Continuing our Fermentation February theme, next week we are focusing on Sauerkraut, which literally means “sour cabbage” in German. It is an unlikely super food with a long tradition stretching back over the centuries, from 17th C Germany to its probable origins a couple of thousand years ago in China.
Before the days of refrigeration, fermentation was an important method of preserving food but as awareness of the importance of gut health has grown in recent years, so too has the realisation of the immense health benefits of fermented foods.
Here are just some of the benefits to your health of eating Sauerkraut regularly:
1. Sauerkraut is very nutritious and is rich in fibre, vitamins and minerals
2. Sauerkraut helps improve your digestion
3. Sauerkraut boosts your immune system
4. Sauerkraut may help you lose weight
5. Sauerkraut helps reduce stress and maintain brain health
6. Sauerkraut may reduce the risk of certain cancers
7. Sauerkraut may promote heart health
8. Sauerkraut contributes to stronger bones
For more details about the above health benefits, visit: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/benefits-of-sauerkraut#brain-health
In summary, the inclusion of Sauerkraut in your diet, along with other fermented foods and drinks such as kombucha, kimchi and kefir, is of enormous health benefits. To reap the greatest benefits, try eating a little bit of sauerkraut every day.
Make sure that, if you buy sauerkraut, it is raw and unpasteurized as this contains beneficial probiotics that generally do not survive the pasteurization process. The Storehouse stocks Loving Foods Organic Sauerkraut and Kimchi in the chiller cabinet at the back of the Storehouse.
Or why not have a go at making your own? We are holding a Sauerkraut workshop next Wednesday 26th February at the Storehouse from 6-7.30pm. If you would like to come along, please sign up on hello@penicuikstorehouse.org
Alternatively, click on the link to find out how to make sauerkraut at home: https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a100555/how-to-make-sauerkraut/
Notes:
Sauerkraut can keep well in the fridge for months. It will have a better chance of not growing mould if the liquid covers the cabbage at all times.
It is also a good idea to use a clean fork when you take the sauerkraut out of the jar and put the lid on as soon as possible to minimise the risk of bacteria getting into the jar.
Variations on the recipe: when making it, try flavouring your sauerkraut with herbs such as dill or caraway seeds. You can also add other vegetables such as carrots, garlic or ginger.
Here’s a recipe for Beetroot and red cabbage sauerkraut with ginger
Half a medium red cabbage finely shredded ( 10 ½ -11 ounces in weight)
1 medium beetroot peeled and grated
2 inch ginger piece, peeled and finely grated
1 teaspoon sea salt
Method as above.
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