(Note: I am in no way endorsing Activia yogurt, as it is owned by Dannon, and, though there are beneficial bacteria in the yogurt, they also add horrific things like aspartame, which has been linked to seizures and brain tumors, and caramel color, which has been linked to cancer. They also use low-fat and skim milk in their products, and, let's just stop here for a moment so I can change your life. Full fat milk is not going to make you fat. That's right. I said it. You heard it here folks. Full fat milks, yogurts, and cheeses are not going to make you fat. Skim milk is milk that has had all the fat removed from it, therein making it what is basically a waste product. But wait, it gets better--and by better, I of course mean worse. Before they can sell it to you, they have to add in powdered milk solids and non-fat dried milk so that it will actually have a taste, because no one would want to drink it otherwise. Therein lies another problem. The powdered milk contains oxidized cholesterol, and not the good kind; the kind that promotes cardiovascular disease. Not only is it bad for your heart, but it's also bad for the rest of your body. When the fat is removed from the milk, so to are the beneficial fatty acids, minerals, and vitamins like vitamin A and complex D vitamins. These vitamins are fat soluble, which means they need fat to be metabolized by your body. And since they removed the fat from the milk, they add in synthetic versions of the vitamins. Synthetic forms of vitamin A come in some of the following forms: Retinyl Acetate, Retinol Acetate, Vitamin A acetate, Vitamin A palmitate, Retinyl palmitate, 13-cis-retinoic acid and Retinoids. Synthetic vitamin A has been linked to a laundry list of health issues like fetal abnormalities, low testosterone, and arthritis. On top of all of that, skim milk is what farmers feed to their pigs to fatten them up. That's right. You're not going to shed any pounds drinking the stuff, and you may even cause your body a lot of damage in the process. So, the best thing to buy is RAW milk from a trusted local farmer who raises grass-fed, organic cows. Sadly, the government can't get any money from such farmers, so the FDA has told people that raw milk is detrimental to their health, which is a flat out goddamn lie. The next best thing you can buy, if your state has laws against raw milk, is a low-temp pasteurized, organic, whole milk. Alright. Milk rant over.)
Probiotics can also be found in capsule form, which are a great thing to take daily to ward off sickness and just to keep your gut flora balanced. But the capsules can be pricey, and not everyone has the spare change to drop on them (and by spare change I mean about $30 for 80 capsules.) Where can you turn to to get those beneficial bacteria into your diet? I'm so glad you asked, because I have a wonderful revolution to share with you!
Fermented foods and beverages. (No. Put the wine down. It doesn't count. [Sorry mom!]) By fermented beverage, I mean things like milk kefir, beet kvass, and kombucha. Now, if you're like me, you're really NOT a fan of those things. I mean, kefir's alright, but it's not my favorite thing in the world. And beet kvass is okay, if you like beets. And kombucha...well, if you like the taste of feet combined with the smell of mold and the bubbly, throat numbing effect of carbonation, than kombucha is for you! But me, I can't do it. That leaves fermented foods, which are freaking awesome-sauce guys!
You're probably thinking, fermented foods? What? But they're really not all that hard to come by! Before modern pickling techniques, which involve sugar, massive amounts of salt, vinegar, and often-times heat, our ancestors used fermentation to make those delicious garlic-dill spears we're all so fond of. Fermented foods like preserved lemons, kimchi, pickles, and even potatoes have been used for centuries by numerous cultures (no pun intended) as a form of preservation and a way to get the most out of food.
That brings me to the recipe I'll be sharing with you today. Sauerkraut!
I love the stuff. I love it on hot dogs, with sausages, as a side to meals, topping of a salad, and even as a quick, sour bite to add on top of my morning eggs. But, as many people do, I'd always bought the jars of pickled sauerkraut (using vinegar) from stores. I never knew I could make my own fermented kraut, or that people had been doing so for thousands of years.
Most people think of Germany when they think of sauerkraut, when in actuality, there are records of sauerkraut being used in China going back at least 6,000 years ago. In ancient Rome, sauerkraut was hailed as an easily digestible food, and therefore touted for its health benefits. (You go Augustus!) Captain Cook is known to have taken barrels of sauerkraut on one of his sea voyages to ward of scurvy in his crew. Not only is the kraut itself easy to digest, but when used as a side, it helps the other foods you're eating easily digestible as well. (Which is probably a good thing if, like Husband, you enjoy a huge helping of pork sausages and beer with your kraut.) Eating cruciferous vegetables like brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, and of course, cabbage, have been recommended by health experts and is thought to reduce the risk of certain cancers, namely colon cancer.
So why is it the fermented sauerkraut that has all the benefits and not the kind you can get in the refrigerated section right next to the hotdogs? Well, let me tell you.
During the fermentation process, the cabbage is actually broken down, which creates lactic acid; the beneficial type of lactic acid that inhibits pathogenic bacterias that can cause your gut to putrefy. Though the sauerkrauts you buy in stores, made with vinegar, are still delicious, they haven't been through the proper processes to turn the end product into something that is actually nutritious and beneficial.
There are types of fermented sauerkraut that you can buy in stores like Whole Foods or order from online vendors like Amazon. I recently purchased some of Bubbie's Old Fashioned Sauerkraut from Whole Foods, and found it to be absolutely delicious. It's only got three ingredients in it: cabbage, spring water, and salt, which are the only things you want/need in a fermented kraut. Bubbie's also has a variety of pickles, condiments, and pickled fish as well as a jalapeno kraut.
Though the Bubbie's kraut is amazing and properly made to give the nutritional benefits I was talking about, it is pretty damn expensive. For a 25oz. jar, we paid $6.00. That's a little steep for our single-income household. So some experimentation was due. I researched like mad and found a couple of different ways to make sauerkraut at home. I've since made 2 quarts, one with green cabbage and one with red, and now I'm going to share the recipe with you!
Traditionally Fermented Sauerkraut (makes ~1 quart depending on the size of the cabbage):
Ingredients:
1 head cabbage
1 TBL sea salt
(possibly a few TBL water)
Equipment:
Large, sharp knife
Cutting board
1 non-reactive bowl
1 non-reactive utensil, like a wooden spoon
1 quart sized canning jar
1 shot glass
1 kitchen towel
1 canning funnel (optional)
The Method:
- Take off the outer leaves of the cabbage and any leaves with brownish spots or that seem "dry."
- Cut the cabbage in half and take out the core. You don't want any really hard pieces because it's difficult to break down then.
- Begin to cut very fine strips of cabbage, or, if you have a food processor with a fancy shredding attachment, put the cabbage through that. You basically want the cabbage to be really finely chopped so that it breaks down easily.
- Put the first half of the cabbage into a large non-reactive bowl (ie: not metal).
- Cover the cabbage with half the salt and begin to crush the cabbage in your hands. Sort of massage the cabbage until it begins to wilt, working the salt into the cabbage so that it breaks down and begins to create its own liquid. You want to be able to squeeze a handful of the cabbage and have liquid drip out of it.
- Once the first half of the cabbage has been broken down so that it exudes liquid, add the second half of the cabbage and the rest of the salt.
- Work the cabbage again until the rest of it has begun to secrete its own liquid. This may take several minutes, especially if the cabbage is a little dry or out of season.
- Once the cabbage and salt have been worked together well, grab a sterile canning jar and a non-reactive utensil (like a wooden spoon) and begin to move the cabbage into the jar.
- As you go, press the cabbage down really tightly into the jar. You want the jar to be packed full of cabbage, so really use the spoon or what have you to pack it down tightly.
- Once the jar is filled, look at the top of the jar. If the liquid made by the salt and cabbage doesn't cover the cabbage, you'll need to use some filtered water (make sure it is filtered, not from the tap, not previously boiled) to cover the cabbage. (Note: The reason you need the cabbage liquid or the water to completely submerge the cabbage is so that you have an anaerobic environment for the probiotics to grow, but so that mold will be inhibited. That being said, if during the fermentation process you notice some mold growing on the top of your kraut, simply scoop it off. It won't effect the outcome and it won't hurt the cabbage.)
- Take your shot glass and press it down in the middle of the cabbage, just to help it remain submerged either in the liquid it created or the extra water you added.
- Now you'll want to cover the top of the jar with the kitchen towel and put it out of the way in your kitchen. You want to keep it out of direct sunlight as well, so either pop it somewhere on your counter that it won't get in your way, or you can put it in your pantry.
- The jar will need to stay out on the counter for at least three weeks, but up to four or five. Keep it somewhere you'll remember it though, so that you can check under the towel during the fermentation period to see if any of the liquid has evaporated. If this happens, simply add more of the filtered water on top.
- At about two weeks, you'll be able to smell a difference in the cabbage. By two weeks it should be smelling more like sauerkraut now, and it's safe to taste it at that point. You can put a lid on it and put it in the refrigerator after two weeks, but it really benefits from about three to four weeks of fermentation so that it really gets that sour flavor we all known and love.
- After the fermentation process, whether two weeks or five, put a lid on the jar and put the jar in the fridge. This virtually stop the fermentation process, though you may notice some bubbles when you open it up. That's fine.
- Now you can feel free to use your homemade fermented sauerkraut as you wish!
I have a bit of an announcement now! I'm so excited about it too!
The guys over at Raw Revolution have graciously decided to send me some samples of their Raw Bars, which are Paleo! I don't know how many samples I'll be sent, but if there are enough, I'm definitely going to be doing a giveaway for those of you who have been following along on my journey to self-health! So if you have the chance, go check out Raw Revolution's products and let me know which ones you'd be interested in trying out!
I'm officially halfway through my Whole30 today! It's been a whirlwind so far, and I can honestly say that I already feel amazing. Not only have I lost weight (ten pounds baby!), but I've gained so much energy, I have less day-to-day pains like headaches and back aches, and I'm trying some amazing foods. But it's not only me that's been eating healthier for the past fifteen days, it's my family as well. Wee One's not been terribly excited about it all, but he's definitely had more vegetables and fruits and healthy fats in the past two weeks than normal. Husband is not enthusiastic about it at all, but that's mainly because he's "so tired of green vegetables", which is probably my fault. For this grocery trip, I got far more than kale and zucchini and spinach though, so I'm hoping to keep us all on track.
If you're willing and able, I still have my Amazon wishlist with tons of delicious paleo snacks, cookbooks, pantry staples, and even some exercise accessories that would be really beneficial! Check it out!
Until next time Kitchen Comrades!
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