Raw Sauerkraut

Fermented vegetables are popular in many cultures and are known to help digestion of heavy cooked foods. However, they do far more than just help digestion. Fermented vegetables, such as sauerkraut, cleanse your body’s digestive tract, encouraging growth of good bacteria. They detox the body and help control food cravings, therefore helping with weight loss. A healthy, clean gut ensures a strong immune system.

Sauerkraut and other fermented vegetables are sold at grocery stores, but most of these are pasteurized and high in sodium. It is best to make your own sauerkraut; it's an easy process and if sealed properly, it can store up to a year in your fridge. When vegetables are fermented, they become more nutritious filled with minerals, digestive enzymes, Vitamin C and probiotics. These are essential for our health and for an efficient body. Include a small portion of Sauerkraut in your daily diet.

Growing up in Eastern Europe, homemade fermented vegetables were a regular part of our meals. We've been in this country for over twenty years and my family still ferments cabbage and cultures green tomatoes, cauliflower, cucumbers and bell peppers.

The following recipe is from my mother and I'm grateful to enjoy sauerkraut frequently.  Feel free to post any questions you may have on this process. The instructions may sound difficult and long, however, you will master it instantly or in a couple of tries.

Raw Sauerkraut

2 lbs organic cabbage

2 heaping tsp. sea salt

2 tsp. dried dill

2 tsp. peppercorns

4 small bay leaves chopped into small pieces

Peel a couple of leaves off the cabbage and put it aside. Shred cabbage one pound at a time, with either your food processor or manually with a sharp knife. Add shredded cabbage to a large bowl and start massaging  it with your hands until it starts to wilt. Add 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp dried dill, 1 tsp peppercorns and 2 small chopped bay leaves. Mix cabbage and ingredients well, and place it aside. 

Shred the second pound of cabbage, add it to bowl, massage it, add remaining  ingredients and mix well. Let the cabbage sit in a bowl for a few hours until it wilts and lets out some of it's juice. Turn and mix cabbage manually every 30 minutes, to assure that there will be enough juice to start the fermentation. After a few hours, place cabbage with juice in a glass jar, cover it with the two cabbage leaves, pressing  it down firmly to assure that the cabbage is covered with its own juice. Two pounds of shredded cabbage should fill a half a gallon jar. Cover jar with cheese cloth or a paper towel. Because the juice might overflow during the fermentation process, place your jar on a towel. 

Fermentation will take about a week if the weather is cooler and the jar is not in a warm environment. The best quality sauerkraut is produced in around 65 Fahrenheit. This temperature allows the bacteria to ferment naturally in it's appropriate sequence. After a week, remove cabbage leaves from top, seal the jar and place in refrigerator. It may take an additional two weeks for the cabbage to turn as sour as most would prefer. 

Enjoy!