Not your Ballpark’s Kraut || by Hannah Dresdner, LMSW

The benefits of sauerkraut are abundant, and just to clarify, I’m not talking about the pasteurized ballpark kraut you dump on your hotdog during summer months.

The difference is fermentation. While the stuff you find in the refrigerated section of your local grocery store or make at home, is swimming in healthy lactic acid probiotics, the shelf-stable version is sterile; missing its essential nutrients.

Sauerkraut is known to have anywhere between 1,000 to 100 million Colony Forming Units (CFUs) of probiotics per gram. That means just 2 tablespoons of the tangy topping will meet your recommended daily intake of probiotics. Not only do probiotics benefit our gut health and digestion, but in doing so they benefit your mental health as well. By positively impacting your gut, often referred to as the second brain, the healthy probiotics found in sauerkraut have been found to reduce stress and anxiety, while boosting mood and brain functioning. *

Kraut not only supplies you with exponential probiotics but the process of fermentation also yields much higher levels of vitamins, nutrients, and fiber than what can be measured in cabbage that is not fermented. For example, the fiber content doubles from 2 grams per cup to 4 grams per cup of ‘kraut. All that goodness just from letting it sit and sweat for two weeks - it is well worth the wait since the American diet is significantly short of the daily fiber we need for vibrant health.

Fears about doing at-home fermentation are legitimate: food-borne illness can occur when doing fermentation if mindful adherence to directions are not followed. But rest assured if you are concerned about botulism as sauerkraut and botulism are an impossible pair.

Botulism can only grow where there is no oxygen and it is also highly sensitive to the salt content of a mixture. At-home. fermentation of cabbage needs salt and no oxygen to create an environment in which good bacteria can prosper. Ultimately, any bad bacteria that you may fear cannot withstand the acidity of this concoction.

The only true threat to a perfect kraut is mold - and lucky for you, you will see or smell mold before you taste it. If something is off, be mindful and curious; don’t think twice to toss it. Sometimes it takes a few rounds to get your fermentation process just right. But as long as you keep your kraut packed firmly down into its jar, with proper salt content, fully covered by the brine, and at room temperature, it should be just fine. Surrender and trust are two crucial components to this process; you can allow feelings of fear or worry to be there but I encourage you to not let these feels hijack this beautiful experiment.

Now that we’ve covered the benefits and risks, it’s important to emphasize the beauty in the process. Making kraut is a labor of love, a meditative act. And it should be: after all, you are growing millions of colonies of microbes (that will amplify your health) out of veggies straight from the earth. It is truly a magical process. Make sure to put your phone away and stay present and intentional for this simple process.

The recipe follows, it is quite simple, but it may be helpful to watch a few videos to make sure you feel comfortable before starting the process. Again, at home fermentation is a practice of trust and surrender; take whatever steps you need to trust the process before embarking on the journey.

Garlic Dill Kraut:

1 medium organic cabbage
1 organic white onion
1 bunch of fresh organic dill
3 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon salt
white vinegar
3 Clean 16 oz Mason Jars

Preparation:

Rinse cabbage with water, and then vinegar
Remove the top layer of leaves and set aside for later
Chop cabbage thin, or thick, to your liking
Chop white onion
Rinse dill with water, and then white vinegar
Chop dill
Mince garlic
Place all ingredients in a large bowl, add salt
Mix and massage all ingredients together until cabbage is nice & sweaty, and a brine has formed
Clean and rinse jars, first with warm water and soap, and then with vinegar
Place kraut in jar, use large spoon or tamper to pack the kraut down, ensuring no air pockets
Continue to add kraut and pack down until jar is full and a layer of brine covers the top
Grab one of the cabbage leaves you saved, tear into an appropriate size and fold to fit the opening of the jar
Place folded cabbage leaf on top of kraut, pressing it down to allow it to be covered by brine
Cap with lid, not TOO tight as pressure will build up as it ferments
Pack remaining jars
Place the jars in a room temperature, dark space for 10 days, checking and burping the jar every 2-3 days or so (burping = briefly opening the lid to release gas, and closing it again)
After 10 days, place jars in the fridge where they can stay for 10-12 weeks

Enjoy on salads, sandwiches, grain bowls, and pretty much anything savory! Your body & mind will thank you.

Hannah Dresdner, LMSW is a holistic therapist in Denver, Colorado and works with people on trauma, nutrition, past life regression. Check out her website www.hannahshoshana.com to learn more about her.

Reference

*Huang, Ruixue, et al. “Efficacy of Probiotics on Anxiety: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.” Neuropsychiatry, vol. 07, no. 06, 2017, doi:10.4172/neuropsychiatry.1000291.