Sauerkraut a probiotic!

Submitted by admin on Wed, 04/28/2010 - 20:03

Both prebiotics and probiotics are important to our health. Many people don’t know that you can get probiotics from natural foods as well as in yogurt and tablets. Here is an interesting article that tells how. And I have added a recipe here for homemade sauerkraut, awesome and naturally gluten free!
 


Spicy Homemade Sauerkraut Recipe
 

4 green cabbages
1 red cabbage ( optional)
Wash well, remove cores, and outer leaves and slice cabbage thinly in a mandolin, or into small chunky bits in a food processor.

Pickling brine:

1 1/2  gallons water
1 1/2 cup pickling salt
1 1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup sugar – can be omitted
1 hot red pepper ( boil a minute with brine, then discard)
1 clove garlic (whole)
1 teaspoon peppercorns
1 teaspoon celery seed - optional
1 bay leaf 

10 sterilized mason jars with lids suitable for canning (keep lids in boiling water until ready to seal)

Bring the water, vinegar, sugar and spices to a boil. Pack cabbage into mason jars leaving about two inches of head space at the top of each jar. Pack jars but not too tightly so that liquid can go all through the cabbage.

Pour the brine over the cabbage in each jar and tap the jar so that the liquid saturates the cabbage really well. Run a thin knife around the edge of each jar to remove air bubbles.

Make sure there is an inch and a half of air space on top, as a head space to allow for expansion of the sauerkraut. Top each jar with a mason lid and seal, while still hot.

Turn jars upside down to cool. Wipe down jars, set upright on newspaper (in case you filled one too full) Set in a cool dark place to cure for at least 3 weeks. Make sure seals are still in place. Any that are not sealed after 3 weeks should be used up right away or discarded.

Use to make sauerkraut salad or cooked sauerkraut. Great with a gluten free sausage with mustard on top of an Astoria Mills Hot Dog Bun made usingAstoria Mills Enriched Gluten Free
Light Brown Bread Mix #6. Did you know that Mix #6 has two soluable fibers added as well as Salba, good fiber and also pre-biotics. Nutrition, fiber, good food ...just what you need on a gluten free diet.

You can make traditional plain sauerkraut without any spices, but why not live a little on the spicy side of life!