Fermented Sauerkraut Benefits 

Sauerkraut is generally made of fermented cabbage which has undergone a fermentation process whereby the carbohydrates and sugars are converted to and preserved by lactic acid. Like other fermented foods, sauerkraut has many beneficial probiotics, vitamins and minerals. Eating sauerkraut has shown to have many benefits including supporting our immune systems, improving gut health, reducing the risk of heart disease, and supporting health weight management.

Sauerkraut is easy and safe to make at home by following our easy homemade sauerkraut recipe. Sauerkraut can be eaten in many different ways. It is versatile and ever-so yummy.

Check our blog here on the different ways to eat sauerkraut

How To Make Sauerkraut:

What you need:

Sharp knife, large bowl/bucket, fermenting crock, chopping board, cabbage, carrots, Symbiota Kraut Mix, Symbiota Himalayan Salt.

2-2.5gm non iodised salt to every 100 gm produce

Ingredients per Symbiota pot size:

a 2L fermentation pot requires 1 large cabbage head with the option of 2 carrots (approx. total 1.8kgs fresh produce), 40 grams salt, 3 teaspoons caraway seeds and 3 teaspoon juniper berries. 

a 4.5L fermentation pot requires 2-3 cabbage heads with the option of 4 carrots (approx. 4 kgs total fresh produce),80 grams Himalayan salt, 6 teaspoons caraway seeds and 6 teaspoons juniper berries. 

a 7L fermentation pot requires 3-4 cabbage heads with the option of 6 carrots (approx. 6.5 kgs total fresh produce), 145 grams Himalayan salt, 2 tablespoons caraway seeds and 2 tablespoons juniper berries. 

Instructions:

1. Make sure your hands, work surface and instruments are clean to avoid introducing unwanted bacteria.
2. Wash your pot and weights thoroughly with water and soap. They do not need to be sterilized. Do not place it in the dishwasher.
3. Wash all the fresh produce.
4. Keep aside 2-3 large clean, cabbage leaves from the outer layer. These will be used at the end to cover the cabbage once you have packed it into the pot. 
5. Cut your cabbage into quarters and cut out the hard core.
6. Shred cabbage finely - a food processor can be used for this. Slices should be no more than approx. 5mm wide.
7. Place the shredded cabbage into a large bowl or a bucket for larger quantities.
8. Either grate your carrot or use a peeler to strip it into thin peels and add it to the cabbage.
9. Sprinkle your Himalayan salt and spice mix provided over your shredded produce and mix with your hands.
10. Let it rest for 10 minutes (100gm of cabbage = 2-2.5grams salt).
11. Pound with a mandolin if you have, or a wine bottle, or a strong fist, or rub produce together as you would when hand washing clothing. The produce will begin to make its own brine. Once you can see the brine rise above the produce when pushing the produce down, you are ready to packthe cabbage into your fermenting crock. (NOTE: NEVER POUND CABBAGE IN THE POT. USE A LARGE BOWL OR BUCKET TO POUND CABBAGE IN).
12. Fill your fermenting crock up with the produce, tightly packing the produce down as you fill it.
13. Your fermenting crock should be approximately ¾ fill – this should be around the line on your Symbiota crock. Brine will flow up and over your produce by approximately 2-3cms.
14. Get your cabbage leaves you kept aside and lay them over the top of your packed produce, tucking them down the sides. This helps stop produce floating up during fermentation and minimizes the potential for mold or yeast to grow.
15. Finally add your fermentation weights into the pot on top of the cabbage leaves, pressing down so the brine can rise up over the weights.
16. Place the crock's lid on and fill up the groove (moat) with water. You will notice when you gently tug the lid, there is a hermetic seal. Keep this moat filled with water, otherwise the seal will break.
17. Place your crock at room temperature in a cool place with a stable temperature of approx. 18-22 degrees Celsius. The warmer the temperature, the quicker your produce will ferment.
18. Do not open for at least the first 10 days. After 10 days you can begin to taste your ferment. The longer you ferment (at a low temp) the deeper and richer the flavors become. Once you have reached your ideal taste, you can jar your sauerkraut and move it to the fridge to stop the fermentation process.

The environmental temperature will affect the fermentation times. As a guide:

• 16 degree Celsius- 6-8 weeks ferment
• 21-24 degree Celsius – 2 weeks
• 32 degrees Celsius- 1 week.