So tasty and great for the microbiome.
Sauerkraut
- 1 green cabbage
- 3 golden beets
- 3 large carrots
- 6 inch piece daikon radish
- 3 inch piece fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 tablespoon sea salt (look below for salt free version using 1/2 tablespoon chili powder in place of salt and adding additional filtered water)
Remove and set aside the outer leaves of the cabbage. These are used to cover the sauerkraut when it’s placed in jars.
In a food processor, or by hand, grate all of the vegetables (except the outer cabbage leaves) with the “fine” blade*.
Add ingredients to a large bowl with the curry powder and sea salt.
Knead the vegetables with your hands. Taste and add more sea salt if needed. It should taste somewhat salty. Press veggies down firmly in bowl with hands so juice comes up between fingers. If juice doesn’t easily come up between fingers, add a little purified water until it does.
Pack the sauerkraut into glass jars with clamp lids until 2/3 full. This allows room for the juice to expand as it ferments. Fold the outer cabbage leaves you set aside in half and cover the sauerkraut with leaves. Use a carrot to press the cabbage leaves down so the juice in the vegetables completely covers the sauerkraut. Then clamp down the lid on the carrot so it is sealed shut.
Leave the jars of sauerkraut on your cupboard so you can enjoy their beauty and watch them ferment. It takes 5-7 days for the fermentation to be complete. To know if sauerkraut is ready, open jar and taste it. If you wish a more fermented taste, let sit a few more days.
When ready, remove cabbage leaves and carrot and store the jars in refrigerator. The sauerkraut will last 2 or 3 months in the refrigerator. (Though it’s never around that long in our house.)
*Fine grate in the food processor makes the sauerkraut juicy. The juice covers the sauerkraut in liquid so it won't oxidize, so you want lots of juice.
- 1/2 tablespoon chili power
- Filtered water to make sure juice covers sauerkraut
Follow all steps above. When you add the sea salt and curry powder, substitute the chili powder for the sea salt.
You will need to add more filtered water as you knead the vegetables until the juices come up between your fingers. Then you are ready to pack the sauerkraut into bottles. Follow the remaining steps in recipe above.
The only difference in the salt free sauerkraut is that it needs to be used up within 5 to 7 days.