We meet again!! A way to create your own ferments- beginning at sauerkraut :)
I want to share with you an insanely simple- and very enjoyable recipe today. And truly, I really enjoy making sauerkraut, the process is very grounding and watching it come to life and of course eating it is very fulfilling!
When we have sauerkraut in our home, we put it on EVERYTHING. Avocado toast, salads, rice bowls, tacos, tostados, and we eat it on its own as well. My kids devour sauerkraut. It's a must have in our home.
Sauerkraut becomes fermented using a method called a salt brine. I have been taught two different ways to make sauerkraut- the Ukrainian way from my family and the Japanese way from my travels in Asia. My own style of sauerkraut is using some traits from both ways i've been taught- so it's a hybrid of the Japanese and Ukrainian way of making Sauerkraut.
When I was learning kraut in Malaysia, Chef Akikosan of Japan was teaching me her magic, and she said something that truly stuck with me. In Japan, they believe that women have powerful good bacteria in their hands, and believe when women make food, using their bare hands, the good energy and good bacteria transfers to the food. I also follow the diet of Japanese, in that we focus on whole grains mostly- I will make a blog post about this one day! Life changing!
My Ukrainian ancestors also said the same thing to me as well, "get right in there" with your hands while making your food. "It makes the food taste better"
I am grateful to experience so many cultures and I can tell you- there is lots of overlap in beliefs. I write a lot about my teachings in Asia in my book as well!
Fermenting Tips!
-Make sure the kraut is fully covered by the liquid, which is why the massaging is so important! You want the liquid to come out of the cabbage- the more liquid the better
-Leave the length of half your finger (ish) of space at the top of the jar, the kraut will expand as it ferments
-Fermenting time depends on where you live- warmer/ more humid climates require only a couple days to ferment while colder, dryer climates can be 4+ days
-If the sauerkraut leaks over the jar, that is OK! Just wipe up the mess, recover and let it do its thing
-If you get darker foam on the top, it could be mold. Usually mold is caused by not having the cabbage fully covered when the fermenting begins
-Store the sauerkraut in the fridge, it lasts quite a while but to be on the safe side, a couple weeks
-Always do the smell test- it should smell like sweet, fresh sauerkraut- the smell gets better as it ferments, and when the smell is perfect to you, it's probably done!
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