Adding fermented foods into your diet is an excellent time-honoured way to help keep your all important gut microbiome happy. There is a recipe for KimChi on here, but if you fancy something a little milder, try this delicious take on standard cabbage sauerkraut. It makes a great snack on oatcakes or seeded crackers alongside cheese, with a salad or even with your breakfast eggs! The ginger is just delicious with the beetroot and together they give this a wonderful anti-oxidant edge. Feel free to add fresh turmeric too.
You can use one big jar or a couple of smaller ones, just make sure they are super clean and dry. They don't need to be sterilised as such.
Ingredients:
1 small / medium red or white cabbage, shredded. Retain the outer sheets of the cabbage for use at the end.
1 medium beetroot, peeled and grated
1 x 4 cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and julienned
3 - 4 tsps of fine sea salt
additional seeds & flavours - caraway/cumin/coriander seeds, slivers of garlic, fresh turmeric, chilli etc - aim, for 1 - 3 tablespoons.
Method:
1. Put the cabbage in a big wide bowl and sprinkle over the salt.
2. Gently start to massage the salt into the cabbage by scrunching and releasing it, until it starts to release its juice.
3. Cover and leave for 15 minutes, then give it another scrunch.
4. Start to add in your beetroot, ginger and any other flavours that appeal. Gently mix thoroughly with a spoon and then start to add top the jars.
5. When the jars are full, push the cabbage down so that the brine comes up over it.
6. Use one of the discarded outer sheets to make a sort of internal lid and make sure the liquid is nice and high
6. Close the jars tightly and leave the jars on the countertop to ferment.
7. Every day or 2, you will need to 'burp' the jars as the fermentation process produces gas!
8. The sauerkraut will be ready in about 1 week. At this point, move it the fridge and enjoy!