Sold on Sauerkraut?

[Guest guest]

Today's QuestionSold on Sauerkraut?

 

My neighbor says that sauerkraut is the best food in the world for health. I

can’t stand the stuff, and she gets furious with me. Is she right?

 

-- Jeanette Carles

Today's Answer(Published 07/24/2003)

Sauerkraut may not be the best food in the world for health, but your neighbor

is right about fresh sauerkraut being very good for you. The friendly

lactobacilli created in the fermenting process by which cabbage is transformed

into sauerkraut aid digestion, increase vitamin levels, produce a variety of

beneficial enzymes and promote the growth of healthy flora throughout the

digestive tract. And in a study published in the October 23, 2002 Journal of

Agricultural and Food Chemistry Finnish researchers reported that fermenting

cabbage produces compounds known as isothiocyanates, shown in laboratory studies

(in test tubes and animals) to prevent the growth of cancer. There’s no

evidence, yet, that these compounds have the same effect in humans, but we do

know that isothiocyanates occur naturally in broccoli and brussel sprouts,

vegetables which appear to be protective against cancer.

 

From a nutritional point of view sauerkraut is a great food choice. It is fat

free, and one cup amounts to only 44 calories, provides eight grams of fiber and

plenty of vitamin C. The downside to sauerkraut is its salt content. To make

sauerkraut you shred cabbage, add salt and wait for it to ferment. The salt

draws out the cabbage juice, which contains sugar. The juice and sugar ferment

forming lactic acid, which creates sauerkraut’s tangy flavor. But sauerkraut is

one of the saltiest foods available, containing much too much sodium for people

with high blood pressure and heart disease. If you rinse and soak sauerkraut in

cold water before you eat it, you can lower the sodium content considerably.

 

Many peoples in the world, including Germans, Japanese and Chinese, consider it

important to include fermented foods in their diets. Natural pickles, Korean

Kimchi, tempeh and miso (made from soy) as well as high quality yogurt are all

sources of the friendly cultures found in sauerkraut. Unfortunately, most of

today’s commercially available sauerkraut is pasteurized and “dead” – that is,

it lacks the beneficial bacterial cultures that make it so good for us. Instead,

all you get is a lot of salt. To get the health benefits, look for fresh

sauerkraut in the refrigerated sections of natural food stores and in barrels in

delicatessens that still make their own. Or, even better, make it yourself --

it’s not that difficult.

 

Dr. Andrew Weil Ph. D.

 

www.drweil.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

, JoAnn Guest

<angelprincessjo> forwarded Dr Weil writing:

> To get the health benefits, look for fresh sauerkraut in

> the refrigerated sections of natural food stores and in

> barrels in delicatessens that still make their own.

 

Our natural food store carries two brands of sauerkraut in a jar, one

on a shelf and one in the refrigerated section. The refrigerated one

(Bubbies) is still pasteurized. If the little " button " on the jar lid

is sucked down, it's been pasteurized. Don't be fooled into thinking

sauerkraut is raw simply because it's in the fridge section.

 

>Or, even better, make it yourself -- it's not that difficult.

 

Making sauerkraut is incredibly easy if you invest in a Harsch

fermentation crock. The Harsch crock has an airlock lid that allows

the CO2 released during fermentation to purge the crock of oxygen.

That prevents yeast scum from forming on the kraut juice's surface,

giving the finished kraut an off taste.

 

The recipe I use is 10 pounds shredded cabbage and 5 tablespoons

quality salt (Celtic or Real Salt). I get perfect batches every time.

 

There are a lot of sites selling Harsch crocks. The two gallon crock

typically sells for around $110. Here is one such site I found via

Google:

 

http://www.wisementrading.com/foodpreserving/harsch_crocks.htm

 

John