Carrot Sauerkraut

Since I have started eating fermented vegetables I’ve noticed a real difference in myself.  I feel like it levels me out, because it helps to curb my appetite and also reduce sugar cravings so I don’t experience the highs and lows that you get from consuming too much sugar or complex carbohydrates.  And I also find that the more I eat, the more I crave.

Fermented vegetables are made from a process called Lacto-fermentation.  It is full of Lactobacillus bacteria which can be found on the surface of all plants.  This bacteria can also be found in our gastrointestinal tracts, mouths and vaginas, so it stands to reason that by ingesting this good bacteria we will be helping to keep these parts of our body healthy.

Lactobacillus bacteria converts sugars into lactic acid which helps prevent the growth of harmful bacteria in food and also in our bodies. It is the lactic acid in fermented food that gives it it’s characteristically sharp taste.  Lacto-fermented food is easy for our body to digest, and helps us absorb the enzymes and minerals from our foods.  It does wonders for your gut and for your overall digestion. 

Here is my favourite recipe for fermented vegetables which I have adapted from Donna Gates book “The Body Ecology Diet”.  What I love about this recipe is that it is a lot quicker than making traditional sauerkraut with salt, where you really have to spend a bit of time working with the cabbage to release its natural juices.  You can also use whey to ferment your vegetables, but again a lot more love and attention is required to release the juices in the veges.

2 Carrots

1/4 Cabbage Head

1 tbsp Filtered Water

1 tbsp Coriander Seeds

1 tbsp Cumin Seeds

Peel and grate carrot.  Chop cabbage finely, you can do this with a knife or in the food processor.  I actually find it easier to grate mine.  Place vegetables in a bowl.  Add cumin and coriander seed.  Mix everything together well.  Then take 1/2 cup of the mixture and put it in the food processor with the filtered water.  Blitz it until it is a pulpy consistency, like a thick juice.  Add this back to the bowl and mix well.  The vegetables should all be covered in the pulpy liquid.  Pack your mixture tightly into glass jars, leaving a bit of room at the top.  Take one of the large outer leaves from the cabbage and roll it up to create a ‘plug’.  Jam this tightly into the top of the jar.  This will ensure that the vegetables stay submerged in the liquid.  Place air-tight lid firmly on jar.

Place the jar in a warm dry place, out of direct sunlight.  A kitchen cupboard or pantry is perfect.  Leave it to ferment for around 3-5 days.  The longer you leave it the better it will taste.  You may need to ‘burp’ the jar after a day or two to release some of the gases.  Remember that this is alive with good bacteria so if it bubbles and fizzes when you take off the lid this is a really good thing!  It means it is doing it’s job.  Once it has reached the desired level of fermentation (I leave mine for about 7 days) store it in the fridge.  Fermented vegetables can last in the fridge for months.

Enjoy!  I spoon my fermented vegetables on top of my salad at lunch time.  They are a great accompaniment to eggs (especially a vegetable omelet with wilted spinach – one of my favourite meals).  I try to eat 1 tablespoon of fermented vegetables with my lunch and again at dinner time.  Try it.  Your gut will thank you!

If fermenting your own vegetables isn’t your thing but you are keen to add them to your diet, ‘Be Nourished’ make amazing sauerkraut and kim-chi.  You can find them in most health stores and in Bin-Inn.  If you are buying fermented vegetables please remember that they are alive and should be found in the fridge at whatever store you are buying them from.  Sauerkraut and other fermented food that are found on the shelves of your supermarket have been pasteurised and have no pro-biotic properties what so ever.