Homemade Sauerkraut

Homemade sauerkraut is deliciously sour and far from the stuff you buy at the grocery store. It’s crunchy and full of nutrients and health benefits! In this recipe you’ll only need a few ingredients and items to make the BEST sauerkraut - perfect for topping on bratwursts, wraps, sandwiches and more. With a variety of uses and amazing health benefits, why wouldn't you add this to your diet!? If you're hesitant of fermenting foods watch this quick video that breaks it down for you. The whole process takes about 30-25 minutes, then just set it aside in a cool dark place for 2-4 weeks and let the fermentation work its magic.

Watch the video below to see how we made this sauerkraut or scroll down for the full recipe.

Sauerkraut Benefits
•  Sauerkraut is very nutritious. Sauerkraut contains many nutrients important for optimal health.
• Improves your digestion
• Boosts your immune system
• May help you lose weight
• Helps reduce stress and maintain brain health
• May reduce the risk of certain cancers
• May promote heart health
• Contributes to stronger bones

What’s more, in times of infection and stress our bodies rapidly use up the available Vitamin C. This greatly impacts the adrenals. By getting your Vitamin C from this powerful food you’re helping your body and your adrenals function at their optimal level.

Did You Know?
On average, cabbage has about 30mg of Vitamin C per cup. But, when you ferment cabbage the amount of Vitamin C goes up to 600-700 mg per cup!

Recipe

Ingredients:
Head of cabbage
Carrots (shredded or whole)
Salt

Directions:
1. Chop the core off cabbage and remove outer layers of cabbage (keep these for later)
2. Cut cabbage in half
3. Remove the core by cutting a “V” shape
4. Start chopping cabbage until you reach the size of pieces you want
5. Scoop chopped cabbage into large bowl, set aside
6. Cut tops off of carrots (skip to step 8 if you have pre-shredded carrots)
7. Put carrots in a food processor
8. Add carrots to bowl with cabbage
9. Mix by hand - TIP: Knead, massage and pound the mixture with your hands. Be patient as this takes time. You want to do this until the liquid of the cabbage starts to release. This liquid is important as it become the brine that covers the veggies in your jar.
10. Once the mixture has created a liquid in the bottom of the bowl, begin adding to your jar
11. Fill it up as much as you can with out letting the brine spill overtop. TIP - “Under the brine, everything’s fine.”
12. Top the mixture with your discarded cabbage leaves from step one
13. Add your glass weight
14. Twist on the lid that came with your jar or use a fermentation lid (like these from Amazon)

That’s it! Store your jar in a cool, dark place for 2-4 weeks (we recommend 4). Make sure to check on it daily and “burp” it if necessary. Once you begin using it store it in the fridge for future use.