Until recently, the unpretentious Sauerkraut has been a laughing stock among food aficionados. http://www.walled-in-berlin.com/j-elke-ertle/love-it-or-leave-it-sauerkraut/ It has a hard time standing up to more sophisticated produce, such as romanescu, white asparagus and fiddleheads. But a closer look reveals that the unassuming Sauerkraut is packed with dietary fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Folate, Iron, Potassium, Copper and Manganese. It is also low in saturated fat, very low in cholesterol, packed with probiotics and a good source of calcium and magnesium.

Fermented Foods Throughout History

Sauerkraut is a fermented food, along with Tempeh, Miso, Yogurt, Kefir, Kombucha, Kimchi, Natto, Lassi and others. Fermented foods have been a dietary staple for thousands of years. Before Christ, the Greeks already wrote about the health benefits of fermented cabbage. The Romans treated and prevented intestinal infections with Sauerkraut. Captain Cook used Sauerkraut and lime juice to prevent scurvy on his three-year journey around the world. The Chinese ate acid-fermented vegetables while building the Great Wall of China. Centuries ago, the Koreans developed Kimchi by acid-fermenting cabbage and other vegetables. http://www.drdavidwilliams.com/gut-health-and-the-benefits-of-traditional-fermented-foods/

Why Sauerkraut is good for you

During fermentation, bacteria feed on the natural sugars in foods. These microorganisms create lactic acid, which in turn helps preserve the food. Fermented food is full of “friendly bacteria” (probiotics) and helpful enzymes, which “predigest” certain food components, making them easier for the gut to digest and for nutrients to be absorbed. Because the gut is the largest component of our immune system, probiotics in the digestive system may not only improve digestion but also boost immunity and help stave off illnesses. Evidence suggests that gut health may positively affect inflammation, allergies and autoimmune disorders.

Home-made Sauerkraut is lacto-fermented

When it comes to fermentation, most people think about beer or wine, which use yeasts to convert the sugars in grape and or grains into alcohol. Bacteria, on the other hand, are responsible for lacto-fermentation. “Lacto” refers to a specific type of bacteria, namely Lactobacillus. Various strains of Lactobacillus bacteria live on the surface of plants and also inside the gastrointestinal tract. They convert sugar into lactic acid, a natural preservative that inhibits the growth of harmful bacteria. Lacto-fermentation increases or at least preserves vitamin and enzyme levels and aids digestion.

Commercially Fermented Foods

Since industrialization has given us commercially preserved food, fermenting foods at home, such as Sauerkraut, has largely fallen out of favor. Buying a jar or can off the supermarket shelve is so much easier. However, most of these commercially available foods have been pasteurized and cooked at high heat, or they have been acid-pickled. Although the results are predictable, heat and acid destroy the friendly bacteria so that the gut health-promoting lactic acid cannot be produced. High sodium levels tend to be another drawback in commercially fermented foods.

Make your Own Sauerkraut

One way of finding gut-healthy Sauerkraut is to make it at home. Home fermentation insures that the friendly Lactobacillus bacteria stay in tact and that the salt content can be controlled. The process of making Sauerkraut is actually quite easy, and the results are far superior to store-bought products. Here is how I make Sauerkraut:

ELKE’S SAUERKRAUT RECIPE

Ingredients: 3 1/2 lbs shredded cabbage, 5 1/4 teaspoons non-iodized salt. (You may want to add some kale for color).

Process: Massage the salt into the finely shredded cabbage for about 10 minutes. Then pound the cabbage with a wooden spoon or potato masher for another 5 minutes until it produces some brine. Place cabbage and brine into a large jar and pound down firmly with your wooden spoon or potato masher. Cover the jar with a coffee filter and secure it with a rubber band. Let the jar rest at room temperature for up to 24 hrs. The cabbage will produce its own brine. Once the brine totally covers the cabbage, insert piece of plastic wrap into the jar and cover the cabbage completely. No oxygen should reach the Sauerkraut. Should there not be enough brine to cover the cabbage, add distilled water until the Sauerkraut is totally covered. Top the plastic wrapt with a zip lock bag filled half full with water. This will keep the cabbage weighed down to further prevent exposure to oxygen. Store the jar in a cool place, away from sunlight, for 3-4 weeks. The cabbage has now turned into delicious Sauerkraut. Fill the Sauerkraut into smaller jars, seal tightly with lids and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Sauerkraut ready to start the lacto-fermentation process. Photo © J. Elke Ertle, January 2017. www.walled-in-berlin.com

Enjoy and let’s make Sauerkraut great again!

For a sneak peek at the first 20+ pages of my memoir, Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom, click “Download a free excerpt” on my home page and feel free to follow my blog about anything German: historic or current events, people, places or food.

Walled-In is my story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War. Juxtaposing the events that engulfed Berlin during the Berlin Blockade, the Berlin Airlift, the Berlin Wall and Kennedy’s Berlin visit with the struggle against my equally insurmountable parental walls, Walled-In is about freedom vs. conformity, conflict vs. harmony, domination vs. submission, loyalty vs. betrayal.