No Gut Biome section yet!: my supermarket Sauerkraut is pasteurised. So pointless!

[xJoy]

Without going to Germany, is it possible to get unpasteurised sauerkraut in a supermarket, there's never been much of a demand for it in Ireland I'd guess until lately when it's recommended repeatedly as being the best food to eat for a healthy gut. Am I supposed to make it myself?! There was one jar of it. So it's not like I can go back and look carefully at labels and buy a brand that isn't pasteurised.

I wonder if any of the good for your gut bacteria survive the pasteurising process.

I had sauteed shredded courgette and mixed it with a big blob of sauerkraut and a blob of natural greek yogurt and it was ok. I wouldn't enjoy it as much if it's not good for my gut biome though

Thanks for all of these tips folks. Going to try and make my own, soon. Bit of research first.

I use this method, you can add what you like. I do red cabbage with ginger and white with nigella seeds.
www.riverford.co.uk/recipes/red-cabbage-sauerkraut

A plastic kimchi pot off Amazon is inexpensive and makes it foolproof. It's got an internal lid with a rubber edge that you press down until the liquid seeps up the middle. Then you know the air is all squeezed out.

The bacteria is already on the cabbage leaf. The salt makes it slightly acidic, and there's no oxygen, so the bacteria you want thrive.

You also want to eat lots of vegetables. That helps your gut biome. And things like stilton and yogurt. Anything that feeds the good gut bacteria. Variety and regularity.

I know it sounds unlikely, but my (TMI) loo visits are no longer smelly!

The bacteria come from the fermentation of the cabbage - you need an oxygen-free environment (hence the need to squeeze out enough water to submerge the veg - the salt breaks down the cell walls so the water in the cabbage can escape) to get the right sort of bacteria. Mixing different veg tends to give greater variety of bacteria.

Thanks, you have reminded me that I haven't burped the jars today. Currently have lemons, sriracha and some strange sauerkraut kimchi hybrid.

Have some material, it is addictive once you start.

Try Polish, eastern European shops for live stuff, it will be in the fridge and not in jars.

Kefir is say to make and produces loads and loads. I have managed that one

Ok, so this is how I do it. Probably not authentic but good, plus DH is German and he says the Sauerkraut is excellent.
SAUERKRAUT - shred a white cabbage, sprinkle with salt (additive free), leave for around an hour. Add whole peppercorns and caraway. Put into a sterilised jar and leave partly uncovered out of the fridge for 48 hours. Then put in fridge

KIMCHI - shred Chinese leaf, sprinkle with salt and leave for an hour, grate a couple of carrots, shred 3 spring onions and mix. Chop 4 cloves of garlic and a thumb sized piece of ginger. Mix 1tbsp gochujang, 1 tea spoon honey, sesame oil and rice vinegar together. Mix everything well and place in a jar, leave partly uncovered for 24 hours then pop in fridge

As I said probably not very authentic but DH approves of the Sauerkraut and loads of people ask for my Kimchi.

What are you doing with the lemons @AdventFridgeOfShame ?

I do Moroccan ones, just packed in salt

I do the Moroccan ones packed in salt. I also did some lacto fermented ones in a 3% salt solution. I think I did four quartered lemons, the juice of one, weighed it added 3% salt and wedged it all in a kilner jar with a fermenting weight holding squashing it down. Within 24 hours there was enough liquid to cover.

I've never enjoyed the pickled veg I've made in the salt solution. I've got some mooli that's been sat at the back of the fridge forever, because I can't bring myself to eat it! I've done carrot too. I like the idea, but not the flavour 😂

Any tips?

@ppicklemewalnuts could you link to the jar you have please? Love the username!

That was to @picklemewalnuts

I didn’t either, so I started making kombucha instead, which I do enjoy. Would you prefer something like kefir (either water or dairy) or kombucha to lacto fermented vegetables?

I can't drink black tea and didn't get on well with kefir grains- either milk or water. I tried the works at one time. The only one I enjoy is the ginger bug. I need to avoid sugar too, so have up in the end. I just eat yogurts, cheeses, and occasionally sauerkraut. And lots of veg for the prebiotic bit!

Here we go @BorisJohnsonsHair ! Sorry about the long link. I don't know how to embed on my phone.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cooking-Premium-Sauerkraut-Fermentation-Container/dp/B00LU7G0EM/ref=mpssa115?crid=3DK1VY1Z3QBEG&keywords=kimchi+container&qid=1677486505&sprefix=kimch%2Caps%2C104&sr=8-5

I bought some kombucha today, it was nice, I added sparkling water to it so I'll have the other half tomorrow. It has live cultures.

I asked in Supervalu if they could order Hurly Burley sauerkraut. The woman looked at me like I was a middle class pervert and wrote down sower krat and then when I was explaining it had to be unpasteurised, she looked at me blankly, ''for the gut biome'' I explained. I could tell she was tempted to call security.

All of these kimchi pots and sauerkraut pots are unavailable on amazon. Everybody's making their own.

Ok. They make it easier but aren't essential. Basically you need to keep the cabbage below the liquid.
Sterilise a jar and a smooth pebble.
Keep one cabbage leaf whole.
Do the salt and shredded cabbage thing (I use a food mixer as my hands can't keep up the action. You can use a wooden rolling pin and pound it if you want).
Pack the cabbage tightly into a jar, then pour juice over. Put the whole leaf on top inside the jar. It will keep the shreds down. Then the pebble, then the lid. The lid presses on the pebble which presses on the cabbage leaf, so everything is under the juice.

Yeah you can make it your self, I have uncluded my own recipe below. I make kraut all the time and its delicious!

• Green or red cabbage
  ( chopped - remove the core and any scruffy leaves)

• Kosher salt/pink Himalayan salt/ Sea salt ( none iodised) cabbage to salt 1:2.5

Mix salt evenly through the cabbage ( I use rubber gloves for this) leave it approx 3 hours, mixing cabbage with the salt now and again then place in and sealed container, ( helps with lacto fermentation) I find the clip lock jars are the best as they allow fermentation to form quicker.

Remember to burp it now and again.

Then store in a dark place for 10 to 12 days during winter and less during warmer months.

Remember to release the gas as it can errupt.

Wow, found these two kids in a health food shop earlier, fermented, unpasteurised, I tasted them both. The kimchi is hot. Mouth burning.

Yay! I've dug out my pot and a red cabbage. I'm going to rekindle the sauerkraut.

I have never made red cabbage sauerkraut. Adds to list.

Respect to the people making their own 🙌

Those who use a special pot to make kimchi, does it contain the smell better than a regular jar? DH tried making it years ago and it was very tasty but not worth the smell pervading the house

Yes, absolutely!

Here's my pot and cabbage underway.
The inner lid helps contain the windy smell! I'll let you know how it goes.

560g cabbage, 13g salt. Just wondering what spice to add- probably dill. Maybe chilli...