Gut Loving Sauerkraut Recipe - Fabulous50s (2024)

FAQs

How much salt do I add to 5 lbs of cabbage for sauerkraut? ›

For every 5 pounds of shredded cabbage, mix in 3 tablespoons of canning salt.

After packing your jars, place a cabbage leaf on the top to keep all the bits in place, and then set a Pickle Pebble on the top of the leaf and press until the brine covers everything. Put the Pickle Pipe on the top and tighten in place with a jar ring. Place your jar(s) in a cool, dark area to ferment for 1-4 weeks.

Do not try to lower the sodium content of sauerkraut by adding less salt to the fermentation mixture. The cabbage will spoil rather than ferment. Instead, try rinsing the fermented kraut in cold water before eating it to remove some of the salt.

The amount of salt you use determines the rate at which fermentation takes place. Too much salt is a “Go away.” sign for the beneficial bacteria, the lactobacillus that you want living and multiplying in your jar. Fermentation slows way down or doesn't happen at all.

Weigh the cabbage, then calculate the amount of salt you'll need based on that. You want 2% salt by weight, so 20 grams of salt for every kilogram of cabbage, or roughly one tablespoon of Diamond Crystal kosher salt per pound of cabbage.

The best time to eat sauerkraut for gut health is during or before a meal since stomach acid, and enzymes can aid in breaking down food and killing harmful bacteria. Incorporating sauerkraut into your diet regularly can be beneficial, aiming for at least 1-2 servings per day.

Sauerkraut also has a high fiber content that helps with constipation by making stools softer, and simultaneously increasing its mass and volume. This bulkiness makes for easier passage through the digestive tract and quicker elimination.

Eating sauerkraut may help strengthen your immune system, improve your digestion, reduce your risk of certain diseases, and even lose weight.

You must use a filter system to remove chloramine, fluoride, heavy metals, and other toxins. If your tap water is potable, you could use it for fermenting, but we recommend filtering it first.

Why do you put vinegar in sauerkraut? ›

Vinegar is sometimes added to sauerkraut recipes to speed up the fermentation process and add extra flavor.

Tap water often contains chlorine, which kills bacteria. When making a vegetable ferment, the bacteria are critical for a good outcome, and filtered water provides a stronger guarantee of success. However, there are two easy ways to get around using filtered water: Boil water, then let it cool to room temperature.

Salt: Use non—iodized salt with no added anti—caking agents for best quality. Salt helps form the brine and acts as a preservative. Salt causes the cabbage cells to release fermentable sugars and inhibits growth of undesirable yeasts, molds, and bacteria.

Try fine sea salt, or Diamond Crystal Kosher salt. The Spices - spices are used for flavour, and they can also help to slow mould growth. Caraway seeds are popular in traditional Polish sauerkraut making.

Occasionally, you might find that the top layer of a batch of sauerkraut turned brown. This can be due to a few issues: 1) the cabbage has been exposed to air, 2) the brine levels have dropped, 3) poorly cleaned jars…

Canning/Pickling Salt.

When making sauerkraut, the ratio of salt to cabbage is 2.25 to 2.50 percent salt by weight (see Procedures below for exact recipe). Using too little salt not only softens the cabbage tissue, but also yields a product lacking in flavor.

The best way to determine the amount of salt to use is to weigh the cabbage and calculate 2—2.5% salt by weight—approximately 3 Tbsp. of salt per 5 pounds of shredded cabbage.

The most widely used ratio of 2.00%–2.25% weight of salt to weight of cabbage gives the best results. This means you add 2g to 2.25g of salt for every 100g of finely sliced cabbage in your recipe.

Place 5 pounds of shredded cabbage in the fermentation container and thoroughly mix in 3 tablespoons of canning or pickling salt.