This one brings back good and bad memories...Some ten years ago, in Eastern Market in Detroit, I went looking for maple syrup, which I found at the table of a guy with a wide brimmed hat and suspenders who was only selling maple syrup, honey, and sauerkraut. He insisted I buy a jar of his 'kraut...he said it was like no other I would ever try. Just like this article mentions, he noted that his was the real thing: he didn't use vinegar. When I busted open that jar and tasted his kraut, I was hooked. I would buy case after case of it, and eat it for a meal. My young daughter would eat it by the fistful; it was that good. After a few years, the guy told me he had to move his prep operations from the house to the barn, because his wife didn't like the smell. His children had no interest in the process, or the product. A few years ago, when I went back to replenish my stash, his table was gone. I asked around; he had passed on. I think he died of a broken heart; the new ways, and lack of interest in the old, was just too much for him. He left me with a couple of jars that I am hanging on to, afraid to lose the last link to that little bit of a happy past.
You have inspired me to give it a shot myself. I don't know if there is a traditional food preparer hidden away somewhere inside of me, but I'll do my best. I miss my 'kraut, I miss my farmer friend, and I miss a way of life that prioritized quality and life over fast and fake.
I hope you can make some good sauerkraut. and I am sure you can. Mine would go moldy.
Sorry to hear about the fellow who introduced you to Real Sauerkrkaut but then died. We had a giant crock of it at home. It was so heavy. Re pickling of anything, my mother NEVER heated the vegetables or used vinegar. Water, salt, vegetables, garlic & some herb and or spice (pepper balls, etc.) I am utterly aghast to see so many recipes for "pickling" where you have to "process" the vegetables and use vinegar, yet! What the hell. I saw some pro tennis player, Medvedev, supposedly drinking pickle juice between sets. So I looked it up. Listen to this silliness:
“The pickle juice affects the oropharyngeal reflex, which stops the nerves firing and muscles going into cramp,” he said.
“There is a level of sodium in it, but it stops the nerve reflex which causes the muscles to cramp.”
I can assure you that Medvedev's ancestors did not know anything about the "oropharyngeal reflex" when his ancestors were making pickles. LOL!
I've made natural type kvass and if there is anything tastier or more satisfying, I don't know what it is.
My initial attempts went moldy, so I thought, but experienced makers said, unless it smelled really bad, just skim off the top. I started making small batches, just 1/4 head of cabbage and have had success ever since. I've never added whey. I have watched some youtube videos re kvass and I do want to make this.
You should investigate what the poor people do in SE Asia, Japan, and China! My Thai wife even makes Issan Sausage which ferments rice with a lactobacillus culture!!! We consume sun dried fish, Kimchi (procured from Korean Town, and Chinatown here in Chicago - special variety), and "Palaha" which is sourced from Thailand from a dear sister-in-law. It's a special Chili Paste made from fermented fish! Soon to experiment with "Natto". My "Nong" sister is a "healthy Foodie"!!!! Pickles (naturally preserved), I prefer dill, no sugar!!! If it's sour, we eat it! My wife (who is Thai) and an RN, grew up in a village before they could afford the refrigerator! Both of us are Ketogenic, and she still eats some "sticky rice", at 45 kilo, I don't EVER COMPL:AIN!!!! We eat allot of prams, mussels, and fish cooked everyway to Sunday! I showed her that she can make her sausage with raw sauerkraut, and have the acid convert the meat to sour, "same day"! She made it, and it was AMAZING! (No iodine deficiency here!) Carry On!
The "Grifters in the FDA", should all be sent to the "Hog Pen"! Been drinking cow;s milk raw (I'm on a century+++ Dairy Farm, and if one has ever had raw milk from the teat to a jar or gallon jug! Holy COW!) Cow's my dear sisters, have not been treated with antibiotics, and graze on grass, clover, and whatever they deem tasty! You get all the microflora that the baby calf get's!!! All those wonderful gifts of nature, that correct for bad medicine! Your forefathers knew. I grew up after "Doc's still had recommendations for which cigarette brand they chose!" Modern doc's don't know "shit"! If I see another pharm commercial which says "tell your Doctor if" .... WTF is that all about? Are they all programmed idiots? I know, why ask a question whose answer is explicit! Just because some asshole wears a tie and a lab coat doesn't mean "shit"!
Be wary of Thai chili, the natives translate to "mouse poop"! No joke! Never wipe your eyebrow after one handles these tiny firecrackers!!! Ask me how I know? Also, four or five of these small-time bombs, and you'll experience something akin to a fire that beer can't suppress the flames emitting from your pie hole! That's not even the funny part! Wait for the gas, and when you visit the toilet, bring several fire extinguishers, and bumm aide! You may even need adult "Depends"! I recommend the brand "For Sure"! You will know when the expulsion is so eruptive that you feel like a Saturn Rocket at launch!!! Always turn on the bathroom fan! Nobody wants to hear your prayers to God, or confessions!
All Thai toilets have an apparatus called "the bum gun". Dual purpose. Main one is "Fire Suppression!" Put the darn flames out! Second one is self-explanatory.
I don't think Proctology has a chance in Thailand. I had a hemorrhoid I called Jim. He dissolved after he met a few exiting Thai chilies! Just got burnt out or burned off! Cost? A hundred Baht or less, less than $3 US. The capsaicin is also a numbing agent, so I couldn't even feel my arse, muffler, or catalytic converter! I stood near the fan in case I had to crop dust! Nobody knew it was me!
Thanks, I was just going to start a batch of kraut. I didn't know that you were supposed to use whey. I'll have to wait till tomorrow night, until my yogurt's done. I already have six quarts of kimchi made.
Thank you. I've made sauerkraut a few times using a 20 quart earthenware crock, but it has been a few years since the last batch. However, there are a dozen cabbages growing in my garden this year and most of them are destined to be fermented. I might buy a second crock for good measure.
Questions. How did the ancients keep their "mix" safe before tightly sealed mason jars were invented? How was the sauerkraut in James Cook's barrels secured to prevent rot? I live in an area with cold winters, so I can take advantage of that, but Cook spent years in warm climates and wooden barrels, even though they might have been sealed off, would still allow air transference and possible bacterial growth. There must be something else.
We won’t go into the process of (our) making kimchee at home, but the bounty and cadence is seasonal: winter Korean radishes are sweeter and tenderer (and yet still have an amazingly satisfying crunch); cukes during summer combined/stuffed with finely julienned carrots, chives, onions; radish greens in late winter to early spring; etc. Of course, Napa cabbage is a year-round staple. When the fresh forms become SUPER sour, they are used as the base for chigae (stews) that can be seasoned with fish sauce and enhanced with bone broth as well as protein/fat amplified with pastured pork butt/shoulders from local farms. During the summer, Korean cold noodle soup (naeng myun) is highlighted by using the liquid broth of ‘white’ kimchee (the type w/o red pepper flakes) for brightening the cold broth flavor and super-populating with bacterial goodness.😋😋 What is also important to underline is the incredible amount of raw garlic, ginger, and (in the red version) gochugaru (red pepper flakes*): more nutritional goodness!
*: if available/possible, getting premium Korean red pepper flakes is worth it: besides the organic benefits that are often lacking in other more common offerings, there is an unmistakable fruitiness and vibrancy of flavor that your kimchee will have.
I just made two quarts in mason jars, Friday. They no longer sell the Bubbies sauerkraut I was buying at the grocery store.
I use to make it all the time. It is very easy to make and saves a lot of money. Now I have to wait 10-14 days. While waiting, I did find a brand at Albertsons that has not been pasteurized without added chemicals called, “Cleveland Kitchen Kraut.” I do love the taste.
Thank you so much. I know the gut is very important for dental health, so this makes so much sense. Healthy gut, healthy teeth and mouth (broad dental arches, perfect teeth). I am printing up and making a crock or two. Much appreciation from The Deep South.
I’ve been making various types of kraut for a few years now in an effort to heal my thyroid. It worked. However, I’ve never seen a recipe that included whey? I’m intrigued as to what this will add to the overall mix. Thank you!
Fermented food is not for everyone. When I had IBS I tried it several time, even making my own, but it all made it worse. I really don't think we need it as long as we eat fresh fruit and veggies preferably organic or at least some greens homegrown to receive microbes. Fermented food is more suitable as a survival food in cold climates that have snow and/or no fridgeration.
I think you may have a point there. We don't need "healthy bacteria" from pickles to populate our guts. If we are born normally, we get it from our mother at birth. Eating plain raw vegetables should do the trick. But sauerkraut & natural pickled vegetables taste so good...
This article points out the benefits of lacto fermented vegetables for other reasons as far as I can figure it out, not because the bacteria are adding to our naturally occurring bacteria in our guts.
Your forgot something important in your list for the sauerkraut recipe ("The Method"). Captian Cook had it.
If you plan to eat your lacto-fermented vegetables and cabbage within six months, you only need to add water and salt.
If you want to keep the vegetables and cabbage from getting mushy when storing them for 6 month or longer, you can add a leaf that contains tannic acid (and tannins in general). Tannins chemically bind to and reinforce the plant's pectin structure, preventing it from breaking down. This helps to make the vegetables more crunchy as the cell walls do not break down as much during the fermentation.
You can use bay leaves, grapevine leaves, or oak leaves. Don’t overdo the tannic acid, but in small amounts it’s perfectly safe and will help you enjoy your lacto-ferments for longer. I add three grapevine leaves per quart (1 L) jar: one whole fresh grapevine leaf near the bottom, one in the middle, and one near the top. I use leaves from wild grapevines. Wild grapes are very small, but in my opinion the leaves taste better than those of commercial varieties that produce larger grapes. I am now always adding these leaves because I never know how for how long I will keep the item.
Bay leaves and oak leaves are tougher and not meant to be eaten. You add them for their tannic acid and flavor, but you should remove the leaves before serving the fermented food.
Bay leave contain the least amount of tannins. Oak leaves and grapewine leaves contains roughly the same amount of tannins per weight. Bay leaves have other spice properties than just tannins but if you want the same amount of tannins as you get from wine or oak then you need about 5 to 10 times by weight. In fermented cucumbers I add bay laves, oak laves and wine leaves at the same time. Cabbage itself contains a tiny amount of tannins. The amount is about 10 times lower than bay leaves.
Captain Cook used oak barrels which contain tannins that leak from the wood into the sauerkraut.
A 3 year old sauerkraut is quite mushy and sour if keept alive and fermenting without any added tannins but it has still some bite and tastes good if you add a few grapevine leaves. I have tried this.
A very sincere thank you. I had searched but didn't find this. My 41 year old daughter has just been diagnosed with shingles and is about to commence with the mainstream medical procedures. I doubt this article will change her mind but it may initiate her journey toward terrain theory thinking. My prayers go out to her and my gratitude to you. Again thank you.
I have been making my own sauerkraut in a stone crock for years Can't stand the store bought stuff, it's tasteless. I loved it as a kid but it was probably real stuff back then (60+ years ago). When I gardened I only used my home grown cabbage. Now my son has a garden and he supplies the cabbage. I skip the caraway and you must only use non-iodized salt.
This one brings back good and bad memories...Some ten years ago, in Eastern Market in Detroit, I went looking for maple syrup, which I found at the table of a guy with a wide brimmed hat and suspenders who was only selling maple syrup, honey, and sauerkraut. He insisted I buy a jar of his 'kraut...he said it was like no other I would ever try. Just like this article mentions, he noted that his was the real thing: he didn't use vinegar. When I busted open that jar and tasted his kraut, I was hooked. I would buy case after case of it, and eat it for a meal. My young daughter would eat it by the fistful; it was that good. After a few years, the guy told me he had to move his prep operations from the house to the barn, because his wife didn't like the smell. His children had no interest in the process, or the product. A few years ago, when I went back to replenish my stash, his table was gone. I asked around; he had passed on. I think he died of a broken heart; the new ways, and lack of interest in the old, was just too much for him. He left me with a couple of jars that I am hanging on to, afraid to lose the last link to that little bit of a happy past.
You have inspired me to give it a shot myself. I don't know if there is a traditional food preparer hidden away somewhere inside of me, but I'll do my best. I miss my 'kraut, I miss my farmer friend, and I miss a way of life that prioritized quality and life over fast and fake.
God bless ya! A tip of the hat from Detroit!
I hope you can make some good sauerkraut. and I am sure you can. Mine would go moldy.
Sorry to hear about the fellow who introduced you to Real Sauerkrkaut but then died. We had a giant crock of it at home. It was so heavy. Re pickling of anything, my mother NEVER heated the vegetables or used vinegar. Water, salt, vegetables, garlic & some herb and or spice (pepper balls, etc.) I am utterly aghast to see so many recipes for "pickling" where you have to "process" the vegetables and use vinegar, yet! What the hell. I saw some pro tennis player, Medvedev, supposedly drinking pickle juice between sets. So I looked it up. Listen to this silliness:
“The pickle juice affects the oropharyngeal reflex, which stops the nerves firing and muscles going into cramp,” he said.
“There is a level of sodium in it, but it stops the nerve reflex which causes the muscles to cramp.”
I can assure you that Medvedev's ancestors did not know anything about the "oropharyngeal reflex" when his ancestors were making pickles. LOL!
I've made natural type kvass and if there is anything tastier or more satisfying, I don't know what it is.
My initial attempts went moldy, so I thought, but experienced makers said, unless it smelled really bad, just skim off the top. I started making small batches, just 1/4 head of cabbage and have had success ever since. I've never added whey. I have watched some youtube videos re kvass and I do want to make this.
Eastern Market: What a place [30-50 years ago, for me]! Although I don't recall ever seeing the 'sauerkraut man'. My loss.
High five for eastern market, I live close .👏🏻🤗
Unbekomming!!!! Spot ON my dude, or dudette!!!
You should investigate what the poor people do in SE Asia, Japan, and China! My Thai wife even makes Issan Sausage which ferments rice with a lactobacillus culture!!! We consume sun dried fish, Kimchi (procured from Korean Town, and Chinatown here in Chicago - special variety), and "Palaha" which is sourced from Thailand from a dear sister-in-law. It's a special Chili Paste made from fermented fish! Soon to experiment with "Natto". My "Nong" sister is a "healthy Foodie"!!!! Pickles (naturally preserved), I prefer dill, no sugar!!! If it's sour, we eat it! My wife (who is Thai) and an RN, grew up in a village before they could afford the refrigerator! Both of us are Ketogenic, and she still eats some "sticky rice", at 45 kilo, I don't EVER COMPL:AIN!!!! We eat allot of prams, mussels, and fish cooked everyway to Sunday! I showed her that she can make her sausage with raw sauerkraut, and have the acid convert the meat to sour, "same day"! She made it, and it was AMAZING! (No iodine deficiency here!) Carry On!
The "Grifters in the FDA", should all be sent to the "Hog Pen"! Been drinking cow;s milk raw (I'm on a century+++ Dairy Farm, and if one has ever had raw milk from the teat to a jar or gallon jug! Holy COW!) Cow's my dear sisters, have not been treated with antibiotics, and graze on grass, clover, and whatever they deem tasty! You get all the microflora that the baby calf get's!!! All those wonderful gifts of nature, that correct for bad medicine! Your forefathers knew. I grew up after "Doc's still had recommendations for which cigarette brand they chose!" Modern doc's don't know "shit"! If I see another pharm commercial which says "tell your Doctor if" .... WTF is that all about? Are they all programmed idiots? I know, why ask a question whose answer is explicit! Just because some asshole wears a tie and a lab coat doesn't mean "shit"!
Be wary of Thai chili, the natives translate to "mouse poop"! No joke! Never wipe your eyebrow after one handles these tiny firecrackers!!! Ask me how I know? Also, four or five of these small-time bombs, and you'll experience something akin to a fire that beer can't suppress the flames emitting from your pie hole! That's not even the funny part! Wait for the gas, and when you visit the toilet, bring several fire extinguishers, and bumm aide! You may even need adult "Depends"! I recommend the brand "For Sure"! You will know when the expulsion is so eruptive that you feel like a Saturn Rocket at launch!!! Always turn on the bathroom fan! Nobody wants to hear your prayers to God, or confessions!
All Thai toilets have an apparatus called "the bum gun". Dual purpose. Main one is "Fire Suppression!" Put the darn flames out! Second one is self-explanatory.
I don't think Proctology has a chance in Thailand. I had a hemorrhoid I called Jim. He dissolved after he met a few exiting Thai chilies! Just got burnt out or burned off! Cost? A hundred Baht or less, less than $3 US. The capsaicin is also a numbing agent, so I couldn't even feel my arse, muffler, or catalytic converter! I stood near the fan in case I had to crop dust! Nobody knew it was me!
Thanks, I was just going to start a batch of kraut. I didn't know that you were supposed to use whey. I'll have to wait till tomorrow night, until my yogurt's done. I already have six quarts of kimchi made.
Thank you. I've made sauerkraut a few times using a 20 quart earthenware crock, but it has been a few years since the last batch. However, there are a dozen cabbages growing in my garden this year and most of them are destined to be fermented. I might buy a second crock for good measure.
Questions. How did the ancients keep their "mix" safe before tightly sealed mason jars were invented? How was the sauerkraut in James Cook's barrels secured to prevent rot? I live in an area with cold winters, so I can take advantage of that, but Cook spent years in warm climates and wooden barrels, even though they might have been sealed off, would still allow air transference and possible bacterial growth. There must be something else.
Ceramic jars and other food and beverage containers (e.g. amphorae) had tops or stoppers which were sealed with beeswax. This was true for millennia.
We won’t go into the process of (our) making kimchee at home, but the bounty and cadence is seasonal: winter Korean radishes are sweeter and tenderer (and yet still have an amazingly satisfying crunch); cukes during summer combined/stuffed with finely julienned carrots, chives, onions; radish greens in late winter to early spring; etc. Of course, Napa cabbage is a year-round staple. When the fresh forms become SUPER sour, they are used as the base for chigae (stews) that can be seasoned with fish sauce and enhanced with bone broth as well as protein/fat amplified with pastured pork butt/shoulders from local farms. During the summer, Korean cold noodle soup (naeng myun) is highlighted by using the liquid broth of ‘white’ kimchee (the type w/o red pepper flakes) for brightening the cold broth flavor and super-populating with bacterial goodness.😋😋 What is also important to underline is the incredible amount of raw garlic, ginger, and (in the red version) gochugaru (red pepper flakes*): more nutritional goodness!
*: if available/possible, getting premium Korean red pepper flakes is worth it: besides the organic benefits that are often lacking in other more common offerings, there is an unmistakable fruitiness and vibrancy of flavor that your kimchee will have.
Thanks. I've pickled the large white radish and the result is wonderful.
Diacon Radishes are wonderful ‼️
I just made two quarts in mason jars, Friday. They no longer sell the Bubbies sauerkraut I was buying at the grocery store.
I use to make it all the time. It is very easy to make and saves a lot of money. Now I have to wait 10-14 days. While waiting, I did find a brand at Albertsons that has not been pasteurized without added chemicals called, “Cleveland Kitchen Kraut.” I do love the taste.
Thank you so much. I know the gut is very important for dental health, so this makes so much sense. Healthy gut, healthy teeth and mouth (broad dental arches, perfect teeth). I am printing up and making a crock or two. Much appreciation from The Deep South.
Trying it.
i'm german, old, and remember helping with the sauerkraut production as child.
Great info! Important. Interesting and valuable.
Thank you for this article.
I’ve been making various types of kraut for a few years now in an effort to heal my thyroid. It worked. However, I’ve never seen a recipe that included whey? I’m intrigued as to what this will add to the overall mix. Thank you!
The Weston Price lot cannot bear to ingest anything which doesn't have some animal product in it.
Fermented food is not for everyone. When I had IBS I tried it several time, even making my own, but it all made it worse. I really don't think we need it as long as we eat fresh fruit and veggies preferably organic or at least some greens homegrown to receive microbes. Fermented food is more suitable as a survival food in cold climates that have snow and/or no fridgeration.
It is meant as a condiment, just a spoonful on the side of the plate. If your gut is unwell, start with just the juice of the ferment and build up.
I ferment a cabbage (as kimchi as I prefer the flavour) every year and it lasts me the whole year.
I think you may have a point there. We don't need "healthy bacteria" from pickles to populate our guts. If we are born normally, we get it from our mother at birth. Eating plain raw vegetables should do the trick. But sauerkraut & natural pickled vegetables taste so good...
This article points out the benefits of lacto fermented vegetables for other reasons as far as I can figure it out, not because the bacteria are adding to our naturally occurring bacteria in our guts.
Your forgot something important in your list for the sauerkraut recipe ("The Method"). Captian Cook had it.
If you plan to eat your lacto-fermented vegetables and cabbage within six months, you only need to add water and salt.
If you want to keep the vegetables and cabbage from getting mushy when storing them for 6 month or longer, you can add a leaf that contains tannic acid (and tannins in general). Tannins chemically bind to and reinforce the plant's pectin structure, preventing it from breaking down. This helps to make the vegetables more crunchy as the cell walls do not break down as much during the fermentation.
You can use bay leaves, grapevine leaves, or oak leaves. Don’t overdo the tannic acid, but in small amounts it’s perfectly safe and will help you enjoy your lacto-ferments for longer. I add three grapevine leaves per quart (1 L) jar: one whole fresh grapevine leaf near the bottom, one in the middle, and one near the top. I use leaves from wild grapevines. Wild grapes are very small, but in my opinion the leaves taste better than those of commercial varieties that produce larger grapes. I am now always adding these leaves because I never know how for how long I will keep the item.
Bay leaves and oak leaves are tougher and not meant to be eaten. You add them for their tannic acid and flavor, but you should remove the leaves before serving the fermented food.
Bay leave contain the least amount of tannins. Oak leaves and grapewine leaves contains roughly the same amount of tannins per weight. Bay leaves have other spice properties than just tannins but if you want the same amount of tannins as you get from wine or oak then you need about 5 to 10 times by weight. In fermented cucumbers I add bay laves, oak laves and wine leaves at the same time. Cabbage itself contains a tiny amount of tannins. The amount is about 10 times lower than bay leaves.
Captain Cook used oak barrels which contain tannins that leak from the wood into the sauerkraut.
A 3 year old sauerkraut is quite mushy and sour if keept alive and fermenting without any added tannins but it has still some bite and tastes good if you add a few grapevine leaves. I have tried this.
I'd like to read an article on "Shingles" sometime.
https://www.unbekoming.com/p/what-is-shingles?r=lo15j&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
A very sincere thank you. I had searched but didn't find this. My 41 year old daughter has just been diagnosed with shingles and is about to commence with the mainstream medical procedures. I doubt this article will change her mind but it may initiate her journey toward terrain theory thinking. My prayers go out to her and my gratitude to you. Again thank you.
I have been making my own sauerkraut in a stone crock for years Can't stand the store bought stuff, it's tasteless. I loved it as a kid but it was probably real stuff back then (60+ years ago). When I gardened I only used my home grown cabbage. Now my son has a garden and he supplies the cabbage. I skip the caraway and you must only use non-iodized salt.