PDA

View Full Version : Raw Kraut!



TheAvocadess
10-10-2007, 11:15 AM
Raw Sauerkraut
A tablespoon a day of raw sauerkraut is vital for our health.

Raw kraut will colonize your colon (no pun intended) with friendly flora who’ll produce Vitamin B12 to meet all your body’s needs. If you suffer from any digestive problem – cramps, diarrhea, constipation, Crohn’s – eat fresh home-made raw sauerkraut daily, and juice greens a few days a week – see veggie juices for my favorite quick Green Juice Recipe.

Sauerkraut at supermarkets is pasteurized. Avoid it. It’s so quick to make your own with the Samson Juicer.

Rhio writes in her incredible rawfood recipe book, Hooked On Raw:
Raw sauerkraut “is wonderful and strengthening for the digestion, full of lactic acid (which regenerates the bowel flora), all kinds of enzymes, live lacto-bacillus bacteria, choline, acetylcholine, Vitamin C [wow, those last three build strong brains and memory], B-complex vitamins (including B12) and other good things.”

One Step Sauerkraut
This is the quick recipe I use every week when I'm juicing. It makes one pint (1/2 liter) of cabbage kraut.

6 cups chopped cabbage, 1/4 cup pineapple juice (or apple juice). Run cabbage through Samson Juicer (with mincing screen) into bowl, add 1/4t salt and enough juice so that when you press down on cabbage, juice seeps up through your fingers.

Press mixture down into Mason jar, making sure you get all air pockets out. Fill to just under rim of jar, then add water to brim and screw lid on. Place jar in a bowl as the whey seeps out. Leave for 6 days (less in hot summer).

I love this recipe because I never get mold or scum. There's nothing to scrape off the top. You simply unscrew the lid to delicious kraut. Flavor is awesome!

More labor-intensive is to add any other veggies you like such as beets, carrots. And for crunchier kraut, use some shredded, don't mince it all in your Juicer.

To receive the benefits of the live lactobacillus bacteria, consume the sauerkraut as soon as possible. After a short period of time the bacteria will die out. That's why I make mine fresh weekly.

Hungarian Sauerkraut
(customized by me for Samson Juicer)

Thank you, Rhio, for permission to reprint this Hungarian recipe from Hooked On Raw (© Beso Entertainment, 2000), e-mail rhotline@aol.com to receive Rhio’s healing e-news, and to buy her book.

– 1 medium green cabbage
– 1/2 medium red cabbage
– 2 small muslin bags with 2 tsp. caraway seeds in each
– a few bay leaves
– 1/2 quince or 1 apple
– small bunch of grapes or 1/2 cup raisins
– 1 tsp. Celtic sea salt

(1) Peel the outer leaves from the cabbage and set them aside. You’ll need about 5 or 6 large leaves.

(2) Cut the green cabbage and put it through the Samson Juicer with the Mincing Cone in place. Cut the red cabbage and juice it, using the Juicing Screen. Mix the red cabbage juice and the red cabbage pulp (left over from making the juice) together. Then with your hands, blend the two cabbage mixtures together and add in the Celtic sea salt (salt is optional).

This method saves a whole lot of trouble. In the olden days, you would have had to grate and pound the cabbage to get it to mush up and release the juices. The Samson juicer now does the same job easily.

If you want more texture or crunch in your sauerkraut, grate or shred part of the cabbage (about two cups) and add it into the above mixture.

(3) In a large glass bowl or ceramic crock, put in one layer of the cabbage mixture about 2 inches high. Slice the quince (or apple) into thin slices and lay a few pieces on top of the cabbage, add a few raisins (or mashed grapes), then place one of the bags with the caraway seeds on top, along with 3 bay leaves.

Put another layer of cabbage on top and repeat the same thing (quince, grapes, caraway bag and bay leaves). Add a final layer of cabbage on top.

(4) Then cover the mixture with the large cabbage leaves you saved in the beginning. Push the mixture down firmly to get rid of any air pockets. Put a cotton cloth over the cabbage leaves in the bowl.

(5) Set this bowl into a larger bowl and then take a one gallon plastic water jug and fill with water, cap the top and set the jug on top of the cotton cloth. You need to have weight on top of the cabbage so that it will ferment properly.

(6) Put a cotton towel over the whole thing and set this out at room temperature for about 6 days (half as long in warmer weather), after which time vou will have some wonderful sauerkraut.

(7) When it's ready, take the cabbage leaves off and discard. Also spoon off any dark or off-color spots or white scum that may be on top of the sauerkraut. This is a harmless yeast called kahm.

(8) Put the sauerkraut (minus the quince, bay leaves and caraway bags) into a large glass jar and store in the refrigerator. This recipe makes over a quart.



Seaweed Sauerkraut
Thank you to Nomi Shannon for permission to print this easy recipe from her book The Raw Gourmet (© Alive Books, 1999) e-mail rawgourmet@aol.com for Nomi’s book and to join her mail-list.

Use one head of fresh organic red or green cabbage, and several pieces of seaweed, e.g. wakame or dulse. Can also add sliced apple layers for sweetness.
• Alternate each cabbage layer (1-2 inches deep) with layer of seaweed or apple (cabbage-seaweed-cabbage-apple). Press down with your hands as you make the layers.
• Finish with steps (4) to (8) above and discard the apple along with the top cabbage leaves. Keep seaweed for salads.
Sauerkraut is ready when it has that “zing” and tastes good.

Cabbage and all the cruciferous vegetables are rich in sulfur. Try to eat sulfur greens often – that’s any plant of the Mustard family. These Mustardians all work well for sauerkraut: broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Chinese celery, rutabaga, and turnip. Also garlic and onion (Lily family) are high in sulfur. Throw them into your kraut!

Sulfur is in only three amino acids (all the rest have nitrogen) so we don’t get enough sulfur – needed especially for healthy hair, skin, nails (because it’s the element in their keratin protein) and for joints.

The Mustard family veggies also stimulate the production of enzymes that neutralize cancer-causing chemicals. We've all heard about broccoli!

It’s so easy to grow rich green broccoli sprouts with an Automatic Sprouter in your kitchen or basement.

Tasty Sauerkrauts
Use combinations of hard fibrous vegetables – beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, daikon, parsnip, rutabaga, turnip.

Then flavor your kraut with any spice combo, such as basil, caraway, curry, dill, garlic, ginger, onion. One or two will create a full-flavored kraut.

Here’s three tasty delights, adapted from Vibrant Living by James Levin and Natalie Cederquist (recently back in print) – as usual, end with steps (4) to (8) above:
• Classic Dilly Kraut – 1 green cabbage, 1/2 red onion, 2 garlic cloves and 1.5 Tbl dill weed. Run all through Samson with Mincing Screen. Pack down into bowl with hands, getting all the air out.
The juice should come up between your fingers. If it doesn’t, juice 1-2 cups chopped cabbage in Samson, and stir juice into minced veggies.

• Curried Carrot Kraut – 1 green cabbage, 6 med-large carrots, 1 small red onion, 1-2 Tbl curry powder, 1 garlic clove. Same as Classic Dilly but juice 2 of the carrots for extra juiciness.


• Ruby Ginger Kraut – a gentle sweet taste from the apple and ginger – 1 red cabbage, 3 beets, 9 ribs celery, 1 cup apple juice, 2.5 Tbl ginger, optional 1/3 cup filtered water. Mince all ingredients in Samson and stir in apple juice, and water if needed.

And two new ones from The Raw Gourmet by Nomi Shannon – end each with steps (4) to (8):
• Mixed Kraut – 1 cabbage, 3 carrots, 2 beets, 1 onion, 1-3 garlic cloves. Run through Samson with Mincing Screen. Stir in 1-2 tsp caraway seeds, before packing down and layering with apple and seaweed.


• Vegetable Kraut – 6 large carrots, 4 beets, turnip (or parsnip or rutabaga) to equal half the amount of carrots, 1 small onion and garlic to taste. Same as mixed kraut, layering with apple and seaweed.

Enjoy A Variety of Krauts
Organic, Freshly-picked and Variety are the Three Keys to Healthy Raw Eating. The more varied your diet, the more nutrients you get.

Sauerkraut is a great way to eat the starchy root vegetables raw, where friendly bacteria and live enzymes break down the starches into simple sugars. It’s now a predigested food, quick ‘n easy for you to digest.

Raw sauerkraut gives you enzymes. Cooked starches rob you of enzymes. Enzymes are one key to longevity and youth. They are only in raw foods.

Live Younger Longer

People known for their longevity, health and good digestion – the Hunzas (Himalayas), Georgians (Caucasus Mts) and Equadorians (Andes) – all consume sauerkraut and other fermented foods, writes Sproutman Steve Meyerowitz in his book Sproutman’s Kitchen Garden Cookbook.

All-in-all, to help you digest all foods and keep your colon healthy, eat a tablespoon a day of home-made sauerkraut. Unless you *really* don’t like the strong smell of fermented foods. Then they’re probably not for you.

Non-protein foods like cabbage and root veggies are the safest of all to ferment. Quit the toxic high-protein yogurts – you only harm yourself and the animals. Excess protein robs your bones of calcium.

Switch to Sauerkraut and Green Juices!
.

MommyB
10-10-2007, 11:21 AM
I have a very good juicer, but it's not a Samson... it's an Omega. Can I use it the same way?

Lavendula
10-10-2007, 01:30 PM
Thank You for sharing the recipes with such articulate info. I am so pumped about raw Kraut. I was planning to make it, the fear of the unknown has stopped me, but with those instructions, I am confident. I have been looking for multi use equipment, and came across the Samson 6 in 1 GB9001; wheat grass, regular juicer, nut butters, etc. sounds too good to be true. Here you are using it for even more than I hoped for. Can you tell me what else you do with it? Is the 6 in 1, the different screens? How big or heavy is it? Is it difficult to clean or have alot of parts? Have you used it for all the other purposes? I already have a juicer, a good but not expensive one, but it doesn't do it all. I don't want too many peices of equipment,not much counter space, so streamlining is for me. I would appreciate your feedback. Thank you so much!

SuBu
10-10-2007, 01:33 PM
Do you have to juice it? Can you use a processor and make it like slaw?

SuBu
10-10-2007, 04:17 PM
Needing to know--do you have to use the juicer?

lily
10-10-2007, 04:49 PM
I make sauerkraut without a juicer. Just shred one large green or purple cabbage -- you can use a knife or the slicing attachment of a food processor. Add 1 tablespoon Celtic sea salt. Rub it well into the cabbage with your fingers, pressing and pounding it to draw out the liquid.

Pack the cabbage into a deep bowl or crock. Press the cabbage down really hard. Put a plate on top, and set a heavy weight on top of that -- a big bag of flour, for instance.

After 3 hours, if there isn't water covering the cabbage, pour in some cold boiled water so that the water level is above the cabbage. Wipe down the sides of the vessel so that there is no cabbage above the water level.

Cover the whole thing with a clean cloth. Leave at room temperature or in a warm place by a radiator for 3-5 days.

You don't need to touch it. I never seem to get mould. As long as all the cabbage is below the water, you won't get mould. But if you do, just scrape it off -- it won't hurt.

It's interesting to taste it at different stages. It starts off really sharp, but by the time it's 5 days old it's mellow, soft, perfect. I love it. At this stage I transfer it to the fridge.

You could add any of the delicious ingredients and flavourings that ThaAvocadess mentions.

I put off making saukraut for ages because I was nervous about it, but when i did make it, I couldn't believe how easy it is, and how delicious.

lily

TheAvocadess
10-10-2007, 05:43 PM
I don't think you have to juice it at all. My last batch was just sliced up veggies and sea salt. That's it! Came out wonderfully!

Stina
10-10-2007, 06:00 PM
Six days, huh? I guess I let my last batch ferment for too long. If I opened up probiotic pills, it would probably need even less time to ferment, you think?

Any difference between fermenting organic versus "conventional" cabbage?

trinity082482
10-10-2007, 08:45 PM
I cant touch kraut. From my own taste bud review the stuff is vile. :(

lily
10-14-2007, 09:51 AM
I've found that you can chop the cabbage finely, so that it's juicy, using the normal chopping blade in a food processor (rather than slicing it)...

I just made some kraut today, doing that, and it's looking good.

Can you tell me though, Avocadess, whether it's necessary to use a jar with a screw top? Being English, I'm not sure what a 'mason jar' is?

I've used a normal glass storage jar, filled to the brim like you said, with a stopper in the top -- but I'm wondering whether it will work without the pressure of the screwed-down lid? Usually when I make it (in a bowl) I put a plate and a weight on top -- but I like your idea of the jar, as it's clean and neat.

lily

TheAvocadess
10-14-2007, 10:21 AM
Oh no, you want air to get in. A piece of cheese cloth or a piece of linen, a tea towl is fine. The cover is only to keep dust and insects away.

Mason jars here inthe states are basically large canning jars. you can use a crock, a canister, or any nice sized glass container with a wide mouth.

lily
10-14-2007, 12:22 PM
Oh, thank you Avocadess -- that's so helpful!

lily

subbacultcha
10-14-2007, 01:05 PM
Ohh I feel so silly, I never knew what sauerkraut was, I thought it was some obscure vegetable that I couldn't get hold of! I read that it's the most libido-boosting food on the planet...

Great to hear you can make it without a juicer as ours is such a pain to wash up I very rarely use it.

Also brilliant that its a source of B12, as I worry that I might not get enough.

Amuzon1
10-14-2007, 02:52 PM
I'm confused. What is the purpose of the plate on top of the bowl with a weight? Is the bowl so full of kraut that it pushes the plate off the top of the bowl before it starts to ferment? Or is it to keep it air tight? I read that you need the air, so I'm really confused. I'm a visual person so if anyone has taken pics of the process, that would be fabulous if you could share them.

TheAvocadess
10-14-2007, 03:19 PM
It's not that difficult. :) The plate keeps even pressure under the weight of the stone so that the kraut begins to stay under it's own juices. That's it. Nothing should be air tight. The only purpose of the cover is to keep dust & insects out.

The old way of making kraut, they used a crock and cheese cloth with a clean rock as a weight. It's soooo simple to do. Cabbage/veggies cut up, a light coating of salt, and toss it into a clean crock, glass bowl or canister, cover with saran and toss a rock on it. I put cheese cloth on the top. Ready in as soon as 3 days... really good after a week. The longer it sits, the healthier it is!

exurb
10-15-2007, 07:43 AM
[QUOTE][Oh no, you want air to get in. A piece of cheese cloth or a piece of linen, a tea towl is fine. The cover is only to keep dust and insects away/QUOTE]


I'm confused. What is the purpose of the plate on top of the bowl with a weight?


Generally you DON'T want air to get in. That is the purpose of the plate on top with a weight. You want an anaerobic fermentation. AIR can produce other undesirable microorganisms on the surface, as well as molds. You want an air lock similar to a wine making or beer making home brew apparatus if anyone's ever done that -- ie you want the bubbles produced to be able to escape, but you don't want any air to get in. If you don't have a crock made for the purpose, you can accomplish this easily with a plate and weight, and push it down to the point that liquid comes up around the edges of the plate. Then that ring of liquid will seal outside air from getting in, but bubbles can come out through the liquid.

Another minor recommendation I would have is to remember it's a little science experiment where you're growing cultures, so the plate and container should be clean or kind of sterile, say out of the dishwasher, the rock shouldn't be a dirty rock if you're using one, you can bake it or boil it to sterilize it too.

BTW My mom just found me a nice large crock and our garden has some huge heads of organic cabbage, so we'll have a large batch this year.:D You can freeze it after its made too, it freezes quite nicely as the salt has changed the water content.

I have a friend who makes AMAZING kraut from whole heads of cabbage, then you can use the leaves whole for wraps and stuff. It's very cool how he does this, but it takes much longer to complete the fermentation.

BTW, on the subject of adding raisins or apples or grapes, I would say be careful with that. I have baked beautiful artisan breads with natural yeast starters instead of using commercial yeast. The source of the yeast was raisins, apples, or grapes. Just nine organic raisins in some flour and water will make you a sourdough type yeast starter that will raise many loaves of bread with yeast. So will the peel of one apple, or a pound of grapes. Possibly enough saltiness would inhibit the yeast, but I don't rush to put a yeasty ingredient in there after seeing those things provide enough yeast to raise huge loaves of bread.

BTW you can't skimp on the salt while making kraut, but you can soak and rinse excess salt off after if you like.

lily
10-15-2007, 11:33 AM
Yep, I second that. And one of the great things about it is that once made, it's all there ready for you so can be on the table in double quick time!

lily