Version 1 3 heads green cabbage, shredded in a food processor 1 bunch kale, chopped by hand (optional): 2 cups wakame ocean vegetables (measured after soaking), drained, spine removed, and chopped 1 Tbsp. dill weed
Verison 2 3 heads green cabbage, shredded in a food processor 6 carrots, large, shredded in a food processor 3 inch piece ginger, peeled and chopped 6 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
To Make Cultured Vegetables 1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl
2. Remove several cups of this mixture and put into a blender.
3. Add enough filtered water to make a "brine" the consistency of a thick juice. Blend well and then add brine back into the first mixture. Stir well.
4. Pack mixture down into a glass or stainless steel container. Use your fist, a wooden dowel, or a potato masher to pack veggies tightly.
5. Fill container almost full, but leave about 2 inches of room at the top for veggies to expand.
6. Roll up several cabbage leaves into a tight "log" and place them on top to fill the remaining 2 inch space. Clamp jar closed.
7. Let veggies sit at about a 70 degree room temperature for at least three days. A week is even better. Refrigerate to slow down fermentation. Enjoy!
Posted by Dogsandcats (Member # 28544) on :
Like you won't have a hubby around or neighbors! LOL
My dad used to fix this and it cleared the house
Seriously, I hope it helps you!
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Are you serious?? He will come unglued. He can't stand strange smells .. including "food."
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
This is made in sealed jars.
Posted by daynise (Member # 39609) on :
I make small batches of sauerkraut all the time- and that recipe looks great! The smell is not a big deal if you use sealed jars. It's so cool- starts fermenting as soon as you break down the cabbage.
Just make sure your brine covers your cabbage. Check it every couple days- if it floats up, push it back below the brine. If you see any funny coloration on top of the brine, skim it off before disturbing the sauerkraut.
I love it and think it's the best thing out of everything I eat!!
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Thanks for the tips as I am clueless on this!! I'll post the video I found later. I'm headed out in a minute.
I hate sauerkraut in general, so I hope homemade is more tolerable.
Posted by daynise (Member # 39609) on :
I looked at the recipe again and it doesn't mention salt- this is the recipe/ method I use. Says salt gets rid of excess water? I'm not expert but I love how I feel after eating the homemade stuff. My gut feels warm and happy.
Anyway! Good luck!
Posted by GiGi (Member # 259) on :
I take a spoonful of Sauerkraut before most meals.
Small head of cabbage, neighborhood grown or organic.
Chop it small in a 3 cup chopper - I like mine small in small bits. Put all in a large bowl. Sprinkle one or twi teaspoons of good salt (Red Salt or Himalayan) over cabbage and mix in well. Use a kitchen tool to pound/smash it down a little, so it starts to draw juices.
Use 2 or 3 widemouth jars that you can seal later. Put cabbage-salt mixture into the glasses, leaving some room on the very top. With a smaller drinking glass, stamp it inside the filled widemouth jars, and press cabbage down -- it will create more juices. All takes a couple of minutes.
Put some water into the drinking glasses that you keep on top of cabbage inside the larger jars to keep weight on the cabbage.
Set large glass jars on a tray. Leave water filled drinking glass inside the larger jars as far as it will go. Leave tray in an even tempered area for the cabbage to start fermentation.
Do not seal the jars, but leave them open - the liquid may start to slighly bubble... That is why you need them sitting on a tray that would catch any overflowing cabbage juice.
Leave it for 2-3 days. Taste cabbage. Mine is pleasantly fermented, not sour, in about 3 days.
When you like the taste, not too sour or not enough, put the lid on the jars and put them into the fridge. Fermentation stops at that point.
So all you need is cabbage, salt, about three jars, and three small drinking glasses half filled with water, to press cabbage down and keep it in the juice during the fermentation process.
Do not compare store bought sauerkraut containing all sorts of things including vinegar and chemicals. It has little health benefit left.
Start with one small head of good cabbage. My favorite helper in the kitchen is a small 3-cup chopper/mixer Black&Decker EHC 650 bought at Walmart for $15.00. I always have a new one in reserve because I can't do without it in my kitchen.
I use all of the cleaned cabbage including the center.
There is no water added to the cabbage. The fermentation will create the juice. When fermentation is done and there is liquid on top of the juice, leave it there - do not drain it. The cabbage lasts well when it is moist.
You can add a little carrot for color.
Do not let it ferment in a metal container.
Hope you like and benefit from it.
Posted by girl (Member # 18022) on :
Body Ecology says not to use salt while fermenting.
VERY potent!
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
hmmm... but Gigi is German and should know how to make sauerkraut!!
I was wondering why that recipe had no salt. Now I'm confused.
The hard part with yours, Gigi, would be finding glasses that would work. (I think)
Otherwise, sounds VERY simple!
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Ok.. I just read the link. Hmmmm....
Posted by girl (Member # 18022) on :
Everyone makes it with salt except Body Ecology.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Interesting.
Posted by girl (Member # 18022) on :
This person says: "Some people promote the idea that salt-free sauerkrauts contain more beneficial organisms than salted krauts. I don�t believe that. The most specific beneficial bacteria we�re after, Lactobacillus, is salt-tolerant and abundantly present even in salty krauts; arguably, salt-free ferments are more biodiverse, but this diversity often results in mushy textures. Though it is possible to ferment vegetables without salt, a little salt results in far superior flavor and texture�and just as much beneficial bacteria. So again, salt to taste."
I am surprised though that Gigi ferments in the open air like that? My sister fermented one batch where the seal was not properly clamped down on her jar and she ended up getting mold in the jar.
She said it was because air got to it? ~ Maybe something else caused the mold...
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
My health coach made some fermented veggies for me about 6 mo ago and they were crunchy.
I hated what she made, but I think it's just ME!! I think I'll use some salt too.
Posted by GiGi (Member # 259) on :
I was taught to make Sauerkraut by my Russian friend whose parents made Sauerkraut this very same way a hundred years ago. Both parents lived close to 100!
I forgot to say that I put a cloth over the tray to avoid anything flying into the glasses. But most of the cabbage is covered by the glass weighing down the kraut.
Did I say that I use a couple of spoons full with every meal!
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Thanks, Gigi! I do plan to eat it with every meal.
Posted by girl (Member # 18022) on :
That is awesome, Gigi. Lots of good probiotics! You are an inspiration!
Posted by girl (Member # 18022) on :
Lymetoo, it will probably taste better when you make it.
Posted by daphnesmom1 (Member # 39433) on :
Can you just eat store bought sauerkraut?...Like Boar's Head?
Posted by sideways (Member # 34352) on :
Those recipes look great. Especially the first one. I adore dill.
I made some sauerkraut using the recipe from Nourishing Traditions. It calls for whey to ferment the cabbage or, if you don't have any whey, an additional tablespoon of salt.
It turned out wayyy too salty. I had to toss it.
Posted by girl (Member # 18022) on :
Daphnesmom, if you get store bought it might be pasteurized or dead. If you make it yourself, it will be live. If I was going to get it from the store, I would look for something like this... http://www.rejuvenative.com/categories/Raw-Cultured-Vegetables/ Kind of expensive, but they are live cultures.. (Look under: raw cultured vegetables).
Posted by daphnesmom1 (Member # 39433) on :
wow, hmm interesting. Thanks for the tip.
Posted by sillia (Member # 23994) on :
I have made sauerkraut in the past and it was DELICIOUS, much better than store-bought. I'm not enough of a fan to keep eating it regularly though, I like it only occasionally.
If regular sauerkraut isn't to your taste, consider kimchi as an alternative. It is made with Napa cabbage instead of head cabbage, and the flavor is much milder. I LOVE kimchi, I could eat a jar of it every day. It's a chore to make it (you have to squeeze out the napa cabbage after it ferments a bit, then mix it with other veggies and ferment again), but worth it.
There are a zillion kimchi recipes. I make one with no fish sauce (vegetarian) and it's fabulous.
Posted by girl (Member # 18022) on :
If you guys are interested in learning more about Candida and "cultured vegetables" - Donna Gates, author of BODY ECOLOGY DIET is a speaker at the Healthy Life Summit.
Her lecture is today and you can listen for free! Very interesting and packed full of good info.! (can you tell I'm excited about this? )
- Go LIGHT on the wakame ocean vegetables, any seaweeds. They contain a natural MSG and can be rather stimulating to the nervous system.
Seaweeds should be avoided by anyone with a seizure disorder - or any degree of myoclonus or harsh startle reactions -- and used cautiously by those with adrenal exhaustion.
What can balance & calm the excitatory glutamine/glutamate in the seaweeds: MAGNESIUM (not in the recipe, of course, as a supplement).
Those with QT cardiac rhythm issues as well as those who are prone to passing out should also be cautious with seaweeds and all foods that are high in glutamic acid / glutamine.
See Lawrence Wilson's article here that explains why - and which foods contain the most:
[ 03-27-2013, 05:24 PM: Message edited by: Keebler ]
Posted by girl (Member # 18022) on :
Keebler - can you please post Lawrence Wilson's article here? I clicked on the link you posted and it led to about 50 other links, and I'm not sure which one you want us to read. It's too much information (to sift through).
I would like to read it though because I just heard earlier today that glutamine is one of the things we need to heal the gut.
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- girl,
Sure. It was actually embedded in one of the links and not really evident there. Sorry. Tried to cute some corners with energy but now will remember where to find that.
Here's my full post on this topic from an Amino Acid thread. Wilson's article is the last link:
------------------------
Caution: Aspartate; Glutamine; and Phenylalanine
Each of these can cause far too much nervous system and adrenal system stimulation for many who deal with lyme.
This information is especially for those with any degree of:
it is best to avoid these three particular amino acids (other than in normal doses from food or maybe in a balanced formula with other amino acids & other nutrients, but not above the average daily dose.
Even at that, some people need to avoid excess foods that contain one or both of those as they can be too stimulating for the brain when it's already overstimulated from neuro-toxicity issues.
with Reference to the Related Compound Glutamate by Subhuti Dharmananda, Ph.D.
[Just beyond half-way down, see the section:]
Excerpts:
. . . GLUTAMATE IN NEUROLOGICAL DISEASES . . .
. . . In some neurological diseases, it is found that glutamate levels in the central nervous system become unusually high at sites of pathology.
This can occur, for example, if the rate of degradation of glutamate is slowed by an impairment of the enzymes that are involved.
Also, glutamate is excreted by immune cells that take part in inflammatory processes; the result is high local concentrations at the neurons in progressive neurological diseases such as MS and ALS. . . .
. . . The excess glutamate at the neuron acts as a poison; at high enough levels, the nerves exposed to glutamate can be completely and permanently damaged, so that they are no longer capable of transmitting signals.
Thus, while glutamate is a major component of the body, and an essential part of the nervous system, high levels localized in the nerve cells can be quite toxic . . . .
. . . Laboratory research has revealed that in the progressive, debilitating disease ALS, one of the many processes involved in disease progression appears to be damage of nerve cells by accumulation of glutamate.
In relation to multiple sclerosis, changes in control of glutamate homeostasis in the central nervous system might contribute to demyelination of the white matter of the brain (19).
[poster's interjection: lyme also causes demyelination, what that is:
Based on preliminary animal studies, it has been suggested that glutamate dumped by immune cells can exacerbate the nerve damage (20). . . .
. . . The role of glutamate in neurological disorders has raised the question as to whether persons with such neurological diseases might have to be careful
not to get high levels of either glutamine or glutamate via their diet and/or by taking glutamine supplements. . . .
Food reactions can trigger epileptic seizures. The main culprits are the following foods that are rich in glutamate and aspartate, two very excitatory amino acids:
------ See list at link above -------
. . . and the entire article as it may not seem like it by the title as not all lyme patients experience seizures.
However, the content relates very much so to the neuro-excitatory problems seen so very often in lyme disease & heavy metal toxicity.
MAGNESIUM BALANCES / calms glutamate. Important to remember. -
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Thanks, lymenotlite!!
The link "girl" posted to the Village Green Network is really great listening!
Posted by TestyTommy (Member # 35790) on :
That recipe seems awfully complicated. I just shred some cabbage, put it in a mixing bowl with some salt and squeeze it with my hands until the water comes out (about 15-20 minutes). Then I pack it in a glass jar, cover it with a dishtowel and give it a few days to ferment.
The only real tricks are to (1) make sure you squeeze the cabbage long enough to get the water out of the cabbage and (2) pack it down really tightly in the fermenting jar. It won't ferment without that pressure.
Oh,and make sure you don't use iodized salt. The iodine will kill off the bacteria.
I'd suggest just practicing a few times with just cabbage til you get good at getting the fermentation started. Cabbage is nice and cheap, so if you mess up and have to throw away a jar that gets moldy, you won't feel too bad. You can start making fancy kraut after you're good at it.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Tommy, mine was made with cabbage and a few carrots. I used sealed jars. It seems to be fermenting. I'm on Day 3 now.
Posted by hiker53 (Member # 6046) on :
TestyTommy,
How much salt would you use for a head of cabbage? I will probably only use 1/4 or 1/2 head of cabbage to start with.
Thanks.
Hiker53
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
You may as well do an entire batch(??) I did 2 heads of cabbage and 3 carrots. It filled 5 small jars.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Well... I successfully ate my sauerkraut yesterday and today. I didn't die!! Posted by TestyTommy (Member # 35790) on :
Hiker-
You don't need much salt. Maybe a teaspoon. The only purpose of the salt is to pull water from the cabbage.
When I first started making the kraut, I would keep adding more salt to make it easier to get the water out of the cabbage, but all that salt made the kraut pretty inedible. A little salt and a lot of kneading makes better kraut.
It really compacts, too. One big head of cabbage fills up this little glass jar I have. I don't know how big it is, but it's got to be less than a quart.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
I didn't even pound mine or squeeze it out... nada... but I added what they call a brine to it for moisture. Even though it's called a brine, I didn't use any salt.
Posted by girl (Member # 18022) on :
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