29

Sep

0

RECIPE FOR CULTURED/FERMENTED VEGETABLES – AMAZING HEALTH BENEFITS

EASY PROBIOTIC & ENZYME-RICH CULTURED SAUERKRAUT AND VEGETABLES (Raw)
Fermentation was one of the first forms of food preservation. Cultured foods are pro-biotics that optimise the gut flora, supporting the assimilation of nutrients:  it is estimated friendly intestinal flora is responsible for 60-80% of our immune system – all health begins or ends in the gut.  Adding naturally fermented foods to our daily diet is an easy & inexpensive way to prevent disease, reduce inflammation & strengthen immunity –  effective in the treatment of candida, ulcers, colitis, food allergies, cystitis, constipation as well as cancer prevention.  In the late 1770′s, Captain James Cook navigated the world without losing a sailor to scurvy, thanks to the foods his ship carried including 60 barrels of sauerkraut.  Research indicates that 2 cups of sauerkraut is equal to eight bottles of pro-biotics! Ensure that all utensils & surfaces are spotlessly clean!
Ingredients 1 medium purple OR green organic cabbage, or any other mixture of vegetables (eg: carrots, radish, turnip, ginger, green veg etc (all preferably organic) finely sliced or shredded Himalayan salt, to taste 1 tsp caraway, dill and/OR celery seeds, whole Juniper berries, whole or ground (optional). a small amount of flaked chilli (optional) Sterilised wide-mouth air-tight jar/s
Method Pour boiling water over your jars to sterilise.  Massage the salted cabbage till soft & weeping.  Combine with spices of choice(when adding herbs & spices the fermenting increases the flavour multi-fold so little goes a long way). Pack tightly into your sterilised jar & ensure that the juices rise just above the cabbage to create a seal.  Leave a few cm’s of space at the top & seal jar.  Allow to ferment  at room temperature for up to a week.  During summer, your sauerkraut is typically done in 3-5 days, in winter up to 7 days or longer.  Heat will kill the beneficial microbes!  Check  the sauerkraut daily & press down with a clean spoon to ensure the cabbage is submerged – this also releases gases produced during the fermentation process.     It’s important that the cabbage remain submerged in its liquid during fermentation.   If preferred, weigh down the cabbage with a glass weight, sterilised stone or other heavy item small enough to fit into your jar.  Ready to eat after first week & thereafter will store in the fridge for months, slowing down the fermentation process. There’s no hard and fast rule for when the sauerkraut is “done” — gage by how it tastes.  The slight sour taste or tartness is the result of the beneficial bacteria converting the carbohydrates into beneficial lactic acids. Lactic-acid producing bacteria naturally preserve the dish. Always use a clean spoon & resist the temptation to eat out of the jar which can introduce organisms from your mouth.

( information & recipe received from Lilly Jones )