Fermentationist Certification: Ferment 1a ~ Sauerkraut

Ingredients:

Mermaid Sauerkraut

Mermaid Sauerkraut (makes 1 quart)

1.25 pounds cabbage

1/8 Cup hijiki, kelp, or wakame seaweed
1 clove garlic
1/4 Cup onion
1 Tablespoon jalapeño
2 teaspoons sea salt (non-iodized)

Raw, unpasteurized sauerkraut has many health benefits. It builds your internal biological terrain, adds probiotics to your intestines, increases alkalinity, and helps you absorb nutrients more effectively. Once you add wild edibles like seaweed, you get the thyroid nourishing, heavy metal detoxing, and radiation protecting powers of this amazing mineral-rich food. 

Tangy Coleslaw

Tangy Coleslaw (makes 1 quart) 

.75 Pounds cabbage
1 carrot
1 celery rib
1/4 Cup daikon radish
1 parsley sprig
3 Tablespoons chopped onion
1 Tablespoon ginger
1 Tablespoon turmeric fresh (1/2 teaspoon dry)
1 clove garlic
1 Tablespoons sea salt (non-iodized)

Celery is known for its high levels of naturally occurring sodium. This helps re-balance electrolytes and blood. Daikon is noted for its weight loss powers. Parsley supports the kidneys. Turmeric works to support the body’s inflammatory response and the liver. Ginger helps soothe digestion and guides the medicinal effects of the other foods deeper into the cells. 

It can be as simple as cutting up cabbage and adding salt!

How to Ferment Vegetables:

1.     Chop the vegetables into similar sized chunks or shreds and put into a bowl. 

Ingredients for Mermaid Sauerkraut

2.     Add salt and mix throughout using your hands to massage the mixture.  There is no need to over massage.   

3.     Begin packing into a half-gallon crock or jar. I purchased mine from Cultures For Health.  Use your fist or a wooden tamper.

4.     Create an anaerobic environment by getting all air bubbles out as you pack it down.

5.     Push until the brine starts to rise to the top of the veggies. 

6.     Place a saucer or plate on top of the vegetables. Try to get one that fits as close to the edges as possible.  The best vessels are ones with no edges on them!

7.     Put a weight on top of that. A jar of water works well.   My weights came with the Fermented Vegetable Master.  Alternatively you can purchase Pickle Pebbles from Amazon.com.

8.     Cover with a cloth so no bugs get inside.  I used an airlock system to keep the smell out of the house.  This also helps to prevent mould from forming.  You can also purchase  them on Amazon.com.

9.     During the first week, push it down daily to help keep the veggies under the brine. Sometimes it takes a day or two to get the brine to stay above the veggies. This will help prevent mould from forming. 

10. Taste it after a week and see if you like it. You can let it ferment as long as you want, but most people prefer 2-4 weeks of fermentation time in small one-gallon batches. When it is too young, it still has a carbonated feeling on your tongue. This will disappear after about a week of fermentation.

11. The best temperature to ferment sauerkraut is 13-18 degrees Celsius. Put it in a pantry, root cellar, cupboard, or on your kitchen counter. If it gets below or above this temperature it will be fine, but the best flavors develop within this range. 

12. When it is ready, scrape off the top layer and enjoy the fresh healthy goodness.

Note: If mould forms, not all is lost. This is a test of your senses. Scrape off the mould and compost it. If the sauerkraut underneath smells okay, taste it. If it tastes off, spit it out!

Progress:
19.05.2016:  Start Date - Mermaid tasted yummy but I think I put too much salt in the Tangy Coleslaw 24.05.2016:  First Tast Check - Both tasting yummy!26.05.2016:  Mermaid Sauerkraut tastes great and is very crunchy.  Tangy Coleslaw is my favourite thus far!      06.06.2016:  Finding it a little salty still.  I will definitely use less salt next time.               09.06.2016:  Anticipated Harvest Date but decided to leave it a little longer 12.06.2016:  Still quite salty
15.06.2016: Harvested ~  I found both of these too salty .  I used Himalayan Sea Salt so I will start looking more closely at my salt portions.