Sauerkraut, a mixture of raw fermented vegetables, can help to re-establish, heal and nourish your inner ecosystem. It can also help to improve your digestion because fermented foods are already pre-digested. The friendly bacteria in fermented foods have already converted the natural sugars and starches in the vegetables into lactic acid, something that your saliva and digestive enzymes would have done, and sauerkraut can also aid in the digestion of other foods that are eaten alongside it.
Sauerkraut and other fermented vegetables are alkaline and cleansing to the body, they can aid in the ridding of toxins and maintenance of bodily fuctions. They are also an excellent source of vitamin C and other vitamins.
If you are buying sauerkraut or other fermented vegeatables from a shop, make sure it is from the fridge section. Any fermented foods from other sections will have been pasterurised, therefore killing all the friendly bacteria and beneficial enzymes.
Eat everyday to really enhance the health properties of sauerkraut and have fun experimenting with different vegetables.
Ingredients:
1 head of cabbage
1 large beetroot
1 large carrot
1 large onion
Thumb sized piece of ginger
2 garlic cloves
3 Tbsp goji berries (cover in water to soften)
1 Tbsp good quality salt (Celtic/ Himalayan)
Method:
1. Using a food processor or grater, grate the cabbage. In a bowl, cover the cabbage with the salt and rub in with your (clean!) hands
2. Leave covered for at least an hour
3. Grate the root veg and add to the cabbage
4. In a small food processor, blitz the ginger, garlic and goji berries- using a bit of the water covering the goji berries to make a paste
5. Add this to the rest of the ingredients and mix well
6. Put mixture into a large (clean!) jar, pushing it all down well
7. Leave the lid from the jar off, but cover with 2 pieces of kitchen roll secured with an elastic band
8. Leave out on your kitchen side. Depending on the temperature/ time of year etc the sauerkraut will take between 5-10 days to ferment properly. Push down daily and taste. Once it reaches your desired taste you can start to eat, leaving in the fridge to keep fresh. Sauerkraut will last a long time left in a fridge.
Enjoy!
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