CABBAGE
Here's another age old wonderfood..that is not getting it's just due lately.
Revered in Ancient Rome as a cancer cure, is thought to block breast cancer and suppress growth of polyps, a prelude to colon cancer.
Eating cabbage once a week cut men's colon cancer odds 66%
As little as 2 tsp daily of cooked cabbage protects against stomach cancer.
Raw Cabbage juice helps heal stomach ulcers in humans.
RAW CABBAGE OR FERMENTED IS BETTER FOR HEALTH
With fermented cabbage comes the extra benefit of non-dairy probiotics, as well as cleansing the palate, it DOES improve digestion.
Probiotics supplement the good bacteria and flora and fauna of the intestines and gut.allowing for good digestion and MORE absorption of nutrients.
Particularly good as we all grow older or are tempted by processed foods, also antibiotic medications destroy the good bacteria.
This has been around for thousands of years, Hannibal took a form of sauerkraut with him on his expeditions for his men to have fresh foods.
Eastern Europeans have relied on kraut in the hard winter months for a "fresh" Vegetable.
This was used in ancient sailing ships to prevent scurvy.
Spicy Kimchi is a way for Asian folks to have fresh food in hard and cold winters.
The equipment needed is simple and it must be scalded CLEAN as you are going to be growing live bacteria.
You will need:
a wide mouth jar or crock can be ceramic or glass
plate that fits inside the crock/jar
a heavy weight to hold down the vegetable as it ferments (a full can of anything in a plastic bag or a stone/brick also in a plastic bag works)
sea salt
SAUERKRAUT makes 1/2 gallon
Yes you will eat this much once you get started, plus the fermented liquid is where a lot of the "power" lies, dietitians rec. drinking a wine glass full every morning first thing.
*This is a basic recipe, but you may also add caraway seed, celery seed, garlic, sea weed ( this is good for lower salt kraut if using this do not add any sea salt), beets, turnips, juniper seed.
Even apples, (but they have to be bruise free)
2 1/2 pounds cabbage coarsely/or finely chopped or grated
(use hard green or red cabbages, or a mix of the 2, the red cabbage makes for a pinkish, sweeter kraut)
1 1/2 tbsp sea salt
Place the cabbage in a large bowl as you chop and sprinkle with salt.
* add any other vegetables also chopped or seeds and mix very well.
Then pack this into a clean and sterile crock or wide mouth jar. Pack this in stages, and press down each layer with a rolling pin or heavy spoon, so there is no air pockets. This pressing down also helps the cabbage to release water, which is necessary for the fermentation.
Cover the cabbage with a small plate and weigh it down.
(the idea is that the weight forces more water out of the cabbage)
Cover with a clean cloth to keep insects out.
YOU MUST apply pressure to the weight every 2-4 hours the first day ( it is ok left overnight)
The brine should rise above the cabbage as soon as possible, within the first 24 hours.
( if the cabbage is too dry after 24 hours, add salted water-brine to the pot to cover the chopped cabbage).
Now is the waiting game...leave the cabbage to ferment, in a cool dark place, not hot and not full sun.
Check it every 2 days, maybe having to press the weight further down.
Often a mold appears on top, try and skim this off it is not harmful just oxidization, and rinse the plate and bagged weight and replace in crock.
After 4 days check the flavor, the flavors get stronger the more fermentation it has.
As you remove kraut for eating, make sure to pack the remainder down tight and that the cabbage is covered in the brine, which you may also drink.
And that is all you need, before the first batch runs out, begin another in a separate crock .
This recipe may also be doubled safely.
I ALSO WASH WELL ALL MY VEGETABLES AND AIR DRY BEFORE USING (for more info check out my book "recipes for Success"on www.amazon.com/kindle)
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