Sauerkraut: Manfaat + Resipi Makanan Super Fermentasi Lain

Sauerkraut contains phenolic compounds and glucosinolates. Sinigrin and glucobrassicin (examples of glucosinolates) play an important role in cancer prevention.

Fermented cabbage is also considered a good source of antioxidants and organic acids such as lactic acid, acetic acid, propionic, malic, and succinic acids.

During fermentation, many breakdown products like sulforaphane, allyl isothiocyanate, iberin, iberin nitrile, and allyl cyanide were found in the cabbage. Research is being carried out on these products for chemoprotective, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties (4).

This is a goodness overload alert!

There is so much nutrition in a small bowl of fermented cabbage that you’d want to have it along with each meal daily, wouldn’t you?

For those of you waiting to get your hands on this simple side dish, I have a surprise!

How about making a small batch of sauerkraut in your kitchen? Sounds nice? Then, let’s get to the kitchen and ‘ferment’ a storm!

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How To Make Sauerkraut At Home

Making sauerkraut is an art. But, we’ve made it super simple for you. This will take just 30 minutes of your time (and, of course, the 5 days of fermenting). But still, you DON’T have to cook!

What You Need

• Green or white cabbage: 2 kg (outer leathery leaves removed), cored
• Coarse crystal sea salt: 3 tablespoons (or 6 tablespoons flaky sea salt)
• Caraway seeds: 1 teaspoon
• Peppercorns: 1 teaspoon

Let’s Make It

1. Wash a large tub or bowl thoroughly. Rinse with boiling water from the kettle.
2. Use a container that will comfortably fit the softened cabbage. It should have several inches of room at the top to avoid overflow. Make sure that your hands, and everything else coming into contact with the cabbage, are very clean.
3. Shred the cabbage thinly using a food processor or a good knife.
4. Arrange the cabbage leaflets in the tub or bowl and sprinkle the salt.
5. Mix the salt into the cabbage thoroughly for 5 minutes. Wait for another 5 minutes and then repeat.
6. You should end up with a reduced volume of cabbage sitting in its own brine.
7. Mix in the caraway seeds and the peppercorns. Cover the surface of the cabbage entirely with a sheet of cling film. Press out all the air bubbles from below.
8. Weigh the cabbage down using a couple of heavy plates or other weights that fit your bowl and cover as much of the cabbage as possible.
9. You will notice the brine levels rising to cover the cabbage a little.
10. Cover the tub with its lid (or more cling film) and leave it in a dark place at cool room temperature (about 18-20°C) for at least 5 days.
11. Sauerkraut should be ready after 5 days. For maximum flavor, leave the cabbage to ferment for anywhere between 2-6 weeks (or until the bubbling subsides).
12. The cabbage will become increasingly sour the longer it is fermented, so keep tasting it now and then.
13. When you like the flavor, transfer it to smaller sterilized jars. You can store it in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

It sure would be fascinating to see some Biochemistry happening every day – and that too right in front of your eyes. Wouldn’t it?

But… Wait

• Check the cabbage every day or so. Unwrap and rewrap the mixture, releasing any gases that have built up as it ferments.
• Alternatively, you may stir the cabbage to release the bubbles.
• If any scum forms, remove it. Rinse the weights in boiling water and replace the cling film.
• You should always see bubbles appearing within the cabbage and possibly some foam on the top of the brine.
• It’s important to keep it at an even, cool room temperature. Too cold temperatures will delay the fermentation, and too warm temperatures would cause the sauerkraut to become moldy or ferment too quickly. Either way, you’d not get the perfect sauerkraut.
• Natural fermentation enhances the nutritional profile of sauerkraut. It is, therefore, more potent in fighting cancers, metabolic disorders, bone and brain issues than its fresh counterpart.

Psst

How about filming the process of making sauerkraut and the fermentation (through 5 days or 2 weeks) in a time lapse?

When you run the video, you’d appreciate the beauty of nature and one of its magical processes – fermentation!

The kids would love it too!

You can thank me later – because I have a surprise for those busy bees reading this.

If 5 or 15 days is too long a time for you to spare, and you wish to make sauerkraut at home, I have a shortcut.

Scroll down!

Shortcut Sauerkraut

What You Need

• Cabbage: 1 head, thinly sliced
• Onion: 1, thinly sliced
• Apple cider vinegar: 1 ¼ cups
• Caraway seeds: 1 tablespoon, toasted and crushed
• Kosher salt: 2 tablespoons

Let’s Make It

1. Combine all ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl.
2. Cover the bowl with a large piece of plastic wrap and seal the edges.
3. Microwave the mixture on high, for about 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Bring the bowl out and let it sit covered.
5. Leave it until the cabbage has absorbed its brine, and the bowl is cool to touch. This would take about 15-25 minutes.
6. Unwrap the bowl and serve along with creamy ramen or any meat entrees.

You can choose whichever way to make a batch of sauerkraut. But what’s critical is the way you store it. If stored the right way, sauerkraut tastes excellent for months and years together. So, let’s find out how you can do that.

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What Is The Right Way To Store Sauerkraut?

Fully fermented sauerkraut may be either canned or stored.

To ‘can’ sauerkraut, there two standard ways:

1. Hot Pack

• In a large kettle, bring the kraut and liquid slowly to a boil for about 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Remove from the heat and fill the sterilized jars with kraut and juices, leaving about ½ inch headspace.

2. Raw Pack

• Fill the sterilized jars firmly with kraut and cover with juices, leaving about ½ inch headspace.
• Wipe the jar rim and adjust the lid clamps.
• Meanwhile, keep sufficient water to boil. Lower the heat and let it slow boil.
• Place the covered jars in this water and allow it to process.

To ‘freeze’ sauerkraut, follow these instructions:

• Fill the pint- or quart-sized freezer bags or reusable ridge plastic freezer containers.
• Fill up to 1-2 inches from their tops, squeeze out the air, seal and label them.
• You can now freeze these bags for 8-12 months.

The Bottom Line

Sauerkraut is a low-calorie food with abundant vitamin C and sodium. And it is finding its way to popularity for all the right reasons.

We’d be waiting to know how the experience was. Please share your feedback, suggestions, and queries in the comments section below.

Because it’s not just wine and men that get better with age! (wink!)

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Expert’s Answers For Readers’ Questions

How much sauerkraut is safe to eat daily?

Sauerkraut is high in sodium. A cup or 150 g serving will provide approximately 40% of your RDA sodium intake (2.4g).

Keep an eye on your salt intake if you add sauerkraut to your diet.

How long can you keep sauerkraut in the fridge, once opened?

If it is store-bought and not a live culture, sauerkraut may stay for a week or two.

If it is a properly fermented live sauerkraut, you need to start by storing it at room temperature for up to a week. Then, it will last for months in the fridge.

If you find white scum formed on the sauerkraut during this time, discard the batch. Transfer sauerkraut in smaller quantities to avoid wastage. Open one bottle after another to enjoy it across seasons.

References

1. “Microbial Community Analysis of Sauerkraut…” Foods, US National Library of Medicine
2. “Regular Consumption of Sauerkraut and Its Effect…” Global Advances in Health and Medicine, US National Library of Medicine
3. “Health benefits of fermented foods: microbiota…” Current opinion in Biotechnology, US National Library of Medicine
4. "Sauerkraut: Pengeluaran, Komposisi, dan …" Makanan Fermentasi dalam Pencegahan Kesihatan dan Penyakit, Elsevier
5. "Vitamin K1 dan K2: Kumpulan Muncul …" Jurnal Pemakanan dan Metabolisme, Perpustakaan Perubatan Nasional AS
6. "Tinjauan Makanan Fermentasi dengan …" Nutrisi Pencegahan dan Sains Makanan, Perpustakaan Perubatan Nasional AS
7. "Kesan Makanan Fermentasi pada Manusia …" Scientia

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