Make Your Own Saurkraut

I have been hearing for a long time about how great saurkraut is for the digestion.    I bought some saurkraut at the store a couple of years ago and tried it.... I got so sick.  Come to find out, it has to be UNPROCESSED saurkraut.  Where can you buy it unprocessed?  I have no idea, that is why I have learned to make my own.

Raw sauerkraut is an extremely healthy food. It is an excellent source of vitamin C, lactobacilli (even more than yogurt), and many other nutrients.

A healthy large intestine (colon) is very acidic and is populated with high numbers of beneficial bacteria such as Lactobacillus acidophilus. These helpful microorganisms feed on the waste left over from our digestion and create lactic acid.

We rely on the lactic acid they produce to keep our colons healthy and in an acidic state. Without these beneficial bacteria the colon does not have enough acidity to stop the growth of harmful parasites and yeasts and eventually the environment becomes hostile to acidophilus.

Another way unpasteurized sauerkraut benefits digestion in the stomach is by assisting the pancreas. The pancreas secretes essential digestive enzymes into the stomach.

As we get older, our stomach’s natural secretions of hydrochloric acid decrease. Hydrochloric acid breaks down food so it can be more easily absorbed by the small intestine. It is also the most important defense we have against harmful bacteria and parasites often present in food. Lactic acid can partially compensate for reduced hydrochloric acid and saurkraut is full of Lactic acid.
How To Make Saurkraut At Home

To start your saurkraut, cut your cabbage as thin as possible (I got my Husband to cut mine for me).  You can use the food slicer like in the picture above, or you can use a sharp knife and cut it as thin as possible. 

After you get your cabbage all cut, weigh your cut cabbage.   For every 5 pounds of cabbage sprinkle 3 Tablespoons of sea salt or pickling salt.   Mix the cabbage up in the bowl with the salt and let sit for 1/2 hour or so.

Place the cabbage in a air tight container and press it down as much as possible so the natural juice from the cabbage covers it.  You will be suprised at the water you will see coming out of the cabbage

This was my first batch and I did not press it down enough but it turned out wonderfully anyway.

I filled a sandwich bag with water and put it on top of the cabbage to keep the cabbage pressed down under the juice.

As you can see the container I used fits very well with the water filled sandwich bag.  This process help keep the cabbage from molding

See the bubbles?  Here is the cabbage starting to work already.

I place the container of cabbage into a cooler and shut the lid.  This will keep the smell out of your house

Every meal I eat a chunk of saurkraut to aid in my digestion.  

Just to let you know,  I DO NOT get sick on homemade saurkraut.  I have never tasted any saurkraut that tastes as good as this does.    I will be making it a lot now.  In fact, we already have a couple more containers fermenting.