- By Milla Ezman
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- Edited by Jisselle Regis
Full Guide to Wild Fermented Sauerkraut for Gut Health
Wild Fermented Sauerkraut for gut health is the best food you can make or buy to maintain or rebalance your intestinal microbiome.
Like all the other fermenting “experts” out there, I am not a scientist. My knowledge comes from my extensive research and my personal experience starting from a very early age helping my Mom during this fascinating process! We only did it once every year because fresh cabbage was only available back then, where I grew up, once a year – when it ripened in our garden! But we always fermented a very large amount. Large enough to last us till the next year’s harvest.
Wild fermentation occurs when microbes naturally found on foods or in the air are used to initiate the fermentation process. Wild or Lacto-Fermentation essentially is a spontaneous fermentation! The term “lacto” refers to lactobacillus, a strain of bacteria common on the skin of most produce, especially those that grow close to the ground.
If left out in the air, the cabbage would simply mold as the bacteria feeds on the sugars. The anaerobic (an absence of free oxygen) environment paired with salt results in the bacteria converting sugars to lactic acid which then acts as a preservative, inhibiting the growth of harmful bacteria. The action of the bacteria makes the minerals in cultured foods more readily available to the body. The bacteria also produce vitamins and enzymes that are beneficial for digestion. This turns in the sour tasting fermented cabbage that we call sauerkraut.
AIR or No AIR?
Aerobically (with oxygen) the yeasts in your ferment can oxidize and turn to vinegar (acetic acid), which is not what you want. You want it to be sour, but we can achieve the tang without vinegar. The candida-preventing yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has the ability to shift from fermentative to oxidative depending on the level of oxygen available. So it’s best to keep the oxygen out as much as possible, and this friendly yeast can help your guts heal.
Oxygen is the enemy when it comes to ferments. So, an anaerobic (oxygen-less) environment is what we going to create.
Here is the biggest mistake you can make — not leaving the ferment on the counter longer than 4 days before transferring to cold storage.
Refrigeration slows down food spoilage, yes, but in the case of fermenting, you are also slowing down the bacterial action. The LABs (lactic-acid producing bacteria) do not like cold, and they can’t reproduce in it.
If you want maximum probiotics in your sauerkraut, you will need to let your ferments go through all bacteria stages of fermentation. This is particularly important if you are trying to heal your gut.
Here is how the fermentation process works:
3 phases of Wild Fermentation:
Phase 1: Day 1-3 bad bacteria die off. Bacteria, both good and bad, live on the exterior skins and leaves of vegetables. The good bacteria (Klebsiella and Enterobacter) thrive in the salt-water brine and will begin to grow while saltiness of the brine kills off the present bad bacteria.
Phase 2: Day 3-7 starts as the acid levels become too high for many bacteria, and Leuconostoc mesenteroides and other Leuconostoc spp., which are the happiest at a temperature of 65 – 72 degrees take charge of the batch. These good bacteria thrive in the oxygen-free salt-water brine and they grow and abounds during this phase. Gases escape through bubbles to the surface, so the environment soon becomes entirely oxygen-free, a requirement for any successful ferment batch.
Phase 3: Day 7-10 you’ll notice the bubbles inside the jar disappear. The conditions inside are acidic enough for Lactobacillus like L. brevis and L. plantarum to multiply, while the other bacteria drops out. The active fermentation is completed – the lactic acid reaches a high enough concentration inside the jar to preserve the vegetables, but t sauerkraut isn’t ready to eat yet, it is not yet reached its best flavor. It will need a month or so inside your fridge before the Lactobacillus causing it to become fully fragrant and sour-sweet like traditional sauerkraut.
BTW Klebsiella is one of the bacterial sp. that produces Vitamin B12 in your gut where it actually can be absorbed!
A 2010 paper from Korea showed that Korean centenarians (people who live to be 100 years old) that ate very little animal products had normal vitamin B12 levels. Given that the subjects ate fermented foods at almost every meal, much of which is homemade kimchi that, according to the researchers, is fermented for at least 10 months.
Prepare your INGRÉDIENTS:
CABBAGE is an exceptionally healthy food, rich on Vitamin K, C, A, B6, Folate, Manganese, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Iron, and riboflavin. In addition, cabbage is high in fiber and contains powerful antioxidants, including polyphenols and sulfur compounds. Cruciferous vegetables like cabbage contain many different antioxidants that have been known to reduce chronic inflammation.
CARROTS – Most of the benefits of carrots can be attributed to their beta-carotene and fiber content. Carrots are also a good source of antioxidants, potassium, vitamin K, sodium, phosphorus, calcium, vitamin C, niacin and vitamin B6. Other nutrients include vitamin A, E, folate, zinc, and iron. Prevent Cancer, Regulate Blood Cholesterol, Improve Oral and Eye Health, Boost Immunity, Powerful Digestion Aid.
BEET root is a rich source of folate and manganese and also contains thiamine, riboflavin, vitamin B-6, pantothenic acid, choline, betaine, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, and selenium.
Because of its high fiber content, beetroot helps to prevent constipation and promote regularity for a healthy digestive tract.
Choline is a very important and versatile nutrient in beetroot that helps with sleep, muscle movement, learning, and memory. Choline also helps to maintain the structure of cellular membranes, aids in the transmission of nerve impulses, assists in the absorption of fat and reduces chronic inflammation.
Lastly, beets are just so darn beautiful, like nature’s jewels, by adding them to your sauerkraut while the flavor remains surprisingly similar to cabbage-only sauerkraut, the color is so vibrant, you will never want to make it without!
SALT:
Sea Salts which is derived from seawater. When looking for an unrefined sea salt look for specks of color: gray, black, pink… These colors indicate that the minerals have not been removed from the salt. Some natural salts are moist because they have not been fully dried or further refined after being extracted from the sea water. Celtic sea salt is my favorite for fermenting veggies.
Himalayan salt also works well for fermentation.
WATER:
Use best water source that is available to you – spring artesian, rural area well water, distilled water or filtered. You only need water if you use the store bought cabbage. If it’s fresh harvested it will have enough juice in it to avoid adding extra water.
Gather your EQUIPMENT:
Basics:
Knife, Shredder, Mandoline, cutting board, stainless steel/glass pots, airlock lids…
Humans have been utilizing fermentation to preserve foods since the Neolithic Era, you don’t need a fancy equipment to achieve a healthy, probiotic-filled sauerkraut. There are many inexpensive set-ups that you can use (check out links below the recipe).
General rule is for every 2 lbs. of cabbage mixture sprinkle 1 Tablespoon of salt.
Wild Fermented Sauerkraut Recipe
- 3 lbs cabbage
- 2 lbs carrots
- 1 lbs beets
- 3 tbsp Celtic Sea salt
- 1/2 cup water or as much as needed to cover the mixture (optional)
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Wash all containers and tools really well in hot soapy water, rinse with hot water, and allow to air dry. No need to sterilize them.
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Clean the cabbage in cold water, remove the core, slice very thin using either a mandolin, a knife, or use a food processor.
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Add shredded carrots and beets if using. Beets and carrots are optional, you can use cabbage only. On every 2 pounds of shredded veggie mix add 1 Tablespoon of Celtic sea salt.
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Mix well with clean hands, really massage the salt in until the cabbage reliases juice.
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Pack the mixture into your fermenting jar, not too tight, leaving 2-3 inches of headspace. Cover the top of the mixture with large cabbage leaves. Make sure all of this is covered with the brine juice that the veggies released. If it isn't - add just enough water to cover. Lay the weight on top of the leaves and put on your airlock lid.
Note: carefully read the instructions for your chosen airlocks.
note: when you pack your mixture, do not pack it up to the top, leave a couple of inches of space, because as it will start to ferment and produce gas, it will be pushed up.
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Day 1 to 7:
The fermentation process should be done at room temps between 65F - 72F, away from sunlight. Any lower and the fermentation slows down, stops altogether, or never start. Any higher and the fermentation speeds up, not giving enough time to develop the sour or tangy flavor common to lacto-fermented foods.
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Inspect the mixture once a day to make sure that the liquid in the jars is at the correct level. If the brine reaches the top, you can open the lid and push down the weight gently to release the gas. Add another weight if necessary, clean the lid and the airlock and tighten it back on.
***a few red flags: browned cabbage, yeasty odor, slime, mold.
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Day 8 to ... (I stop mine on day 10 but you can keep it to continue to ferment up to day 28)
The mixture should have developed the sour flavor that we love in a sauerkraut. You may begin tasting your sauerkraut, (opening the jar and exposing it to air will not spoil it at that point). Continue the fermentation until you reach the level of sourness you prefer.
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Transfer the mixture into clean glass storage containers, lightly pressing it down as you pack it right up to the top, leaving as little space between the mixture and the lid as possible.
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Store in the fridge for up to 12 months.
*** If your cabbages are tiny, you can slice the cores in as well, because they will not be very fibrous, in fact, they would be quite yummy!
*** Mold is unacceptable in your ferment! Mold can make you sick, very sick. Some people show symptoms right away; others end up with mold sensitivities or other gut issues. Once you get to the point when you see mold with your eyes, it’s already too late to fix it, so don't try to save it by scraping it off. Discard.
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BLACK+DECKER 8-Cup Food Processor
as well, not in love with it, but it is doing an amazing job! Very loud machine! Last fall I had to process a wagon of cabbage to freeze it and make sauerkraut! It didn’t choke, got it done. and is cheap!
German Style Fermentation Harvest Pot with Stone Weight, 5-Liter
5 Liter fermentation pot with water channel or gutter Oxygen and mold free environment for natural lactic acid fermentation.
Lead and cadmium free ceramic and comes with stone weights.
Fermenting jars
Jars for fermenting veggies. this kind I prefer because the jars are clear and the airlock option. These jars didn’t come with weights, so I used river rocks that my kids found in our creek, scrabbed them and left under the sun for few days to “sterilize”.
Fermentation wide mouth Lid Kit
WOODEN GRATER FOR KOREAN CARROT Russian Ukrainian
This grater cant be substitute with anything else in order to make that carrot salad taste exactly how you want it!
OXO Good Grips Box Grater
for small shredding jobs, like making fast soups of shred a carrot into a salad. No mess. very important! Who likes the cleaning, right?
Professional Electric Knife Sharpener
Everyone says you have to have a good and expensive set on knifes! I totally disagree! you have to have a good knife sharpener! I have a very old and cheap set of knifes that I keep in a great shape with this sharpener!
Titan Peeler & Slicer
I have this peeler for over 9 years now, and I will never need another one! Its the best!
Mountain Woods Cutting Board with Juice Groove
love this cutting boards! beautiful and green.
Celtic Sea Salt Makai Pure Gourmet Sea Salt, 8 Ounce
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