.: Change from the Inside Out with Sauerkraut

It’s a fairly accepted belief that change influences lives on all levels of existence. What we sometimes struggle with is whether –or even how -introducing something new on one of those levels can cause an effect on another. However, evidence of this is found by simply noting positive changes that occur after introducing something new, such as: practicing yoga, sleeping in total darkness or incorporating live foods like homemade sauerkraut into the diet. These practices bring the changes wanted by influencing the unseen core of an existing problem.

Sauerkraut is a live food. That means it gives more energy to your body than is needed for its digestion and assimilation. Live foods pass their life force vitality to those who consume them. Eating live foods is an effective and natural way to change or improve a current level of wellness. Introducing this higher vitality gives a boost of energy that causes cells to awaken from a sluggish or dormant state. Raw and live foods offer the highest levels of energy and sauerkraut can be both.

I’ve known people to heal joint pain, lower blood pressure or blood sugar and lose belly fat by increasing their water consumption, eating more raw veggies and including fermented foods into their daily diet. That’s what sauerkraut is, a fermented food. It’s cheap to make and easy to do. You just need a standard kitchen food processor, large plastic or glass bowel, cutting board, some quart jars or crocks (I’m using my slow cooker crock) cabbage, sugar, vinegar, and noniodized or pickling salt, along with about 30-45 minutes.

To make 1 quart

Ingredients:

8-10 cups of shredded cabbage, loosely packed (1 2lb. head)

2-3 teaspoons of the salt

1 cup of filtered water

2 teaspoons of sugar

2 teaspoons of white vinegar
optional seasonings (mustard seeds, juniper berries. caraway seeds)

A sterilized wide mouth quart jar with lid

Preparation:

Shred the cabbage, place in a large plastic bowel and mix with any seasonings and salt. Stirring the cabbage releases its juices. Let rest for 10-15 minutes and stir again. This can now sit for 20-30 minutes if you choose.

Pack the shredded mixed cabbage into the jar tapping it in with the tip of a wooden spatula. Add the salt to the filtered water and pour over the cabbage filling the jar to the rim. Cap loosely and place jar on a tray to catch any overflowing juices during the fermentation period. It’s best to place the jar and tray in a shaded or dark area and keep the temperature of the jar between 65-72 degrees for 2 -3 weeks. In our Caribbean temperatures one week is enough.

Check the containers occasionally. Make sure the cabbage stays below the liquid. Top off jar with salty (1 teasp per cup) water if the water level falls below the rim. Skim off any white spots or film from the top and close the lid again. Once the bubbling has stopped, make sure that all white film is gone from the surface, capping tightly and wipe off the jar. Keep it stored in the refrigerator until it is completely gone.

If you want to make more than a quart just double or triple the ingredients. Sauerkraut can be placed in quart ziplock bags and frozen. There is lots that you can do with fresh kraut such as: salad toppings, main meal or even a cheese and veggie sandwich. Just remember when you heat process the finished jars to store them your kraut will not be live or raw anymore.

There are other live or raw recipes through my blog; scroll through. Sometimes changing the most obvious problems in our lives takes a change at the cellular level. That’s what drinking lots of water and eating live food can do. Let me know how it works for you or if you have questions.

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