Diet: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Low FODMAP, Nut Free, Paleo, Pescatarian, Soy Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Serves: 10
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Description

Sauerkraut is simply fermented cabbage that provides a whole host of health benefits!

People have been fermenting foods throughout history and some people have been lucky enough to grow up in households where it has been regular practice.

Whilst there is a growing interest in fermentation, it is still somewhat niche. That’s why at ARDERE we want to spread the fermentation word far and wide, as the more fermentees (as we’ve coined them), the more guts and people’s health we can be helping.

Fermentation is where you take sugar-containing foods (carbohydrates) and expose them to microorganisms known as “starters” (bacteria and/or yeasts) in a controlled environment for an extended period of time. The starter cultures then feed on the sugars and are converted into acetic acid, alcohol and lactic acid.

In this case, the ‘starter’ is already present in the cabbage itself, so all that is required is to set the cabbage in the right environment for the fermentation to take place.

Why ferment foods?

There are many reasons why people ferment foods:

1. To extend the shelf life of certain foods. Long before the invention of the fridge, people would fermented foods to preserve perishables so that they had a means of accessing their nutrients all year round.
2. For flavour – fermentation brings a whole new spectrum of flavours to foods. What you might have considered as a bland food can bring out a tangy or sour flavour once fermented.
3. Our biggest reason – health! Eating fermented foods helps to promote a healthy intestinal microflora (beneficial bacteria) as these foods are full of gut friendly probiotic bacteria. As a result, these foods can help to support your immune system and improve digestive function. This is particularly beneficial for those with health problems; as Hippocrates famously said, “all disease begins in the gut.” At ARDERE we couldn’t agree more and this why we always want to nourish our gut!

If you are new to fermenting foods, this is the perfect starter recipe, using just 3 ingredients!

Ingredients

• 1 white organic cabbage (2lb)
• 2 tbsp sea salt
• Filtered water
• Air-lock preservative jar (that holds 4 pints) or multiple small jars that you can tightly cover.

Method

1. Sterilise your glass jar with boiling water and then empty.
2. Peel off the outer layer off your cabbage and thoroughly wash.
3. Chop the cabbage in half and remove the hearts and put the hearts in the bin.
4. Chop the cabbage into fine shreds and put into a large mixing bowl.
5. Sprinkle the sea salt on the cabbage and then with clean hands, massage into the cabbage for about 5-10 minutes so that juice is coming out of the cabbage.
6. Place the cabbage and its juices into your cooled jar, gradually compressing it as you go. The juice from the cabbage should submerge some of it.
7. You need to ensure that the cabbage is fully submerged in liquid, therefore for what isn’t submerged in its own juices top with filtered water.
8. Put a weighted object on the cabbage for an hour, such as a sterilised small glass or plate to keep the cabbage compressed and submerged, as some cabbage pieces can float to the surface leaving it exposed to air.
9. Remove the weighted object and place the lid on the jar. Leave the jar on the side at room temperature to ferment for 2-4 weeks (or longer in winter). Check it from time to time and remove any mould from the surface and ensure that the cabbage is still submerged in liquid, if not top with some more filtered water with a 2% salt concentration.
10. Once it has fermented the cabbage should be crunchy and sour tasting, at this point it’s ready to eat and you can store it in the fridge. The sauerkraut will keep for around 2 - 3 months.