Tasty "Pickles" or Sauerkraut the Better Whey!

I remember, as a little girl, when my family would get together with the extended family for new years never wanting to eat my "good luck" portion of sour kraut. It smelled funny, looked funny, and it couldn't be all that lucky for you if you ate it, right? A lot changes as you get older and one of those changes for me is I actually like sour kraut now, in fact that is the part I look forward to! My little girl and I both eat it like it is going out of style right now and I couldn't be happier that she enjoys it. Why? Because turns out that sour kraut, prepared the traditional manner, actually has beneficial enzymes that aid in digestion and assimilation of food. So it really is like a portion of "good luck" for your gut! In fact it is beneficial to eat some fermented food every day to help with your digestion.  It is super simple to make and I have never had a batch fail which can sometimes happen with other recipes. It is also another good use for that leftover whey from making yogurt or cheese ;) Oh and did I mention it is an arm workout too! Let's go make a batch and have some ready for a lucky new year!

Things you will need:

• 1 medium cabbage
• 1 Tbs of sea salt
• 4 Tbs whey
• 1 Tsp caraway seeds (optional, my husband dislikes the taste of caraway so we will not add them)
• 1 wide much quart jar with lid
• A sturdy bowl
• Something heavy to beat the enzymes out of that cabbage! I am using a marble rolling pin. 
• Food processor (optional)

   

Start by shredding your cabbage, you can use a knife and do it by hand or, I just like to throw mine into the food processor and get it over with. Sharp knives and me have a bad history.

Now put your shredded cabbage in the bowl and put the salt and whey in too. You may add the caraway seeds at this point as well if you are using them. 

Pull up your sleeves and pound that cabbage! You want to pound it for about 10 minuets straight till the cabbage looks wilted and it has made some juice too. (My pounder got tired and told me it was too "hebby" for her :)

Pack the cabbage and it's juices into the quart jar. Pack tightly, so their is just the juice about a half an inch above the cabbage. 

Screw lid on jar and place in a warm spot on your counter for 1-2 weeks on a plate because it may ooze some juice. 

After about one to two weeks it is done and may be used or stored in your refrigerator for future meals. The jar on the left is just made and the one on the right is aged with caraway seeds for me. 

So there you have it, (my 2 year old daughter calls it pickles!) If you are like me when I was younger, just give it another try, it may surprise you how good it tastes and it is good for you too!

To good luck in the kitchen and good gut health,

The Farmer in the Dell