Simple Sauerkraut Recipe

Sauerkraut is a powerful superfood. Full of probiotics and antioxidants, it fights inflammation in the gut, boosts immunity and maintains a harmonious inner ecosystem. While I love all fermented vegetables, sauerkraut is my favorite and I eat it every day!Store-bought sauerkraut, as convenient as it may be, does not compare to home-made. There is no telling how much beneficial bacteria it actually contains, and is usually quite expensive (for a head of shredded cabbage). Many of the store-bought brands are also comprised mainly of water and sold in plastic containers. The chemical compounds in plastic are shown to kill beneficial micro-organisms, so that's another thing to keep in mind. This is why I always (except when traveling) make my own.Ingredients:

• 1 head of cabbage (I go for green as it doesn't stain)
• 1 Tbs Celtic or Himalayan salt
• 2 cloves garlic (optional)
• I glass mason jar
• 1 glass or ceramic bowl
• 1 small towel

Directions:

1. Finely chop cabbage or shred in a food processor, avoiding the rind.
2. Let sit in glass bowl and mix with salt and chopped garlic cloves
3. Place a slightly smaller bowl on top filled with water. This will add some pressure to the shredded cabbage and help it wilt.
4. Put a towel over the two bowls and let sit for 30 minutes while the cabbage sweats out some of its liquid.
5. Pack the salted cabbage/ garlic mix into a glass mason jar. With each handful, make sure to press it down as much as possible. For this I usually use a smaller jar with a flat bottom. The goal is to release the juices and reduce air in the jar.
6. Pack the jar until it is about 1 inch from the top. There should be a small brine of liquid covering the cabbage. Because you want to keep sauerkraut submerged under the brine I suggest placing a cabbage leaf on top with either a clean rock or shot glass and leaving 1-2 inches of headspace.
7. Screw on the lid and leave sit for at least 3-4 days.  It's optimal to leave it out for a month or two so that you get high amounts of probiotics but I usually can't wait that long. This is why I suggest making it in bulk so that a few jars can have time to really ferment.
8. When fermentation is done move to refrigerator and enjoy!

If you've never had sauerkraut, start small. A few tablespoons at every meal will get your taste buds and gut acclimated!