Sauerkraut
Sauerkraut
Hi,
If you follow my facebook page, then you will be aware that I am currently on a journey to heal my body. What from you might ask? Well I have a condition called Vitiligo which is where patches of your skin lose their pigmentation and you are left with white patches on your body. Vitiligo is notoriously hard to halt and even harder to reverse (and get the pigmentation back), but I am of the belief that the body is an amazing thing and given the right fuel that it can repair and heal itself. Therefore I am on a journey to give my body the best chance I can of stopping the spread of these white patches and even returning them to the correct colour. This condition is stress related and can also be associated with auto-immune problems. Blood tests have been inconclusive regarding the auto-immune part, but there has certainly been some stress in my life (particularly in the last 18 months or so). Managing the stress is something I am working on and my regular yoga does help with that but I’ve decided to stop eating a couple of foods and also to put some better foods into my body too….including fermented vegetables and drinks 🙂
I have had a few people ask me about my sauerkraut that keeps popping up when I share photos of my meals. Not everyone likes the taste but I love it and I pop a big spoonful on my plate whenever I can, especially with my bacon and eggs at breakfast time. It has all sorts of amazing benefits and you can read all about that at this fantastic website that has all things sauerkraut.
If you would like to have a go at making some, then read on for my recipe. It is really easy, doesn’t take long to do and is fun (think squishy stuff in your hands…heaps of fun 🙂 ) The hardest part is waiting for it to ferment and get all that fantastic bacteria going in it. My hot tip is, don’t wait until you have nearly finished eating your first batch before you start making your second one, or you might run out before the next batch is ready 😉
Here is the recipe for you, go on give it a go….you know you want to ha ha
Cheers to your good health and mine – Di <3 🙂
SAUERKRAUT
Preparation: 30 mins
THE INGREDIENTS
1kg green cabbage, finely shredded
2 carrots, grated
4 small cloves garlic, crushed
5cm piece fresh ginger, finely grated
30g celtic sea salt
5cm piece fresh turmeric, finely grated (if you can get it, otherwise you can leave it out)
1 clean outer leaf of cabbage
THE FUN PART
- Make sure all utensils are thoroughly cleaned or even sterilised if possible. You will need a very large bowl to mix the kraut in and glass jar/s to pack it into.
- Place all the ingredients except the turmeric and outer leaft into the large bowl and massage with your hands for 5-10 minutes until the liquid releases from the vegetables and there is enough liquid to cover the vegetables when you press them down.
- Add the turmeric and combine thoroughly (I add this at the end so I don’t end up with totally yellow hands 😉 )
- Using a spoonful at a time, put the vegetables into the glass jar, and press them down as you go to remove all the air and make the liquid rise above the vegetables. Continue a spoonful at a time until all the vegetables are in the jar. Make sure you leave plenty of room at the top of the jar as more liquid will be drawn out as it ferments.
- Fold the clean outer cabbage leaf and put it into the top of the jar. You might want to put a clean shot glass on top of the leaf to hold it down when you put the lid on the jar. The purpose of the cabbage leaf and shot glass is to keep the vegetables submerged in the liquid which is very important.
- Pop the jar into the cupboard (possibly on a plate to catch any liquid that may escape as it ferments), and leave it to ferment. In the first few days I check it and release the lid at least once a day and clean up any overflow.
- Taste it after 3 days and if you like the taste, pop it in the fridge. If you would like it to be a bit tangier then leave it longer and just taste it every now and then until it is to your liking (and then move it to the fridge). You can leave it to ferment for months if you like!
