Growing up I would watch my adorable German grandpa pile sauerkraut onto all of his sandwiches or straight out of the jar. Little did I know that I would grow up to do the same thing. However, my reasons for making and eating sauerkraut has a little less to do with taste and a lot more to do with the undeniable health benefits. I have even {brainwashed} convinced my toddler to like sauerkraut too. He will crunch on it if I put it on avocado toast or sometimes by itself. He calls it "purple" and the bright color may be a big part of the appeal. That or maybe the apple just doesn't fall far from the tree...
After battling with my gut flora being out of whack from taking an unnecessarily large amount of antibiotics prescribed by my doctor I began looking for alternative ways to increase my good bacteria through fermented foods. At first I bought a scoby and began brewing tea and making Kombucha but that fizzled out because I could never get the PH just right to make my scoby happy.
Finally I read about sauerkraut and realized that not only am I getting a huge spectrum of good bacteria, the process is so much easier and foolproof. Every two months I take 15 minutes out of my day to start a new batch and let it sit for six weeks. It is SO low maintenance! If you are looking for a totally inexpensive yet extremely effective way to take probiotics, this is it!
Sauerkraut
1 head of cabbage, outer layers peeled and discarded and the head thoroughly washed
Kosher salt or sea salt
Things you will need:
Extra large glass jar, preferably wide mouth
Ziploc bag with with a strong resealable closure
Cheesecloth, towel, or paper towels
Rubber band
Thoroughly wash and disinfect the glass jar with hot, boiling water. Set aside.
With a sharp Santoku knife, or other sharp cutting knife, cut out the heart of the cabbage and discard. Very thinly slice the cabbage in thin strips. From there, you can either leave them in strips or you can dice the strips. I prefer to dice as tiny as possible since its easier for my toddler to eat.
While working, be mindful of keeping the cabbage, your hands, and the workplace clean and free of other bacteria. After the cabbage has been sliced, place in a clean bowl and sprinkle 3-4 tablespoons of salt over it. Using clean hands, rub the salt thoroughly into the cabbage then place the cabbage into your glass jar. Fill the jar with clean water until it is just level with the cabbage.
Pour water into a plastic bag and seal it. Push the bag into the jar so that it acts as a plug to seal off the sauerkraut and water from any air. This part is important, if its not sealed properly then air and bacteria can get into the sauerkraut which can ruin the sauerkraut.
Cover the jar with cheesecloth and secure with rubber bands. Place the jar in a cool, dark place. I keep mine in a closet where the temperature stays pretty moderate. Let it ferment for 6 (six) weeks. Yes, weeks!
By this point, your sauerkraut should have a very good array of beneficial bacteria. Wash a few pint mason jars and using clean tongs, place the fermented sauerkraut into the jars, also pour the liquid from the fermented sauerkraut into the jars. Seal and gift to friends or store in the fridge.
This will last for several months (if its not eaten by then!).
