I’m back to the blog. With my kitchen project complete and summer winding down, I’m looking for a way to shed the weight that I gained over multiple vacations, celebrations and general overindulgence that comes with my typical summer antics.
Earlier this summer, I finished a marathon and that was the end of all things fitness for me. Since then, I remodeled my kitchen, which was an expensive way to give me a reason to eat out…every meal. With all that—and a couple vacations—I have found myself weighing over 10 pounds more than when I started the marathon. Something has to change—and that starts in the kitchen.
I’ve always had a strong discipline when it comes to eating at home, but there are certain steps I take to make sure that I’m not only eating healthy, but I’m working at improving myself from the inside out. That’s where today’s post comes in.
Back when I first started my weight loss journey, I received some advice from the doctor that I have never left out of my life since discovering it. He encouraged me to take a probiotics supplement to help get started on losing weight and overall wellness. In short, probiotics are the good bacteria that live in your guts and help you in a multitude of ways beyond digestion, but a healthy gut is imperative to any wellness initiative.
I’m not here to go on a diatribe about the importance of healthy digestion or in depth analysis of the functions of probiotics. There are a lot smarter people out there that know a lot more than I do and a simple web search will get you what you need to know. I’m just here to share how I use them and things that I do to ensure I’m always getting the good bacteria in my gut so I feel as well as possible.
When it comes to how I get my probiotics, I do take a daily supplement. However, I’m not the biggest advocate for popping pills. While these probiotics pills are effective, I try to find ways to get even more good bacteria from one of my favorite things in the world: eating.
Some good sources of probiotics in food include:
- Yogurt/Kefir/Skyr
- Raw Sauerkraut/Kim Chi
- Kombucha (fermented tea)
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| Kombucha: it tastes better than it looks |
I use each of these in various ways and have recently taken to making my own. I have always loved pretending to be a mad scientist and home fermentation is a great outlet for this hobby. In fact, I’ve got a gallon of Kombucha fermenting in my house right now and it looks like a prop from a 50’s sci-fi horror film.
However, my favorite thing to make is homemade raw Sauerkraut.
I’m a quarter German and I’ve always loved this pungent condiment. When I found out that it could actually help me be healthier, I was beyond excited. I bought all the materials needed to start my own home preparation and have made countless quarts since. Today, I’m going to take you through the steps to make your own Sauerkraut.
Mind you, this is not just any sauerkraut, but the best I have ever found. This is my best attempt to create Trader Joe’s Raw Sauerkraut with Pickled Persian Cucumbers.
The first time I tried this product, it nearly brought a tear to my eye because it tasted just like the homemade pickles my mom used to make. I love it so much; I have abstained from making it myself and just bought it in bulk. But today, I find myself with my last jar and the nearest Trader Joe’s over 2 hours away.
Let’s hope my homemade recipe works.
Reading the ingredients list on the jar: Cabbage, Persian Cucumbers, Salt and Garlic; that is exactly what I’ll start with.
Ingredients
- 1 large Head of Cabbage, save the rubbery outer leaves for later
- 8 Cloves of Garlic
- 1 large Cucumber, peeled if you want (I can’t find Persian, so English will have to do)
- 3 tbsp Salt
Instructions
- Shred the cabbage as fine as you can. I use a Mandolin, but a knife or food processor will do the trick.
- Put it all in a large bowl, jar or crock. I’m using a ceramic crock specific for food fermentation; but like I said, I do this a lot. You can get by using a big bowl and transferring it into quart mason jars.
- Add half the salt to the cabbage and get your hands in there by squeezing it until the salt starts to break down the cabbage and water begins to leach out.
- Grate or mince the garlic and slice the cucumber medium thick, add these to the cabbage.
- Add the remaining salt and really start to work it into the vegetables. You’ll find that a lot of juices begin to form. I usually use both hands and work it for a good 5 minutes to get enough liquid for adequate fermentation. Just keep going until you can push all the vegetables below the surface of the water by a half inch or so.
- If you are using mason jars, transfer even amounts of vegetables and liquid so the liquid completely covers the vegetables.
- Take the reserved outer leaves of the cabbage and create a top layer that you can push the vegetables below the surface of the liquid.
- Find a suitable weight to be submerged into the liquid and can hold that top layer down. For mason jars, I’ve used glassware or shot glasses…then you can press it down and keep the liquid level high enough during fermentation. For my crock, I use a Tupperware bowl and a ceramic statue of a Rottweiler.
- Put your containers in a cool, dark place for 2-4 weeks. I usually stop at 2 weeks, but some people like it a bit stronger.
- After a couple weeks, you will need to remove the outer leaves layer and discard it with any scum that may have formed on the container. If you used a crock or larger vessel, transfer into quart mason jars with lids.
- Seal the jar(s) and put it in the refrigerator. This is a raw product and will stay good for several weeks, but its best eaten fresh.
Tips during fermentation and a disclaimer:
- It’s important to check in on it almost every day to make sure that the water levels are up and mold is not forming. This is bacteria after all; it’s not going to be pretty. If you can’t press the liquid up, you can add salt water to the jar to make sure the vegetables are not exposed to the air.
- If mold forms, skim it off if it is a little. If it is a lot, toss it out and look up a more reputable source for Sauerkraut fermentation.
- Other items I use for flavoring my sauerkraut include: carrots and apples for sweet, dill or caraway seeds for savory, jalapenos or other chilis for spicy, beets for color, etc. Use your imagination, but I stray from using highly acidic foods to prevent them from reacting during fermentation.
- I’m just a novice and this is how I do it. Don’t blame me if you get sick…this is my disclaimer.
I eat a couple bites of it every morning with my breakfast and love it on sandwiches and brats. However, don’t cook it as that will kill all the good probiotics.
I hope you liked learning how I make Sauerkraut and look for ways to add fermented foods into your healthy lifestyle.
As I said, I’m back and I’ve been busy. I plan to share some of my stories and ideas in the months to come. Now that Fall is approaching and a Minnesota Winter is imminent, I’ll have a lot more time indoors and that means I hope to write more on my page and share stories from my recent adventures as well as some with some well-known Internet buddies.
Until then, thanks for eating!
