When life gives you cabbage….
…make sauerkraut!!
You may have noticed that I find a creative way to incorporate sauerkraut into tons of my meals. Yeah, it tastes good, but it is SO beneficial for your gut and digestion! It is loaded with super-healthy probiotics that live in your colon and optimize digestion of food.
What makes sauerkraut so healthy?
The healthy probiotics are derived from the natural lacto-fermentation process. Put simply, there is bacteria on the surface of pretty much everything. When the cabbage is submerged in a brine (of salt and the juice of the cabbage), the bacteria convert the sugars in the cabbage into lactic acid.
Lactic acid is a natural preservative that inhibits the growth of harmful bacteria. Lacto-fermentation was used to preserve food for centuries before refrigeration existed! Our ancestors were pretty smart (and healthy)…
In addition to preserving the cabbage, the lactic acid gives a delicious and satisfying tangy, kinda “sour” taste to the now sauerkraut.
The end result is a tasty, whole-food, plant-based source of probiotics (instead of popping expensive probiotic pills).
Can I buy sauerkraut in the store?
Yes, but here comes the most important part of this post:
It MUST, MUST, MUST:
- be labeled as “raw”
- be in the refrigerated section
- NOT contain vinegar or other preservatives
***Many shelf-stable sauerkrauts are pasteurized (heated to kill all bacteria), are made with vinegar to imitate the fermented taste (but without the real probiotics), contain added preservatives (sodium benzonate), sweeteners (corn syrup), and colorings (to make them last longer).
If the shelf-stable sauerkraut is heated or made with vinegar instead of lacto-fermentation, it no longer has the health benefits of gut-loving probiotics!!
What are the best store-bought brands?
Wildbrine Kraut (Check out their website!)
Farmhouse Culture (Check out their website!)
Want to make your own? Check out MY website for a step-by-step recipe with pictures!
Now you can serve some probiotic-rich sauerkraut….
- on top of your salad
- in a turkey & cheese sandwich
- on top of a bratwurst
- with Polish pierogies
- on colorful fish tacos
- and so much more!!
Send me a message or comment with any questions!
Thank you for reading! 🙂
