Sauerkraut has become a highly popular condiment in recent times, and for good reason. Not only tasty, sauerkraut boasts of many gut-health-promoting nutrients. It is a superfood, but it is so cheap if you make it yourself. Homemade Sauerkraut is probably THE easiest and cheapest superfood to access. Health has never been so easy!
Organic sauerkraut is SO expensive if you buy it from supermarkets or specialty stores. Plus, it has lost a lot of the nutrients Sauerkraut has to offer, because shop-bought stuff has been pasteurized to have long shelf life. If you make it yourself, you get all the benefits from the probiotics, plus you get more bang for your buck.
What is Sauerkraut?
“Sauerkraut” literally translates to Sour Cabbage. And that is exactly what it is. It is cabbage that has been finely sliced and preserved in a brine made from its own juices and salt.
Sauerkraut comes in many forms and flavours, but the easiest and tastiest, in my opinion, is just cabbage and salt. Some vegetables ferment a bit funkier and affect the taste of the cabbage, which is delicious all on it’s own.
Is it Safe to make your own Sauerkraut?
Yes, it is definitely safe to make your own sauerkraut! In fact, studies show that homemade sauerkraut is way more beneficial for you than the store bought stuff.
Why is this? Well, store-bought sauerkraut has most certainly been sterilised and heated to high temperatures to make it more shelf-stable. The process of sterilisation and high temperatures, while they kill harmful bacteria, they also destroy the good stuff.
Homemade sauerkraut is definitely safe to eat, as long as you ferment it in a clean jar. It lasts a long time, stored in the fridge, although mine tends to be eaten within 3 months!
What are the Practical Benefits of Homemade Sauerkraut?
The benefits of making sauerkraut at home go beyond the superfood profile of this delicious preserve.
It is SO EASY to make, which I will go into in greater detail later.
Making Sauerkraut at home is a cheap way to boost your health. You cannot buy a small jar of Sauerkraut for less than $5 here in New Zealand, which is the current price of a whole cabbage (I know, even that is astronomical!)
Plus, that store-bought jar has lost a lot of nutrients through the process of pasteurisation. If you make it at home, you are guaranteed to have a nutrient-dense sauerkraut, which can do a lot more for your gut and your body than a most supplements.
What are the nutritional benefits of Homemade Sauerkraut?
It’s Good for your Gut
It is a commonly known fact that your health begins in your gut, and the more strains of probiotics you have, the better your gut will be. Research shows that one serving of sauerkraut has about 28 different strains, making it far superior to any probiotic supplement you can get (source).
It’s Good for your Immunity
Because it is so powerful at improving the gut, sauerkraut is also a major immune booster. Having healthy gut flora helps to inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria and even boost the growth of natural antibodies.
It Improves your Digestion
Homemade Sauerkraut is teeming with enzymes which help to break down your food into more digestible molecules.
It Supports Brain Health
It is becoming increasingly well-known that the health of the gut strongly impacts the performance of your brain.
Scientists have found that the type of bacteria present in your gut may have the ability to send messages to your brain, influencing the way it functions and perceives the world. How amazing is that?
Sauerkraut also increases the gut’s absorption of mood-regulating minerals like magnesium and zinc, helping you to manage stress levels and emotions.
For more details on the powerful benefits of Sauerkraut, I recommend giving this article a read. It is so fascinating and inspiring. You will want to make your own Sauerkraut tomorrow!
Is Homemade Sauerkraut Easy to make?
Yes, Homemade Sauerkraut is so simple to make.
You need only 2 ingredients: cabbage and salt. Both ingredients are super cheap to buy, plus a whole cabbage will yield a lot of Sauerkraut
You don’t need any special equipment, either. Just use any clean, sterilised glass jar with a lid.
I was gifted this awesome fermenting jar from my husband. It does make the whole process a lot easier, but you really do not need a special fermenting jar. Do not let a lack of one stop you from starting your Sauerkraut journey!
The process of making Sauerkraut is simple too. Just thinly slice (or process) the sauerkraut, massage the salt in, store in jars, and leave for a week. Presto, your ticket to health!
Why does Homemade Sauerkraut use Salt?
Some people may baulk at the fact that so much salt is needed for Homemade Sauerkraut.
But it is not there for flavour!
The salt helps the cabbage to release the brining liquid that it ferments in. This brine is important, because unless the cabbage is completely submerged in the brining liquid, it would go mouldy.
The salt therefore preserves the cabbage, which is why Sauerkraut has such a long shelf life.
How long does Homemade Sauerkraut last?
How long can you bear it to last?
Honestly, the longer it ages, the more it ferments, and the more nutrients that become available.
Sauerkraut just gets better and better as it ages, in flavour and nutrient density. As long as the cabbage is fully submerged beneath the brine, you are good to go.
A jar of Sauerkraut doesn’t actually last long, especially if you are eating it on a daily basis. So, it’s likely the issue of “old” sauerkraut will never surface. I think the longest our sauerkraut has taken to eat was about 3 months.
It is very unusual for it to last that long in this household!
Different Sauerkraut Flavours that have worked well for me:
To the salted Cabbage, add:
- Garlic
- Garlic, Ginger, and Curry Powder
- Carrot, Ginger, Garlic
- Cauliflower and Carrot
Amazing uses for Homemade Sauerkraut
- Peanut butter, Sauerkraut, and Nutritional Yeast on toast
- Eggs, fried, poached, or scrambled, on toast with Sauerkraut and mayonnaise.
- As a garnish on an omelette
- Use in Japanese okonomiyaki pancakes
- As a garnish on your favourite salad – provides a yummy acidity.
- On its own, shovelled into your gob. It’s SO yummy.
How to Make Homemade Sauerkraut
Alright, this is what we came for! Time to get down to the nitty gritty and find out how you actually MAKE this wonderful stuff!
The EASIEST Homemade Sauerkraut Recipe
The easiest recipe to make as a first step into fermenting foods for your health. It's low-risk, low cost and high reward!
Ingredients
- 1 whole cabbage
- 2 Tablespoons Salt
Instructions
- Sterilise your fermenting jar(s) with boiling water.
- Chop the cabbage into smaller, palm sized pieces and process, bit by bit, until the whole cabbage is finely chopped.
- Place processed cabbage into a LARGE mixing bowl.
- Pour over the salt.
- Using your hands, massage and squeeze the salt into the cabbage, until water is released.
- A handful at a time, transfer the cabbage to the fermenting jar, punching down as you go. Before you add the next handful, ensure the cabbage is submerged beneath the brining liquid.
- Keep going until all the cabbage is transferred to your fermenting jar.
- It does not matter if you have one large jar or multiple smaller jars - as long as the cabbage is fully beneath the liquid.
- If you have a fermenting jar, place the lid on according to instructions. If you have a normal jar, place a breathable cloth over top and fasten it with a rubber band. You do not want to screw a lid on as the jar might explode!
- Leave the cabbage to ferment for a week before transferring to the fridge for longer storage. This will slow the fermentation process down, so it will be okay now to put the sauerkraut into jars with screw-top lids - they will be safe!
Notes
1. You will want to keep your eye on the sauerkraut over the fermenting week (and subsequently). The cabbage tends to absorb some of the liquid as it sits there. All you need to do is press it down again with clean hands, to resubmerge it beneath the brining liquid.
2. You may even need to to this even if it has been in the fridge, as the cabbage can absorb the liquid even in there! Just tamp it down again, and the cabbage will stay all good!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 100 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 0Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 127mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 0g
