sauerkraut?
Sauerkraut is a fermented cabbage dish popular with fermentation enthusiasts. it is packed with healthy bacteria and enzymes that support a healthy gut function. This is a traditional food that has accompanied many meals for centuries in Eastern Europe. It is easy to make and it is an ideal first ferment to make. In this recipe I take you throught the steps to create your own sauerkraut.
Ingredients for Gut Healthy Sauerkraut
1 white cabbage or any other seasonal cabbage (About 1 kg in weight)
1-11/2 tablespoon sea salt (Unrefined and without anti caking ingredients)
1 tablespoon Caraway seeds or about 1 tablespoon juniper berries
Method for making Gut Healthy Sauerkraut
Reserve a couple of the outer leaves of the cabbage. Thinly shred the rest of the cabbage and sprinkle with the salt as you shred along.
Start massaging the salt into the cabbage to get the juices flowing. Add chosen spice, if using juniper berries, you may wish to slightly crush them to release the aromas. Pack the mix into sterile glass jars with fitting lids or a crock sauerkraut pot and press or bash down with a rolling pin. All the cabbage must be immersed under the liquid. Press the reserved cabbage leaves on top to keep the rest submerged under the liquid.
Once this has been achieved put the lid on top but don’t tighten it. Sit the jar onto a plate to collect any juices escaping due to fermentation. Leave on the counter to ferment or some where with an even temperature the cooler the temperature the longer the fermentation will take to complete.
For the first few days check to see how your ferment is going. Press vegetables down under the juices if it has risen up and above the juices. Once the first stage is over (the CO₂ release) put the lid on tight and let it ferment for anything from 7 days to 6 weeks! Once complete reserve in fridge.
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