Homemade Sauerkraut – Raw cultured veggie goodness!

Yesterday’s recipe was for homemade cream cheese with a handy by-product of whey. Today, I’m going to use some of that whey we made in another one of my all-time favorites: homemade sauerkraut.

(Another big thank you to Sally Fallon and her fantastic cookbook Nourishing Traditions: The cookbook that challenges politically correct nutrition and the diet dictocrats for this recipe.)

You can buy sauerkraut from the store, but often it’s made with vinegar, too much salt, and the vegetables are pasteurized, which reduces their nutritional value. This homemade sauerkraut is a type of raw cultured vegetable - a whole different creature.

Raw cultured vegetables – also known as lacto-fermented vegetables – are vegetables preserved through a process of lacto-fermentation. Lactic acid is a natural preservative that inhibits putrefying bacteria. Starches and sugars in vegetables and fruits are converted into lactic acid by many species of lactic-acid-producing bacteria, or “lactobacilli”. Numerous important chemical changes take place during this type of fermentation, far beyond their practical purpose of preservation.

• Cultured veggies are already partially digested, so they’re easy on the system. Not only are they readily absorbed by your body, they enhance your body’s ability to digest and absorb nutrients from the other things you eat at the same time.
• They’re delicious, and add a unique flavor to your meals.
• They help to balance the pH of your digestive tract.
• They offset the toxic and carcinogenic effects of the charcoal from BBQ.
• They are naturally packed with digestive enzymes and probiotics, which support the health of your digestive system.
• They help to heal the lining of your intestines by promoting the growth of healthy flora.
• They promote a healthy and strong immune system.
• And last but certainly not least, they help reduce sugar cravings.

I could go on, but you get the picture. Many traditional cultures have preserved veggies and fruits using this method. The most commonly known is the European version: sauerkraut, or lacto-fermented cabbage. Here’s how you make it.

Equipment you’ll need:

• Big bowl
• Meat hammer, wooden pounder or a pestle
• Quart-sized mason jar

Ingredients:

• 1 medium cabbage, cored and shredded
• 1 tbsp caraway seeds
• 1 tbsp sea salt
• 4 tbsp whey (see whey recipe from yesterday’s posting)

In bowl, mix the cabbage with caraway seeds, sea salt and whey. Pound the mixture with the hammer, pounder or pestle (my personal favorite) for about 10 minutes to release juices. Place in a quart-sized, wide-mouth mason jar and press down firmly with a pounder or meat hammer until juices come to the top of the cabbage. The top of the cabbage should be at least 1 inch below the top of the jar. Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for about 3 days before transferring to cold storage. It keeps for months. The sauerkraut may be eaten immediately, but it improves with age.

Homemade cream cheese with a useful by-product

As I mentioned in my post from yesterday, I spent a little time this weekend doing food prep to make sure the fridge is stocked with healthy, yummy options. I’ll be sharing the recipes I used over the next few days. This recipe – it’s more of a process than a recipe, actually – is often one of my starting points: homemade cream cheese.

(A big thank you to Sally Fallon and her fantastic cookbook Nourishing Traditions: The cookbook that challenges politically correct nutrition and the diet dictocrats for this recipe.)

Why start here? Well, it’s actually not the cream cheese that I’m going for; it’s really the by-product of the cream cheese – whey – that’s produced in the process. But the cream cheese is delicious, nutritious, and because I made it from organic whole milk plain yoghurt, I know it’s got nothing in it except the nutritional goodness I’m looking for (or what I add to it for flavoring).

What’s whey? you ask. Whey is the liquid that remains after milk has been curdled and strained – a byproduct in the manufacture of cheese. Whey is filled with minerals, it helps digestion, and it’s a great starter for one of my favorite foods: cultured vegetables! (stay tuned for a recipe for cultured sauerkraut later this week!)

I don’t like to go through the whole milk curdling process, so I skip that step by using yoghurt instead. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Big bowl
• Large sieve
• Clean tea towel or cheese cloth

Ingredients:

• 1 large container organic, whole, plain yogurt (the best quality you can find! If you’re lucky enough to have a source of RAW milk yoghurt, that would be the ideal find.)
• Sea salt to taste

Line a large strainer set over a bowl with a clean tea towel or cheese cloth (I prefer the tea towel). Pour in the yoghurt, cover and let stand at room temperature for several hours (this can take up to 12 hrs). The whey (clear liquid) will run into the bowl and the milk solids will stay in the strainer. Tie up the towel with the milk solids inside being careful not to squeeze. Tie this little sack to a wooden spoon placed across the top of a container (like a big pitcher) so that more whey can drip out. Store the whey in a mason jar in the fridge (keeps for up to 6 months), and the cream cheese in a covered glass container (keeps for about 1 month).

I add a little dash of sea salt to the cream cheese for a really delicious and nutritious cream cheese. If you want to spice it up a little, you can also add:

• Roasted red pepper, diced
• Spinach, chopped fine
• Garlic, minced
• Chives, choped
• Olives, chopped

Use your imagination and try different flavors. It’s delicious and makes a great quick snack by spreading it on celery sticks.