I’ve talked before about the wonders of sauerkraut as a fermented food and detailed my husband’s method of making it. With just a few simple ingredients and tools it’s very easy to turn ordinary cabbage into extraordinary sauerkraut. And for a heavy hit of good bacteria (probiotics) homemade is the only way to go.
Homemade versus store-bought sauerkraut
Being increasingly curious about the gut and digestive health Michael Mosley, the British doctor and TV presenter, recently explored the good bacteria in sauerkraut. His findings suggest that homemade and store-bought sauerkraut are far from comparable. In a nutshell he compared the probiotic count in the two types of sauerkraut, and found the homemade variety to contain much more good bacteria. Why? Because store-bought sauerkraut is typically pasteurised (heat treated) to be shelf-stable – and this process kills bacteria.
When it comes to the probiotic count of homemade sauerkraut the numbers are staggering. In writing this post I discovered that every mouthful of homemade sauerkraut contains billions of beneficial microbes. And as little as 100g (around 4 ounces) contains trillions (!). So it really is worth getting stuck in and making your own.
Sauerkraut Spice Mixes
I can’t take any credit for the monthly batch of sauerkraut that comes out of my kitchen. My husband does all of the hard work and, even after a couple of years of making it, he continues to refine and improve his technique. His most recent sauerkraut making morning was a spice mix experiment – the results of which I’m sharing here.
Use these spice mixes in conjunction with my earlier post that explains in detail how to make sauerkraut.
- 1 tbsp salt
- 6 cloves of garlic
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 tbsp fennel seeds
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1-3 fresh red chillies
- Small bunch of coriander / cilantro
- 1 tbsp salt
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 2 thumb sized pieces of fresh ginger
- 1 tsp each of cumin, coriander and fennel seeds
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1-2 fresh green chillies
Method
- In a pestle and mortar add all of the spice mix ingredients. Grind to create a paste.
- Prepare your base cabbage and salt mixture (steps 1 and 2 in the method here) but deduct 1 tbsp of salt (to allow for the salt used in the spice mix).
- Mix your prepared spice mix through the cabbage and salt base.
- Follow steps 4 to 9 in my earlier post here to get to your finished product.
I hope this post inspires you to grab a cabbage and give homemade sauerkraut a go! In the meantime I almost forgot to mention that I’m sharing this post as part of Fiesta Friday #179. I’m lucky enough to be hosting this week alongside Angie and also the lovely Petra from Food Eat Love. If you’re keen to bring your post to the party then be sure to check out the rules and guidelines here.
Laura
Other fermented / pickle recipe posts:
- Beetroot pickle – with apple cider vinegar
- Indian tomato kasundi relish
- Mango chutney/pickle – Indian style
- Onion relish (sugar free & fermented)
Probiotics are soooo good for you. This looks easy and I must try it. Of course, I love the Mex spices.
Tracey
Thanks Tracey – it really is easy and from the second attempt you’ll barely need the help of a recipe. Good luck!
Will try this soon. Thanks
Great – be sure to reach out if you have any questions!
Sure, thanks
Love sauerkraut and homemade is a special treat. When I had my big country garden I grew cabbage mainly to make sauerkraut. Your recipes are good as they are for a small amount and anyone can do this 🙂
Lovely words Aunt Juju – thank you. Sounds like you had a large scale impressive sauerkraut operation going on!
See my old post Homemade Sauerkraut and all of the cabbage I grew one year in my garden 🙂
Thanks – will do!
I have always wanted to make sauerkraut at home. Thanks for the recipe. What is the shelf life?
Hi Suchitra – once fermented sauerkraut would keep for ages – easily a year I’d suggest. Ideally in a cool and dark spot. Thanks for stopping by!
I know this is good for you but how do I learn to love sauerkraut?
A little goes a long way Liz – I have been reading that to maximise the health benefits just a tablespoon daily is recommend – it seems frequency versus dosage is key. That could make it easier to stomach as they say!
I’ll try it again, I like the seasoning mixes you are using.
Good luck Liz – keep me posted!
Brilliant spice mix. Saving to my Recipes Pinterest board so everyone can find it!
Thank you – glad you appreciate it and yes spices take sauerkraut to a whole new level!
I don’t doubt it. This is why I love Fiesta Friday; I learn so much and spend time with cool cooks, er, fermenters.
Probiotics are so good and you have certainly inspired me to make my own sauerkraut!
That’s so good to hear Sandhya!
I love sauerkraut! I didn’t realize how easy it was to make at home and it’s so much healthier. Thanks for sharing:)
Hi Lily – I’m glad you’ve learnt something and yes as I mention homemade sauerkraut is typically much richer in good bacteria. Let me know if you give it a try!
I love sauerkraut but I’ve never had homemade! Yours look like they are full of flavor! Both the Mexican and Indian spices sound delicious! Happy Fiesta Friday and thanks for co-hosting!!
If you’ve never had homemade and you’re a sauerkraut fan then you must give this a go – it’s even easier if you don’t add spices.
This looks so good, Laura. So much better than any store bought. I am definitely making this. I adore cabbage and this would be so versatile. Think I’ll start with the Mexican spice mix. Thank you!
Thank you for the lovely words Tracey – funny I haven’t even got round to trying the store bought variety because I was hooked on the homemade stuff after my husband’s first batch. Do let me know how your try goes – and any feedback on my method is always welcomed.
Well I for one, love sauerkraut, but in small doses! I will try this for sure.!
Mollie – the good news it that small doses are perfect, in fact I’ve been reading that little and often is better for your gut than a big dose infrequently!
I have a couple of cabbages that needs eating at the allotment and will absolutely give this a go! I have never made sauerkraut but it has been on my to do list for a long time, am inspired! And thank you for co hosting the lovely foodie Fiesta Friday with me 🙂
Petra – you will master sauerkraut very quickly I am sure and lucky you to have cabbages ready to go. Thanks again for co-hosting with me – it made my weekend!
hi Laura
I can’t stop thinking of vegetables to use, a whole new foodie project, I feel inspired 🙂 It was great to co host with you! x
I love sauerkraut for the taste, now I can feel virtuous about eating it.🙃
Yes it’s so good for you – give yourself a big pat on the back!
We had Reuben sandwiches tonite! Which I love because of the sauerkraut 😋😋 I’ve always wanted to make my own sauerkraut, and you’ve convinced me to actually take the plunge. Hopefully before I go back to work I can do it. Thanks for cohosting, Laura!
Yes Angie you must give it a go and no problem on co-hosting – I enjoyed it!
I am Polish, so this is right up my alley–growing up we made sauerkraut from cabbage in our garden every year!
Wow I’m impressed, I’d love to hear about any tips you have for homemade sauerkraut….
We would do large batch sauerkraut with some antique equipment. Next time I visit my parents, I’ll take some photos and pick my mom’s brain
Sounds good! Would love to hear more.
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Another recipe I would like to try…so far I have eating store bought sauerkraut, but I agree that definitely home made would be much better for our gut health. Hoping to try your husband’s recipe very soon.
Thank you – I’m glad to have inspired you and yes home made is so much better because of the heat treatment used with commercial sauerkraut…..I’m lucky that my husband has perfected his sauerkraut and so we always have a few jars in our basement fermenting away!