How To Make Fermented Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut is delicious with any meal and can be added to soups, salads, and stir-fries. It will help with the digestion of your meal, as it is full of enzymes and beneficial bacteria. Eating fermented foods is vital to repopulate your gut; the probiotic bacteria will make it all the way down to the end of the digestive system where the supplements may not reach the bowel as effectively. The fermentation process pre-digests the food making it easier for you to digest, helps control blood sugar levels, and releases nutrients into the food so that they become more bio-available.

Fresh cabbages, as well as all other fresh vegetables and fruit, have probiotic bacteria living on them. These bacteria will ferment the cabbage for you and the salt will preserve it.

Yield: 3 quart size mason jars

Author: Yvonne Tomlinson

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Fermented Sauerkraut

Prep time: 30 MinTotal time: 30 Min

Ingredients

• 1 whole cabbage green and/or red
• 1 Tbsp. sea salt
• 2 carrots shredded
• 1-2 cloves garlic crushed

Instructions

1. Thinly slice a whole green and/or red cabbage. You can add two shredded carrots and a clove or two of crushed garlic.
2. Put it all in a very large bowl.
3. Add roughly 1 Tbsp. Sea Salt per head of cabbage.
4. Massage or knead it all with your hands until you get the juices coming out, about 10 minutes. The salt will help draw out the moisture.
5. Pack this mixture into half-gallon or quart-sized mason jars leaving an inch or two at the top to allow the cabbage to expand. Press the cabbage down firmly to get all the air out and cover it in its own juice. You may need to add some filtered water to cover the cabbage completely. Do not use chlorinated water it can kill the bacteria and ruin the final product.
6. Place a large cabbage leaf on top and pushed into the jar gently to hold the mixture under the water. Alternatively, add some water to a small zip lock bag to use as a weight on top of the vegetable mixture. Fermentation is an anaerobic process so if the vegetables are exposed to air they will mold and rot.
7. Close the jar but do not screw the lid on tightly to allow the fermentation gasses to escape. Cover with a towel or store in a dark place at room temperature. Let it ferment for 3-4 days before checking the flavor. It should be ready between 4-7 days depending on each batch and the temperature of the house.
8. After the taste is to your liking you can eat it and store the jars in the fridge for several months sometimes longer than 6 months.

Notes

Common Variations: Use 1-2 tbsp. of dried spices



Dill, Caraway seed, Yellow mustard seed, horseradish, fresh garlic, tarragon, coriander, fresh ginger, cayenne

Nutrition Facts

Calories

95

Fat

0

Sat. Fat

0

Carbs

22

Fiber

9

Net carbs

13

Sugar

12

Protein

4

Sodium

2408

Cholesterol

0