Friday, May 22, 2020

Ever Tried To Make Sauerkraut At Home? Here’s Why You Should

Tangy. Crunchy. Teeming with gut-friendly bacteria. Sauerkraut is one of our favorite probiotic-rich foods. Not into it? You probably haven't tried it homemade!

This homemade sauerkraut recipe from our friends at Free People is as delicious as it is pretty -- and she's definitely a looker. Anti-inflammatory turmeric gives the kraut a gorgeous golden hue. An assortment of veggies make this recipe more fun than your standard, and the addition of apples is a bright and delicious surprise. 

Make a batch of this homemade sauerkraut when you're feeling crafty or have extra farmers market veggies that need to be used up. Pile it high on veggie bowls, in wraps and by the forkful...

Not just a condiment anymore, this sour shredded cabbage dish is perfect for accompanying sandwiches, salads, to top off rice, or to savor on its own.

Before beginning your batch, keep in mind that cleanliness throughout the fermentation process is very important. Hot water and soap is sufficient for cleaning jars and measuring tools, but ensure that they are rinsed completely. Soap residue can inhibit the growth of the beneficial bacteria that you are trying to manifest. (This process is different then “canning” when you are pasteurizing and killing all of the beneficial bacteria that naturally occurs on vegetables. In that process it is important to completely sterilize jars.)

An equally important consideration when making your own fermented foods? HAVE FUN! Your only assurance should be utilizing the correct ratio of salt in your ferment. Feel free to experiment with different vegetable and spice combinations as you grow more comfortable. Our friend and local chef Greg Glowatz generally ferments at a percentage of 2.5% Celtic sea salt. Using a digital kitchen scale with a kg setting (he finds it much easier to make the calculations in grams and kilos than in pounds and ounces), simply weigh your prepped vegetables in grams (minus the weight of your jar or bowl) and then multiply that by .025 to find how many grams of salt you should add to your mix.

homemade sauerkraut on scaleGather Your Tools

A German Style Fermentation Crock with Weights is Chef Greg’s preferred vessel for fermenting shredded sauerkraut — it keeps the light out which enables you to keep a crock on your counter. Also, this style of crock has a water seal in which you simply pour water and top up every few days. It keeps oxygen out of the crock while allowing gasses from the fermentation process to be released. Check Out

You will also need a knife and cutting board to shred up your veggies. You can also use slicing attachments on your food processors or mandolin slicers but a knife will do just fine. Check OutYou will need a digital kitchen scale that weighs up to 5 Kg. Check Out

You will need a pickle packer or wooden tamper to compact your kraut into its fermentation vessel. Check Out

One final necessity is a large mixing bowl in which to mix your shredded veggies with salt. Check Out

homemade sauerkraut turmeric apple recipe

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The post Ever Tried To Make Sauerkraut At Home? Here’s Why You Should appeared first on The Chalkboard.



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