Sweet Sauerkraut
Fresh sauerkraut is delicious and full of flavor. It is a good side dish served with salads and entrées. It is also good as a condiment in wraps and sandwiches.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 10
- 5 heads green cabbage
- 2 cups carrots, grated
- 3 tablespoons salt
- 2 tablespoons caraway seeds
Process the cabbage by grating, shredding, or chopping. Good tools to use include a food processor with the grating blade, a mandolin slicer, a heavy-duty juicer, or a knife.
Mix the grated cabbage and carrots with the salt. Massage and squeeze the salt into the vegetables. Another method is to pound the cabbage with a kitchen tool. This process draws the juice out of the cabbage to form a brine.
Mix together the caraway seeds with the cabbage and carrots. Pack the mixture into a sauerkraut crock pot, sauerkraut maker, or similar container with an air-locked lid, designed to minimize bacteria during the fermentation process. Using this type of container makes it unnecessary to skim the brine daily, an essential step in traditional recipes. Place a weight on top to keep the cabbage covered in the brine.
Place lid on the crock or jar and let it sit for about 5 days. If you are using a traditional sauerkraut crock pot, you may let it sit for longer, up to 4 weeks. The mix should culture at about 65 to 75°F.
If the cabbage is dry, you may need to add more brine into the crock or jar after a couple days. You can make more brine by mixing 1 teaspoon salt into 1 cup water, and pour this into the sauerkraut.
PER SERVING:
Calories: 133 | Fat: 1 g | Protein: 6 g | Sodium: 2,190 mg | Fiber: 12 g
Traditional Sauerkraut
Sauerkraut is an ancient method of food preservation and a standard in German cuisine. It is a good source of beneficial bacteria (probiotics), which are found naturally in the digestive tract, as well as vitamin C. There is a popular health regimen, the Budwig Diet, that recommends drinking one glass of sauerkraut juice daily.
