The Homely Cabbage Transforms into a Super Food

Probiotics are expensive, but for just pennies on the dollar, you can make your own. Fermented foods can turn your garden cabbage into powerful homemade probiotics.

This is a “medicine” that so easy and yet has so many benefits. We’re big on prevention, and sauerkraut has top shelf in our health chest.

The bad news: most store bought sauerkrauts do not contain the beneficial sauerkraut probiotic strains our guts need for optimum health.

The good news: you can make your own, or find the few brands that are almost as good as homemade. These are most often found in the refrigerated deli section of your grocery store.

So don’t worry. If you simply can’t—or don’t want to—make your own, we’ll share below the very best brands of sauerkraut you can buy for the healthiest percentage of active probiotic cultures.

My husband, Coleman, started making sauerkraut for us. Not being particularly fond of it, I mostly left it alone, but it seemed the more I tried to ignore it, the more I kept accidentally running into information on the amazing health benefits of sauerkraut.

Then Coleman said that after a serving of sauerkraut he feels noticeably better, almost ebullient, within minutes of consuming it. It’s no secret that sauerkraut is good for gut health due to the probiotic benefit, so I couldn’t ignore it any longer.

We’re big on growing and consuming healthy foods, so I gave in, and now consume a daily dose! I suppose it’s a cheek puckering forehead scrunching acquired taste, but one that your body loves, even if your tongue protests.

Turns out, sauerkraut could make a super foods list for all its health benefits.

Health Benefits of Sauerkraut

• Blood flow – iron content increases blood flow which elevates:^[1]https://www.newhealthadvisor.org/Sauerkraut-Health-Benefits.html
  • circulation
  • cognition
  • metabolism
• Bone density health^[2]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4425157/
• Cholesterol reduction^[3]https://hopkinsdiabetesinfo.org/7-foods-to-eat-to-lower-cholesterol/
• Circulatory system^[4]https://www.newhealthadvisor.org/Sauerkraut-Health-Benefits.html
• Cognition ^[5]https://www.newhealthadvisor.org/Sauerkraut-Health-Benefits.html
• Digestive health – due to high fiber content and probiotics ^[6]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4058509/
• Energy boost^[7]https://www.wellandgood.com/sauerkraut-benefits/
• Eyesight – antioxidant benefits decrease macular degeneration^[8]https://facty.com/food/nutrition/10-super-health-benefits-of-sauerkraut/
• Heart health – except for high sodium content so check labels and with your health advisor^[9]https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/benefits-of-sauerkraut#4.-May-help-you-lose-weight
• Immunity booster^[10]https://cen.acs.org/biological-chemistry/microbiome/Sauerkraut-bacteria-signal-immune-system/97/i21
• Inflammation reduction^[11]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8147091/

REFERENCE: Study on Anti-Inflammatory and Immunomodulatory Properties of Fermented Plant Foods^[12]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8147091/

So get started making sauerkraut with your early summer cabbage crops to boost your immune system for fall. By the time the “winter cabbage” is ready, you can make more batches to boost your system against winter ills.

Of course, once one batch is ready, it’s time to start making the next so you’ll always have some on hand. In which case we buy organic heads if we need to make some in between garden harvests.

It was recently reported that sauerkraut topped the charts of probiotics, surpassing that of over-the-counter probiotics purchased. ^[13]https://nourishingplot.com/2014/06/21/sauerkraut-test-divulges-shocking-probiotic-count/

“Dr. Mercola sent his sauerkraut off to a lab and reported the findings of probiotics saying, “We had it analyzed. We found in a 4-6 ounce serving of the fermented vegetables there were literally ten trillion bacteria.”

That means 2 ounces of home fermented sauerkraut^[14]https://nourishingplot.com/2014/06/16/making-sauerkraut-at-home-in-3-easy-steps/ had more probiotics than a bottle of 100 count probiotic capsules. Translated this means one 16 ounce of sauerkraut is equal to 8 bottles of probiotics.”

Your homemade sauerkraut can be worth over $200 in probiotic capsules.
GardensAll.com

Probiotics typically cost around $25 per 30-count bottle for 35 billion CFUs (Less for lower CFUs – Colony Forming Unit in Microbiology). A head of cabbage from your garden is basically free, and just a portion of a serving of homemade sauerkraut would be worth over $200 in probiotics. WOW!!

Sauerkraut Probiotic Strains

By Aglaee Jacob on LiveStrong.com

Four main species of lactic acid bacteria are commonly present in sauerkraut: Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Lactobacillus brevis, Pediococcus pentosaceus and Lactobacillus plantarum.

Sauerkraut also can contain other species, such as Weissella species, Lactobacillus curvatus, Lactobacillus sakei, Lactobacillus coryniformis, Lactococcus lactis subsp lactis, Leuconostoc fallax, Leuconostoc citreum and Leuconostoc argentinum, according to the December 2007 issue of “Applied and Environmental Microbiology.”

Each batch of sauerkraut can contain different species of gut-friendly probiotics in different proportions, making your sauerkraut a different combination of probiotics each time.^[15]https://www.livestrong.com/article/413921-does-sauerkraut-have-all-the-probiotics-i-need/

Healthy Guts are Like Healthy Soil

So, even if you don’t particularly care for sauerkraut, chances are it may be just the thing your body needs to heal and keep you healthy!

CAUTION: If you’re on a low-sodium diet you can significantly reduce the amount of salt used for curing your kraut.

OH! And by the way, cabbage and sauerkraut are beneficial for weight loss and all kinds of gut problems, and our gut is akin to the soil of our garden. Health body begins there in the same way that a healthy garden begins with the soil, so eat your veggies and kraut!

Most store-bought sauerkraut cannot compare to the health benefits of fermented foods because it is pasteurized, which kills the probiotic content.

And lastly, the store bought brand that has the most probiotic content?

Bubbies sauerkraut is the one store-bought brand, sold refrigerated, that has the most probiotic value. So for when you don’t have time to make your own, or run out in between batches you might want to have Bubbies on hand for backup. Because here’s the thing…

Daily consumption of probiotic rich fermented foods is immensely beneficial to the digestive system and overall health.

For more on fermentation you may also enjoy this homesteading article that includes fermented food recipes featuring a GardensAll community member who healed some of her many health issues through the use of fermented foods.

If you’re really into this topic and want to learn more from fermentation expert Sandor Katz, you may enjoy this video conversation on the topic.

Let us know how it goes, and send pictures if you make it.

And… the top 3 highest probiotic foods? Yogurt, kefir and sauerkraut. Oh… and #4…? Dark chocolate!! ? Happy dance! Only thing, for optimum health, we just need to find ways to enjoy the chocolate without all the sugar!^[16]https://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/probiotic-foods/

Benefits of Fermented Foods That You Can Make Yourself

Fermentation is a centuries old method for preserving food. Most gardeners preserve their vegetables by drying, freezing, canning and fermenting foods. Long before refrigeration was ever even a seed of an idea, fermentation was the method for preserving food.

Fermentation for preservation is not just for harvest time. We’re fermenting organic cabbage year round for the probiotic benefit for just pennies compared to the price of probiotics typically recommended for gut health.

A great way to save money and preserve food off season, is to buy produce when it’s on sale, then preserve it through drying, pickling and fermenting.

The fermentation method of preserving food actually increases the nutritional value of the vegetables unlike other methods where the nutritional values are often diminished.

Fermentation increases the nutritional value of vegetables.

We began making homemade sauerkraut a couple years ago. Apparently you can’t find better natural probiotics for your gut health than with homemade sauerkraut, and sauerkraut from home grown cabbages just can’t be beat.

Purple cabbage provides the most nutritional rich benefits.

Fermented Foods Can Include Most any of Your Favorite Vegetables

After such great benefit and success in making homemade organic sauerkraut we expanded to other vegetables such as cauliflower and okra, and plan to try more. We started by adding some of these in with our cabbage sauerkraut.

My mouth waters just thinking of it! Homemade fermented foods like sauerkraut taste awesome, and cost pennies on the dollar compared to store bought. Not only are you saving significant money in food costs but also in supplements like probiotics and medicines you might need if you’re not consuming enough healthy foods.

Sally Fallon’s book – Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats, will direct you in more nutritional ways of preparing and preserving your food, including fermentation.

SAVES MONEY & IMPROVES HEALTH: Making your own fermented foods is easy and inexpensive and saves money on probiotics supplements.

Fermentation: The Easy, Healthy, and Tasty Way to Preserve Vegetables

What Are the Benefits of Fermented Foods?

Today science is providing the answers on the age old tradition of fermenting food.

Fermented foods are proven to help maintain a healthy digestive microbiome, which is the collection of microorganisms such as the good bacteria key to regulating digestive health, immune function and inflammation in the human body.

Fermented foods contain friendly bacteria (probiotics) that increase the human microbial diversity and contribute to overall health and wellness:

• Boost immune function
• Help prevent gastrointestinal infections
• Improve health of the digestive tract
• Reduce the risk of several cancers
• May contain digestive enzymes (or certain bacteria that help to break down certain molecules, such as lactose)
• May contain novel antioxidants and phytochemicals not found elsewhere
• Could increase content of certain nutrients including the B vitamins
• May contribute to more positive mental health through multiple mechanisms

A diet rich in fermented foods enhances the diversity of gut microbes and decreases molecular signs of inflammation. 

SOURCE: Stanford School of Medicine research, July 12, 2021 Fermented Food Diet Study, Sonnenburg, et al.

While exact mechanisms are still under study it is thought that fermented foods may modify gut pH, out-compete pathogenic bacteria for nutrients, stimulate immune modulating cells among other possible paths.

If you have any gastrointestinal issues, then fermented foods are key to creating a happy, healthy gut. Aim for at least a serving every day and experiment to see which ones make you feel your best!

When buying fermented foods look for a clean ingredient list to ensure you’re getting only the good stuff.

Ready to ferment foods yourself?

Healthy Probiotic Rich Fermented Foods Include

• Cottage cheese
• Kefir
• Kimchi
• Kombucha tea
• Miso
• Sauerkraut
• Vegetable brine drinks
• Yogurt

Unique Fermented Food Recipes

Lacto-fermented Mustard

By Nishanga Bliss on EatingRules.com

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup whey or pickle brine
• ½ cup mustard seeds (brown or yellow—the brown are hotter and will make a spicier mustard)
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots or ½ tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• salt (if using whey)

We love mustard, so will definitely be trying this one as well!

For instructions: Eating Rules^[17]https://eatingrules.com/fermented-mustard/

 

Fermented Probiotic Lemonade with Whey and Honey

INGREDIENTS

• 6½ cups filtered water
• ½ cup fresh squeezed organic lemon juice, (or 100% pure squeezed organic lemon juice
• ½ cup organic evaporated cane juice (or sucanat)
• ½ cup liquid whey

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Place all of the ingredients in a large glass jar or pitcher with a tight-fitting lid.
2. Shake well to dissolve the sugar.
3. Let stand at room temperature for two days, then refrigerate.

Makes 2 quarts, or 1/2 gallon

YUM! We’re trying this next time we make homemade paneer, which results in a lot of extra liquid whey. Hmm… wonder if we can make a liquid whey using our favorite whey powder…? Not sure but we’ll put that on our list to try too. If you try this, please let us know how it turns out, and we’ll report back here as well.

Recipe adapted from Nourishing Traditions.

To get a jumpstart on making your own fermented beverage like the popular kombucha, you can purchased a Kombucha kit, with everything you need to make your first brew.

You may also enjoy this fermented foods article and recipes.

Making Sauerkraut in a Crock

As mentioned, we favor the red or purple cabbage for making sauerkraut as it’s just looks prettier, plus the more darkly colored the vegetables, the more the nutrients. Coleman enjoys making the sauerkraut as part therapy because he can legitimately pound something to a pulp. ?

We use a 2 Gallon Crock Kit from Ohio Stoneware. Coleman likes to shred it using this cabbage Shredder by Weston (makes fast work of cabbage shredding, BUT, be sure to wear protective gloves)!

Coleman uses these cut resistant safety gloves by ChefsGrade (you need protection for your hands when grating).

For the salt, we use this gourmet Himalayan salt, 1lb Extra-Fine Grain, Sherpa pink.
Please let us know how it goes!

Keep healthy and growing!

Keep on growing!