As Hippocrates famously stated, “all disease begins in the gut.” Research has proven that the age-old statement may very well be true. To live an epic life, we must prioritize the health of our gut and reverse the damages already done. A proven method to increase gut health is regularly consuming fermented foods. One of my favorites is sauerkraut. This fermented cabbage is high in vitamin C, vitamin B6, folate, and fiber. It also contains lactobacilli, a heavily researched bacteria to aid gut health, and isothiocyanates, which are shown to prevent cancer growth.
Ingredients
- One head organic green cabbage
- 1-2 organic carrots (optional)
- 5-8 organic cloves of garlic, chopped (optional)
- 2 Tbsp. fine sea salt
Equipment
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Fermentation jar: ceramic fermentation crock or a large wide-mouth mason jar (no plastic or metal)
- Smaller mason jar to use as a weight
- Mixing bowl
- Wooden spoon
Instructions
Begin by chopping your cabbage. I used green, but you can throw in some red cabbage to make the batch pink. You can include the heart, as the fermentation process will soften it. Tip: shred your cabbage as finely as you can. What we’re going for is high surface area, because more surface area means more fermentation and exposure to the juices. Dump it into the mixing bowl and add salt as you go.
I like to include carrots and garlic here, but it’s not required. I like intense flavors, so I’m going to peel and grate the carrots and dice the garlic to get the most out of both vegetables. Drop these into the bowl and sprinkle in the salt as well.
Mix the ingredients in the mixing bowl. Allow it to sit for a few minutes, and allow the salt to draw out the juices. You want to stimulate the natural juices of the vegetables because they’re going to be your brine. You can help the process along by smashing the cabbage with a wooden spoon.
Start packing your mix into your fermentation jar. Just make sure you can cover whatever vessel you use. Pack it down hard, going slowly to make sure each addition is completely compressed in the jar. This will extract water and ensure the fermentation process goes smoothly.
Continue to press the mixture down with the wooden spoon until all of the cabbage is under the brine. Fit the smaller mason jar into the larger one to keep all of the vegetables submerged. Cover the whole thing loosely with a cloth or towel to keep bugs out.
For the next day or so, press down on the top several times a day to make sure the mix is submerged in the brine. If it seems dry, you might have old cabbage. That’s fine. Just add a bit of water to cover everything, along with 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
Check your kraut every day. The volume will reduce as fermentation begins, and that’s exactly what you want.
That’s basically it. So really, it’s all about waiting. The actual preparation takes just a few minutes.