Today we’re going to make one of the best probiotics food you can find, and in my opinion, the simplest to get hold of. Sauerkraut, which is basically fermented cabbage, is also rich in Vitamins C, A, and K as well as iron, so this is definitely a recipe you should try. Now, here is the tricky part, probiotics are extremely good for your gut healthy, however, eating too much cabbage will not please your stomach or your digestive system, so as usual, eat in moderation. Also, combining it with coriander might reduce the chances of having unpleasant side effects.
Before we start. let’s make a little side note on what are probiotics. These basically are healthy live bacteria and yeasts that fight the bad bacteria in our body and so help our body to function well. They can be found in some yogurts, however, some processes kill the live bacteria so make sure to check the label, the ones containing probiotics should say that they contain active or live cultures.
- Salt (not iodized)
- Apple (optional but recommended)
- Black Pepper (optional)
So, first, we need to make sure the area we are working on is clean. It is best to sterilize the jars you will be using too as we will be growing bacteria here so we need to make sure we’re growing good bacteria not harmful ones! washing with boiling water should do the trick, vinegar also is a good disinfectant. I filled my jars with water and some vinegar and microwaved them till they boiled over for a few seconds.
Next, cut the cabbage in quarters and remove the stem, we will be using that later. Remove the outer leaves and wash well. Chopp in fine thin slices as if preparing for coleslaw. I washed again just to make sure it’s clean, preferably with filtered water. Add the salt, preferably coarse salt (mineral-rich salts like Hymalian pink works best but normal salt will do, however, make sure it is not iodized as this will mess with the process of growing probiotics) and mix in the cabbage. Now for this recipe, the balance is two tablespoons for one cabbage, here it is important that we try and keep the ratio similar since we need to ferment our cabbage. And now we can let all our stress out and beat up the cabbage!! In a large bowl, grab a pounder, a potato masher, or even a ladle can work unless you want to squeeze and mash with your hands, but my tiny hands would not really do the trick for me (I used a potato masher, it worked well) and start mashing the leaves to release the cabbage juices. The cabbage will start to turn darker and you will note the mixture getting way more watery. When you are done you can add some black peppercorns to the mix, it will give a nice extra kick.
Place the mixture in your jars and press down. Here I used a rolling pin to squeeze it down so that the liquids cover our cabbage. This is very important as we need to cover up the leaves in their brine for the process to function and to keep our cabbage from going bad! Last but not least blend the stem and the apple with a little filtered water. Apples will actually feed the probiotics, so besides adding sweetness to our sauerkraut, our apple will help our salt do a better job and grow more healthy bacteria for us! Pour the mixture in your jars and top up with a well-washed outer leave to make sure all of the shredded cabbage remains underwater.
Now we will need to wait for two weeks before our sauerkraut is done. It is very important to either burp your jars often or use a fermentation lid! This will produce plenty of gasses so do not leave it sealed and forget about it! I placed mine in a tray and covered it with stretch and seal, then I went ahead and pierced it lightly with a thin needle so that the gasses and the access water (yes, it will leak, that is why I placed it on a tray) could leak out easily. And after around two weeks you can finally enjoy this delicious side dish! It can store in the refrigerator for months, so it’s worth the effort!
This can also be done with red cabbage or a mix of both. Some people also add carrots to make it even sweeter, and others add different spices or herbs such as dill, chilies, or caraway seeds. Some even add ginger and turmeric, there is really an endless number of variations here! For once I didn’t try to be too adventurous since I didn’t want to harm the live bacteria, however, it seems that as long as the salt is not stripped of its minerals it should work. Once it is done, it’s a classic to eat with sausages, although they are not really recommended for a healthy lifestyle. It’s great with pork and some mustard, I tried it with tuna patties and it was amazing, goes well with chicken and even beef! It can be turned into a soup, casseroles, wraps, and believe it or not, I even came across a chocolate cake recipe that involves sauerkraut, (I’m skeptical about that cake), so the variations here are really endless!!
To try it out I wanted to go with tradition and eat it with some eggs and sausages first before I went ahead and ate it with my tuna patties. So here I grilled some chicken and turkey sausages (try to find a sausage that is low in fats), made a pancake with oats, milk, and eggs (use a non-stick pan so you can fry without any oil what so ever), and rolled the sausage with some sauerkraut in the pancake. I topped everything up with some Honey and Mustard Vinaigrette that I still had from last time. It was super tasty!! Hope you will try it out too and find some interesting recipes to use it with and maybe share with us!