John served as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints in the North Central States Mission, from 1963 through 1965. While serving in Minnesota, he reports it seemed nearly every home, his nose was assaulted by the odiferous ‘rotting cabbage’ brewing in a crock behind their wood burning stoves. He had no intentions of ever inserting such a vile concoction into his mouth.
Wikipedia describes it: “Sauerkraut is finely cut raw cabbage that has been fermented by various lactic acid bacteria. It has a long shelf life and a distinctive sour flavor, both of which result from the lactic acid formed when the bacteria ferment the sugars in the cabbage leaves.” 1 Cup = 6 carbs
Healthline states “Due to the fermentation it undergoes, sauerkraut offers nutrition and health benefits far beyond those of fresh cabbage. Sauerkraut fermentation creates conditions that promote the growth of beneficial probiotics. Probiotics are bacteria that provide powerful health benefits. They also help make foods more digestible, which increases your gut’s ability to absorb the vitamins and minerals they contain.”
From 1965 to 2016, John held firm. But not all sauerkrauts are created equal. After we moved To Florida, John enrolled in a nutritional education program through the VA called… TeleMove. His weight had crept up to 232 pounds. We learned to count calories and worked on portion control and experimented with different foods. John was so committed to follow the guidelines, he finally tasted Bubbas Sauerkraut (found in the refrigerated section at Publix)… and began adding it to his salads, enabling him to cut down on salad dressings’ And he got his weight down to 184 pounds!
Since I began my Journey, my friend Peggy Norwick told me “It is really simple to make your own sauerkraut and it is so yummy.” She was right!
John processes a head of cabbage through our Bosh grater, so it is nice and fine (for those of us with chewing issues). I put the grated cabbage into a crock (you can use a glass bowl).
The only other ingredient we add is 1 Tblsp SEA salt. The other critical element of the process is to cover the cabbage with a plate or lid and add weight. (I use a half gal. juice bottle filled with water for my weight.) After stiring in the salt, the cabbage will break down creating enough juice, the cabbage is all submerged.
I then drape a dishtowel over and around the bottle weight and crock to avod drawing fruit flies and leave it sitting close to the stove. Three or four days is all it takes. When the desired flavor is achieved.. store in the refrigerator to slow fermentation.
Standing up to Parkinson's 