Probiotics and foods

Contributor: Woman China Woman China
Recently, I have been doing research on probiotics (I'm not going into it as the media seems to be flooded with information), but I hate taking any kind of pill (not to mention the cost of them would quite literally eat my paycheck each month) so I have been looking at ways to "make" my own probiotic rich foods.

The best "super-food" filled with probiotics is sauerkraut.

So I went looking into making my own sauerkraut.

All you need is some fresh cabbage, some non-iodine salt and a glass jar with an air tight lid.

I was kind of shocked at how easy it is to make your own sauerkraut and just how cheap it was. Not to mention, how much better for you the probiotics found in sauerkraut than the pill form.

So... the recipe I will follow tomorrow when I make mine will be (this is the general recipe, but I won't be making the full recipe as we don't get large heads here)

1 large head of fresh cabbage (no washing, just peel a few layers off)
1 tbsp of sea salt

And once I get comfortable making my own (read: that I won't die or get sick) I will be exploring adding onions and garlic.

Chop up the cabbage into small bit sized strips, place into a large glass bowl. Pour the salt over top and massage the salt into the cabbage; feel some of the cabbage break in your fingers. Cover with a clean towel, and let sit for about an hour. Then massage again. Repeat till there is quite a bit of brine.

Take a sterilised glass pickling jar, pack it. Push down the cabbage till the brine is about half an inch to an inch above the cabbage line.

Take a cabbage leaf and push it into the jar covering the cabbage.

Put the lid on and let sit out of direct sunlight in your kitchen for about three to seven days. Then put into your refrigerator and enjoy!

According to all the research I've done, the longer you let the cabbage sit, the better it tastes. Best sauerkraut sits for about six weeks before consumed.

Here is one of the websites I have been looking into link

Youtube is filled with various clips, but my VPN seems to be broken today.

So. Who is going to join me in making sauerkraut? Or if you make your own... share your favourite recipe!!!
04/27/2013
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Contributor: Woman China Woman China
I have to laugh at myself.

I opened this post to put myself on an alert, and I thought I wrote, "Politics and foods"... LOL!!!!!
04/27/2013
Contributor: bayosgirl bayosgirl
Sauerkraut is yummy, but I like kimchi even more. I used to make it and eat it regularly, and I noticed that my skin was more clear than ever. I need to get back to it. You're right, it IS very easy. I used whey (strained from yogurt) but plain salt is fine, just double the amount of salt if you're not using whey.
04/28/2013
Contributor: Wicked Wahine Wicked Wahine
There is no way to tell for sure how many weeks to wait, unless you control for temperature. Yes, different cultures develop at different stages, but the best indicator, IMO, is to occasionally test your batch & see what tastes good to you. The longer it ferments, the more the lactic acid builds up & the more tangy it becomes!

You might want to check out this thread on Eden Cooks, link We talked a lot about fermentation. I am newer to it than some, but have been having a great time experimenting & researching! I would highly recommend contacting bog, she's an expert & loves to share her knowledge - I really think you'll enjoy her!

Sandor Katz is the the king of fermentation & I have his books, I highly recommend checking out this site &/or his books! Wildfermentation

I recommend this blog for authentic recipes from around the world, fried sig, but here's the link right to lacto-fermentation posts, link

Gnowfglins is another great resource for simple recipes & knowledge. Wardee wrote The Complete Idiot's Guide to Fermentation, which I really like.

# bayosgirl, I use whey, too, when I have it! It really hedges my bets & seems to start things off so much faster. Whenever I make yogurt, I reserve all the whey I can get in a canning jar & keep it in the fridge.
04/28/2013
Contributor: Hummingbird Hummingbird
Haven't had sauerkraut in a long time and love it, now that I know I can make my own easily, I can't wait to try.
04/28/2013
Contributor: Sammi Sammi
I wish I liked sauerkraut There's some interesting information on that site, though, that I'm going to take a look at
04/28/2013
Contributor: Woman China Woman China
Thanks for those links Wicked W!!! I'm slowly making my way through them!!!
04/29/2013
Contributor: Woman China Woman China
Huh.

That post was the beginning!!! It shouldn't have been posted!!

So anyways, today I decided to start my new activity hobby and made my first batches of sauerkraut. Which explains why you have all seen me so much today on the Forums.

Using two small to medium sized heads of cabbage I was able to get a few jars of fun started. My last jar I decided to try something out and tossed in a few heads of garlic. I really hope this one turns out as it smells delicious and my stomach is growling to eat it!!! I got oodles of brine going on and was pleasantly shocked to see so much pop up as I pushed it down.

Talk about your finger work out!!!
04/29/2013
Contributor: K101 K101
Quote:
Originally posted by Woman China
Recently, I have been doing research on probiotics (I'm not going into it as the media seems to be flooded with information), but I hate taking any kind of pill (not to mention the cost of them would quite literally eat my paycheck each month) so ... more
It's true & tasty! I hope it's working out well for ya.

Kefir is another extremely awesome probiotic! I get the Kefir from my local grocery store in a decent sized bottle for a few bucks. Tasty too! I like the strawberry kind. It has some amazing benefits.

Interesting info about the saurkraut. I've never made it my very own self. My other family members do it. Lol. Now though, I will know how! Thanks for sharing this. Very awesome. Now that I think about it, it'd be pretty fun to make my very own.
04/29/2013
Contributor: Gary Gary
I have been wanting to make my own sauerkraut too. I love it, and it seems fun. (I have made wine before). One thing, put some apples in there. Apples are magical with Sauerkraut.
04/29/2013
Contributor: Wicked Wahine Wicked Wahine
Quote:
Originally posted by K101
It's true & tasty! I hope it's working out well for ya.

Kefir is another extremely awesome probiotic! I get the Kefir from my local grocery store in a decent sized bottle for a few bucks. Tasty too! I like the strawberry kind. It ... more
Kendra, check out the info from Antipova on raising your own kefir grains, it's in this links, Eden Cooks - Kefir
04/29/2013