Sauerkraut

Making sauerkraut is one of the easiest and healthiest things you can do. It is full of probiotics, the colony of good bacteria found in the gut microbiome. Probiotics are important because they:

• Improves digestion

• Helps our body absorb nutrients

• Improves our immune system

• Increases energy from the production of B12

• Helps to reduce colds and flu

• Improves bad breath

• Improves skin issues

• Aids in healing leaky gut and other bowel problems

Here's what you do:

Cut up your cabbage. I used a food processer but you can certainly cut it up with a knife.

Put it in a bowl and salt it. Use 1 tablespoon of salt per 1 medium head of cabbage. I highly recommend using a quality salt. Table salt is not quality salt. It will do the job but pink Himalayan salt or Celtic salt is better. They also bring their own health benefits to the jar.

Let it sit.

After about an hour, using your hand, mash up the cabbage, As you squeeze it, it will begin to release water. This will be your brine. I usually let it sit for 30 minutes to an hour then I'll squeeze it again. The longer you let it sit, the more you squeeze it, the more brine you will get.

Once the cabbage is very limp and there's quite a bit of juice, begin packing your jars. As you fill up your jars, press the cabbage down tightly until the juice rises above the cabbage. It must stay covered in brine to keep mold from growing so pack tightly, pressing the juice out.

Once your jars are packed, put the lids on and set them on your counter, away from heat. I generally leave mine 7-10 days. Once the fermentation gets underway, you'll see bubbling in your jar. This is a good sign that it is fermenting properly.

Check your jars daily. Be sure your cabbage is still under the brine. If it floats up, and it probably will, just push it back under the brine and set it back on the counter. I have used glass weights before to hold the cabbage down when I used larger jars.

I used two medium heads of cabbage and it made 3 1/2 pint jars of sauerkraut.

In a week, you will have one of the most beneficial foods you'll ever eat made right in your own kitchen. Enjoy!

Axe, D., DC, DMN, CNS. (2020, March 11). 8 Greatest Probiotic Foods You Should Be Eating - Dr Axe. Retrieved June 26, 2020, from https://draxe.com/nutrition/probiotic-foods/