FERMENTATION STATION!!!!

First batch ever!

A few people have asked for my sauerkraut recipe, so here you go.

Fermented foods are one of the best ways to boost immunity. The live cultures help to balance the healthy and not-so-healthy bacteria in your gut, which is a good thing, because it leaves your system less hospitable to bugs. Remember, one of the best gages of optimal health is a healthy gut; incorporating fermented foods into your diet on the regular is a great way to heal and support your entire system. Pill form is one option; if you have time, creating your own ferments at home is easy and fun and you can have your very own fermentation station bubbling away right in your own kitchen. It's a simple way to really feel good about yourself as it's really easy and the results are amazing! Plus, the flavor adds a pop to everything, whether eaten right out of the jar or sprinkled over your salad or sandwich.

In the words of Sandor Ellix Katz, High Priest of all things fermented,

"By eating a variety of live fermented foods, you promote diversity among microbial cultures in your body....Biodiversity is just as important at the micro level. Call it micro-biodiversity. Your body is an ecosystem that can function most effectively when polulated by diverse species of microorganisms. Sure, you can buy 'probiotic' nutritional supplements containing specific selected bacteria that promote healthy digestion. But by fermenting foods and drinks with wild microorganisms present in your home environment, you become more interconnected with the life forces of the world around you. Your environment becomes you, as you invite the microbial populations you share the earth with to enter your diet and your intestinal ecology."

Now if that isn't case enough, I don't know what is...

On to the recipe!!!

Simple Raw Sauerkraut 

What you'll need to start:

• A big bowl
• Quart size mason jars

Ingredients

• One head of cabbage (any color you like)
• Sea Salt (a few tablespoons)
• Water
• I'm not kidding it's that simple*

Instructions:

1. Peel off the outermost leaves of cabbage, and set aside.
2. Cut the head of cabbage into thin strips. Place a third of the lettuce into a large mixing bowl. Add a thin layer of salt. Roll up your sleeves.
3. Begin massaging the cabbage until it begins to soften and water starts to release. After the water is squeezed out, add the second third of cabbage, a thin layer of salt, and get squeezing. Complete with the last third of cabbage and salt. At this point, there will be a small pool of water accumulating at the bottom of the bowl.
4. Grab your mason jars. Usually I need two for one head of cabbage. Put half the cabbage in each jar. Compress the cabbage until it is tightly packed. I usually use a tall shot glass to push it down. You want the water to squeeze out so much so that the cabbage is completely submerged in water. 
5. Take the whole cabbage leaves you had set aside. Place them in the jar so that they completely cover the sauerkraut. At this point you may need to add a bit more filtered water so that the water line is above the cabbage.
6. To keep your sauerkraut compressed, you'll need to place a weight on top of the cabbage. I usually use a shot glass, but find something in your kitchen that fits inside the mason jar. 
7. Place your jars in a dark-ish place, and cover with a cheesecloth or cloth napkin. They need to sit for at least two weeks, and you should check them every day or so to make sure mold doesn't appear. If you do spot mold growth, simply scoop it out ASAP and make sure there is enough water in your jars. It's not a big deal as long as you catch it right away. 
8. After two weeks, your sauerkraut is ready! Close off the jars and keep refrigerated, where it will last for a few months. 

*This is the simplest iteration. You can get super creative as the process is incredibly forgiving. Ideas: shredded carrots, diced jalapeno or garlic, thinly sliced apples, two different colored cabbages...go nuts!