A few summers ago, my Grandma and Grandpa taught me how to make homemade sauerkraut with fresh heads of cabbage from their backyard garden.

Cleaned, sliced, juiced, and left to ferment in the basement, we had a bacteria rich sauerkraut SUPERFOOD several weeks later… yum!

The live lactic acid bacteria is the sauerkraut signature. The bacteria assist in the digestive process, and sauerkraut produces a variety of vitamins and other nutrients. A single serving of genuine raw sauerkraut gives your body a bigger health boost than any of the expensive probiotic drinks, supplements, or much of the sauerkraut sold in stores.

In fact, most sauerkraut you buy at the store has been pasteurized. The beneficial bacteria and other organisms have been destroyed. To gain the greatest nourishment from sauerkraut, you need to make it the traditional way and eat it raw. Here’s how to make your own!

SAUERKRAUT

Ingredients:

• 1 quart wide-mouth glass canning jars
• 3-4 cabbages (should fill 6-7 jars)
• 1 tsp. of sea salt per jar

Method:

1. Sterilize the jars by putting the jars and lids in a large pot of cold water and bringing water to a boil for 10 minutes. Jars can also be sterilized in the oven by slowly heating them to 225 degrees F for 10 minutes. Let the jars cool before filling them.

2. Cut cabbage into quarters and then thinly slice.

3. Mix cabbage and sea salt in a large bowl, tossing the cabbage to coat it evenly. Begin filling a Mason jar with cabbage and tamp the cabbage down firmly — I used a pestle. Keep adding a bit of cabbage at a time, pressing down firmly to pack tightly each time. The juices from the cabbage should begin to emerge.

4. Fill the jar, leaving 1/2 inch head space at the top. Cap the jar tightly, and put in a dark place that is about 65-70 degrees F. You may want to place the jars in a bowl, as they may leak fermented cabbage juice — check them every few days. (I currently have mine in a bowl in the pantry). The sauerkraut is ready to eat at six weeks. (Opening the sauerkraut between two and six weeks simply results in a more sour taste because of the stage of fermentation).

Enjoy sauerkraut raw with savory food – eat it as a side dish or combine it with foods that have an acidic side… anyway you like!