Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut is the oldest medicine in the world.

Fermented vegetables are a fantastic way of maintaining healthy flora in your gut. They are delicious, easy to make and can be eaten with any meal to aid digestion.

Preparation time: 15 mins

Serves: roughly 3 week’s worth for one person

Ingredients:

• 3 organic cabbages or 1 large, approx 1.5 kg, can be green, red or a combination of the two

• 4 organic carrots

• 4 onions

• 1 small beetroot

• 1 organic apple

• 2-4 tbsp natural sea salt dissolved in 1 litre of warm water (brine)

• Starter culture (e.g. Donna Gates starter) if it is your first batch or 1 cup of your last batch of sauerkraut - this will give you a greater range for healthy bacteria

Method:

• Shred the vegetables in your food processor or by hand with a sharp knife. Put them in a large bowl. Add the brine and starter or some of your last batch of sauerkraut

• Cover with a plate and a heavy weight. Leave for a couple of hours or overnight until the juices start to come out of the vegetables

• Put the vegetables and brine in a large jar with seal able lid or crock. Leave some space at the top. Press down to make sure there is no air. Place a few cabbage leaves on the top and push them down to make sure the vegetables are under the brine

• Leave for 5-7 days to ferment on your kitchen counter

• Transfer to smaller jars and put in the fridge where it will keep well for 4-6 weeks at least

• A great accompaniment to any meal. Delicious with raw crackers, raw nut cheese, goats' or sheep cheese. You can juice it too

• Adding a small amount of oil (flax, hemp, olive) will ensure the absorption of vitamin K2