Best Sauerkraut Recipe for Gut Health

Why It's Microbiome-Friendly

  • Probiotic-Rich. Fermenting cabbage creates an environment for probiotic, lactic acid bacteria like Lactobacilli, Leuconostoc and Lactococcus to thrive. Cabbage is is also abundant in nutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin B6, iron and potassium, making it a gut friendly powerhouse!
  • Better Digestion. Sauerkraut is full of fiber and digestive enzymes. It’s these enzymes that help your body break down nutrients and absorb them more easily. In turn, this can support your digestion and help reduce or prevent symptoms such as diarrhea, bloating and gas.
  • Reduce Sugar Cravings. Fermented foods like sauerkraut have been shown to help reduce sugar cravings, by supporting your beneficial microbial community, and thereby helping deplete levels of less desirable microbes that feed off sugary foods.
  • Microbiome Friendly. Recent research has also indicated that sauerkraut brine can support the gut barrier and help regulate the intestinal immune function. Given that sauerkraut is abundant in probioticsdigestive enzymes, vitamins and minerals, making your own raw sauerkraut is one of the cheapest and most effective ways to support a diverse microbiome!

Simply the best sauerkraut recipe that’s inexpensive and easy to make at home! Full of probiotics, vitamins and minerals, this is a definite microbiome friendly food you’ll want to make a staple in your diet!

Why Make Your Own Sauerkraut?

Most store-bought sauerkrauts are pasteurised and overloaded with sodium. Whenever we heat the cabbage – by pasteurising it – we are effectively killing off all that bacteria we were looking to cultivate. Thus, one of the best ways to get your dose of probiotics is to make your own raw, unpasteurised sauerkraut. Not only is this much cheaper than buying probiotic supplements, but it can also be much more effective!

One serving of sauerkraut can contain up to 28 distinct bacterial strains. Fermentation makes this a living food that contains a wide variety of microbial strains and can thereby give you a broader range of gut health benefits!

How is Sauerkraut Best Eaten?

To preserve all the benefits, it’s best to eat sauerkraut refrigerated and raw. We recommend having a cup a day. Have it as a side with your lunch and/or dinner!

Ingredients

  • 1 head of cabbage, cored and shredded. You can use pointed, white or red – or a mix, if preferred.
  • Pure sea salt
  • Filtered water
  • Sterilized glass jars (1 head of cabbage will usually yield 32oz).

Directions

Before starting, sterilize your glass jars:

How to Sterilise Glass Jars:

  • Wash jars and lids in hot, soapy water. Then, place them directly on a roasting tray – no need to dry them.
  • Place tray with the glass jars and lids in a preheated oven 160-180ºC for about 15 mins.
  • Remove from the oven and let them cool. DO NOT touch them, or you risk contaminating!

Prepare Your Sauerkraut:

  1. Remove a few outer layers of cabbage and set aside (around 2 leaves before jar).
  2. Shred your cabbage with a grater or food processor – these can be larger or finer pieces, according to your preferences. We prefer them medium size.
  3. Place your shredded cabbage in a very large bowl.
  4. With clean hands, place a handful of cabbage into your glass jar. Sprinkle a little sea salt evenly across this layer, then press down the cabbage as much as possible with your knuckles, or a wooden spoon. (NOTE: This is very important – you want to remove as much air as possible.)
  5. Repeat this process (cabbage, salt, press…) until your jar is almost full – about an inch from the top.
  6. Pour the filtered water till it just reaches the top. DO NOT let it overflow. There should just be some water to cover the cabbage.
  7. Finally, fold your cabbage leaves and press them into the remaining space at the top. Remember: there should be as little air as possible to permit fermentation.
  8. Close your jar tightly with a lid. Place it in a relatively cool area of your kitchen, away from the sun.
  9. Depending on the size of your jar, your sauerkraut should be ready after around 5-7 days. We generally recommend making 16oz jars so that it can ferment more quickly. You can quickly make a new batch when needed!
  10. When ready to eat, remove the full cabbage leaves and enjoy! It should taste crunchy and tangy. Make sure to store in the fridge once opened. This will decrease the fermentation process and help it keep for longer.

You can store sealed jars in the fridge for up to a month or so. Once opened, it will keep for up to 1 month.

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