Easy Superfood Sauerkraut Recipe

Sauerkraut is a superfood on its own, long known for its digestive, detoxing and immune boosting benefits. This recipe takes it to another level with the addition of turmeric, ginger and carrots: MORE SUPERFOODS!

Why Turmeric, Ginger and Carrots are Superfoods

Turmeric has received a lot of attention lately with an emphasis on its ability to help your body fight inflammation. While the research is still in its infancy, cultures all over the world have been using it to promote healing for thousands of years. It also adds a unique flavor to your meals and a beautiful golden color as well.

Ginger has also seen a rise in popularity in the last decade. Many people use ginger to help with nausea, motion sickness and even morning sickness associated with pregnancy. It’s also known for its ability to help with digestion and stomach upset which is why many tea companies sell an after dinner tea containing ginger.

Carrots might be the most popular superfood in this recipe and that’s because they contain beta-carotene. Our bodies use beta-carotene to make vitamin A; which among other things, helps maintain healthy eyes.

Though the superfood benefits of these foods are exciting, the taste is what excites me the most. I think you’re going to love this Superfood Sauerkraut! Enjoy!

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For this Superfood Sauerkraut Recipe, you’ll need

• 1 large head of cabbage
• 1 – 1.5 lbs of carrots
• sea salt
• 1 tbs ground turmeric
• 1″ chunk of ginger, grated
• glass jar – half gallon size

First, remove the outer leaves and core of the cabbage and set aside for later. Then, peel the carrots and trim off the ends. Now it’s time to shred the cabbage and grate the carrots. I actually used a food processor for this but it can be done by hand as well. I find the food processor saves a lot of time, especially when it comes to the carrots.

Next, put the shredded cabbage in a large bowl or pot and sprinkle with sea salt at a ratio of 1 tablespoon salt to 1 3/4 pounds cabbage. Massage the cabbage until it begins to sweat and liquid is noticeable in the bowl.

Then add the grated carrots to the shredded cabbage and sprinkle in the ground turmeric. Mix to combine!

Now, you’ll need to pack your mixture into the jar. Be sure to pack it down really well as to not allow for any air pockets. Throw in some grated ginger every so often so it’s distributed throughout the jar. Then cover with a glass weight or the outer cabbage leaves topped with pieces of the core. Be sure the cabbage and carrot mixture is under the brine!

Then cap your jar and allow to ferment at room temperature. You can use a regular lid but you’ll need to ‘burp’ your jar at least once a day for the first 4-5 days. Be sure to put the jar in a bowl during this time in case you experience any liquid overflow. This will subside sometime during the first week.

I recommend using an airlock type device so you are creating a true anaerobic environment for your ferment. For this recipe, I used the Easy Fermenter lid. It’s an all-in-one lid and airlock. These work great for me and as a bonus, they are easy to open once your sauerkraut is ready to eat!

Let the superfood sauerkraut ferment for 14-30 days. If it’s your first time making homemade sauerkraut, taste it at 14 days and see what you think. You can always close it back up and taste it another week later and another week after that! Eventually you’ll learn the length of ferment you prefer. For me, it’s right about at the 30 day mark. Once you like what you taste, move to the refrigerator and enjoy!

4.5 from 2 votes

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Easy Superfood Sauerkraut Recipe

Author Alana - The Wild Gut

Ingredients

• 1 large head of cabbage
• 1 - 1.5 lbs of carrots
• sea salt at a ratio of 1 tablespoon salt to 1 3/4 lbs cabbage
• 1 tbs ground turmeric
• 1 " chunk of ginger grated

Instructions

1. Remove the outer leaves of cabbage and set aside
2. Cut the cabbage into quarters
3. Remove the core and set aside
4. Shred the cabbage
5. Trim ends off of the carrots and peel
6. Shred the carrots
7. Place the shredded cabbage in a large bowl and sprinkle with sea salt
8. Massage the cabbage until it begins to sweat
9. Add the shredded carrots to the shredded cabbage and sprinkle with turmeric
10. Mix the cabbage, carrots and turmeric up to combine
11. Put a layer of cabbage and carrots in the jar and pack down
12. Sprinkle in some grated ginger
13. Repeat steps 11 and 12 until the jar is nearly full, being mindful to pack down each layer
14. Cover vegetable mixture with a layer of cabbage leaves (the outer pieces that you set aside)
15. Then place pieces of the core on top to keep the vegetable mixture submerged in brine
16. Cap the jar and let sit for approximately 1 month
17. Move to cold storage