Spicy Beet Sauerkraut

Keeping a healthy gut is important!  Did you know that roughly 80 percent of your immunity originates there?  Or that your mood or even your skin’s clarity can be affected by it being off?  Well, it can!  So, it is important to eat foods that feed the healthy bacteria that live in there.  Fermented foods like sauerkraut are great for that!  I always keep a jar of sauerkraut in hand in my refrigerator to add to salads or sandwiches, or just snack on.  The recipe I am sharing with you today is really delicious and unusual.  I add beets to give it a lovely color as well as more fiber, and jalapenos, garlic and ginger to make it spicy.  It is really quite simple to make, and trust me, it is super satisfying to know that you made it yourself, and you are keeping yourself healthy by enjoying eating it!

Author: Amy Lyons O’Neil

Amy has worked for Fresh and Natural Foods since 2006 contributing to the variety of healthful foods we offer. She graduated with a degree in studio art from Bethel University in 2007, but in her senior year of college, found that her passion was with the art of food. She later used her photography and culinary skills to create a vegan food and recipe blog, Fragrant Vanilla Cake. She has also written 3 cookbooks. She specializes in vegan and vegetarian recipes. Local, fresh and organic food has always been her focus in whatever she creates.

Twitter Facebook

Servings: 24 | Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Ready in: 7-10 days

Ingredients

• 1 large head green cabbage, shredded and 3 large leaves reserved
• 1 medium beet, cut julienne
• 1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 2 jalapenos, sliced
• 1 1/2 Tbsp sea salt
• Filtered water as needed
• 1 large 8 cup jar with a wide mouth

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine the sliced cabbage, beet, ginger, garlic and jalapenos with the sea salt. Massage with your hands, squeezing it until you get a good amount of water out of the cabbage at the bottom of the bowl and it is softened a little. Place in the 8 cup jar, pressing out any air, and pour in the extra water at the bottom of the bowl. Top with the reserved cabbage leaves. If the water does not rise above the cabbage in the jar, pour filtered water over it so it does (you want all the cabbage completely submerged). Put a weight on top of the cabbage leaves so that they stay submerged (I used a small prep bowl that fit inside the jar) you do not want the cabbage exposed to the air. Cover the jar with a towel and place it somewhere where it will not be disturbed like in a closet (and you may want to set it on a tray in case it leaks a little). Check it every few days to make sure it does not have any mold on the top, and if it does simply remove it with a spoon (the rest is ok as long as it is in the brine). After 7 days, it should be ready (or when it is fermented to your liking, I just find that mine is usually done after 7). Store in the fridge. If you can not fit the big jar in there, transfer to smaller ones.