LOVE KRAUT

I have loved sauerkraut since I can remember but when I tried "real" fermented kraut, I couldn't believe how good it was. It is the most amazing taste and makes the best side for any dish, including eggs and potatoes in the morning. It is such a simple food with only 2 ingredients. When I was studying about healthy foods and nutrition, I learned about fermented foods and one of my favorites is sauerkraut. Packed with vitamins A, C, B6 and K1, minerals like iron, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, and electrolytes potassium and sodium, it is also full of probiotics that help with the health of our gut, immune system, brain, bones, muscles and has been shown to reduce the risk of certain cancers. It is high in fiber and antioxidants and is an anti-inflammatory powerhouse. As you may have heard, this superfood saved the lives of many sailors when it was discovered that a devastating, painful, horrific disease was cured by eating it on their long voyages. The inability to preserve fresh fruits and vegetables had left the men with vitamin C deficiency, which then led to scurvy. The ability to take this life-giving food, which could be preserved long-term, wiped out that fatal disease and saved countless lives.

There are many ways to make it, but over the years, this is what works for me and my family.

Equipment needed:

Gloves, Large Bowl or Pot, Knife/Mandolin/Food Processor, Cutting Board, Medium Pot or Kettle to boil water, Airlocks with Jar Lids (with hole in top, see above picture), Medium Bowl to put boiling water or vinegar water in to clean/sanitize the airlock parts, Kraut Pounder (optional), Half-Gallon or Quart Canning Jars, funnel, No-Leak Lids, Cookie Sheet/Tray/Towel

Cabbage-Green or Red and preferably organic

Sea Salt-any kind, we don't use NaCl as it is not healthy like sea salt which has at least 75 and up to 84 minerals and trace elements to nourish and strengthen our bodies naturally.

Use 2 TSP per POUND of cabbage. You can use more but I don't recommend using less as this is what preserves the cabbage and keeps bad bacteria and mold from growing.

1~Slice cabbage thin. You can hand slice, use a mandolin or a food processor.

2~ Put in bowl, sprinkle with salt

3~Use gloves and squish & squeeze every 15 to 30 min for a couple hours. It needs to have a good amount of juice when you pack it.

4~Sterilize/Sanitize HALF-GALLON OR QUART JARS with boiling water. Pour in and let stand 20 min or heat in oven at 220 degrees for 20 min. Put AIR-LOCK parts in med bowl and add boiling water. I don't use boiling water on the air-lock lids as the plastic is thin and doesn't hold up to it. I soak these in vinegar/water solution instead. You can soak all the parts in this if you like instead of boiling water.

5~When the cabbage is wilted and there is a lot of liquid in the bowl, you are ready to pack your jars. Place funnel and using your hands, fill jar about 1/3 of the way then pack down really hard. Use the cabbage pounder here to press it if you have one or just push hard several times to pack well. Add more cabbage and pack, more cabbage and pack until your jar is about 4 inches or so from the top.

6~Pour liquid from bowl into jar until all the cabbage is covered. Liquid needs to be above cabbage after packing in jar.

7~Use a small cabbage leaf with a small knife hole in center (so no air gets trapped under leaf) over top. You may need to cut the leaf or make a slice in it so it fits snugly over packed cabbage to hold everything under liquid. Press down hard. It can go down the side a bit to firmly set everything under liquid. This is important to keep top from molding. Check daily and if the leaf rises above liquid any time through the initial fermenting period, use gloves to press back under. If the cabbage leaf gets too soft or discolored, remove it and change to a new one. Some people buy weights to hold theirs under. I didn't find they worked for me. It is fine to try that if you'd like. It is a matter of personal preference.

8~Fill airlock reservoir half way with water. Set lid with hole onto jar and seat air-lock in hole, just barely. Do not push too far into hole as it will act like a syphon.

9~Put on cookie sheet or other tray or on a towel as it will leak some and put in a dark area like a cupboard or pantry. I put in my pantry as it will smell some (not bad) during the ferment.

10~Leave in dark cupboard 21-28 days. This is very important. This allows bacteria to fully become Lactobacillus instead of other kinds of bacteria that initially grow and are then food for the Lactobacillus bacteria. You want this one as the primary bacteria or you won't get the correct outcome. If the airlock fills with juice, you may leave it as its a closed system or dump the juice and put water back in. If you do that too many times, you won't have enough juice. This is why you only set the air-lock in the hole instead of pushing it in too far.

11~Remove leaf or weights after 21 days. I put a No-Leak lid on. Store in cool dark place or refrigerator.

CAUTION: If there is a small amount of thin white film on your leaf or the top of the kraut, that is called Kahm yeast and is ok to eat. If however, at any time, you see brown cabbage, creamy, pink, black, green or furry mold growing, throw it out and try again. Only a thin white film is ok. Mold is not good to eat and can make you sick. No sludge or funny smells are good either. It should look like darker cabbage, smell sour and lovely and taste like dill pickles. We've had things happen and have had to throw some out in the past. Don't give up. Now it rarely happens. You will get this and you will get better and better. It is so worth the learning process and gives you a skill that you can pass on. It may be necessary wisdom at some point! Read, watch and learn as much as you can. Life is about the process and living as healthy and well as you can. Then Thank God for it all!!!

Bee Blessed, Friends!

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