We recently interviewed Karen Clark-Snitchler from the Becoming Elli group for the Fit Strong Women Over 50 podcast. One topic we discussed was gut health and eating fermented foods. She has graciously shared her recipe for making homemade fermented sauerkraut with us.
How to make homemade fermented sauerkraut
Ingredients:
1 medium head of cabbage, sliced thin
1 Tablespoon salt
Directions:
- Put the sliced cabbage in a bowl.
- Sprinkle salt on cabbage.
- Massage it in to the cabbage, squeezing it for about 5 minutes. Cover bowl. Leave it alone for 30 minutes.
- Massage for 5 minutes more.
- Pack it into mason jar. Top with a fermentation weight (www.masontops.com has them) and a pickle pipe.
- Check it in 10-ish days (my upstate New York winter length of time).
The weight keeps the food submerged in the brine so there are no air pockets. The one-way valve of a pickle pipe allows gas to release during the fermentation process.
Karen’s Favorite Things to Ferment:
- Cherry tomatoes
- Carrots
- Kombucha (I make it every week – just 2 cups of black tea and 3/4 cup of sugar. Mix with 8 cups of water. After that cooks to 70-85 degrees, add SCOBY and pellicle. Cover jar with cloth covering. Put it somewhere warm and dark to brew. Wait 10 days. Bottle with flavorings. Done in 4 days. Put in fridge. Drink daily and be happy. My favorite flavor combination these days is ginger/blueberry/lemon.)
- Water Kefir (kefir grains, 2 cups of juice, 2 cups of water.)
Podcast to listen to about fermented things: Cultured Food Life (Donna Schwenk)
Have you ever made your own fermented food before? How did it go? Please comment below.