Have you caught the fermenting bug yet?

Sauerkraut- There's something about that tangy jar of veggie goodness that just gets me excited... If you haven't caught the bug yet, let me tell you about my experiences.

Now I'm no naturopath, or health expert at all. If I had to label myself I would use words such as 'health aware', 'self taught' and 'body conscious'. I have learnt to listen to my body, and everything I know has really been learnt through reading, and also having some very talented naturopathic friends who's knowledge I do my best to absorb like a sponge. 

So recently I heard about the important gut-brain connection- basically what it boils down to is that our gut controls almost every aspect of our bodies, not just the physical side, but also the emotional side, so if your gut isn't in top-notch condition then there's a good chance you'll be feeling..... well, CRAP!

Anxiety is something that I deal with regularly so when I heard about the importance of a healthy belly and the almighty power of the sauerkraut with its awesome gut bacteria ready to fight a war against all the existing baddies in my belly I was more than willing to add this to my diet. Not only was it tasty, but it's within budget too!

Until recently, I have been enjoying jar after jar of the Koa Koa cultured veg... just a few spoonfuls a couple of times a day is all it takes. It's amazing what those few spoonfuls can do to you- within 24 hours you'll notice how much better things are moving (I won't get too graphic here, but I'm sure you get my drift!). My favourite Koa Koa jar is the Classic Kraut, but if you prefer a milder taste, then the Red Kraut and Apple is perfect especially for kids to try. But really, they are all good!! Just recently we had a cabbage shortage which affected Koa Koa- life's been tough- but with organics when something's not available, its really not available! Cabbages don't like summer, which makes it tough on us sauerkraut lovers!

So 2 weeks ago, I spotted cabbages on the wholesale price list again, Hallelujah! I knew things were looking up.... and with the arrival of cabbages at FROG, I got a message from Koa Koa to say that the next batch of krauts were made and ready for delivery... happy days. But the story doesn't end there.....

You see I've heard of people making their own sauerkraut, I have friends that make it, and they all go on about how easy it is, but when I've looked at the instructions on how to make it, I was put off by the fact that it was so labour intensive...you've got to massage it for what sounded like hours..... ain't nobody got time for that- certainly not the FROG lady, so I took it off my bucket list and grabbed another Koa Koa jar.

But on the last FROG delivery before Easter we happened to have an extra cabbage- looking at the circumstances I took it as a sign that the time had come to suck it up and try making my own kraut- not only did I have a large cabbage that needed a purpose, but I also had time off!!!!!!! So I took this cabbage home, placed it in the fridge and stared at it for a few days- yes sometimes you need to psyche yourself up for new fermenting adventures.

The time came when I knew that it was time to get serious, so I did what we all do- I got on google and googled my way through to find the easiest way to make sauerkraut- emphasis on EASY! And I found it here!!!!

This recipe stated that NO, you don't need to massage that cabbage till the cows come home, simply chop it finely, massage it with salt for 30 seconds or so (now that's what I'm talking about!!) and then go live your life (hooray!) whilst leaving it on the bench to work its magic for the next 8 hours... I've just hit lazy-fermenters heaven!

So here I am all geared up and ready to do this! I'm chopping up that cabbage, excited about my new adventure, when I stab myself in the palm of my hand with the huge, super sharp kitchen knife! YOUCH! Anyone would think this fermenting adventure is well and truly over- and with a regular sauerkraut recipe it would have been, after all how is anyone to massage cabbage for an extended period of time with a life-threatening (slight exaggeration) injury?? 

Well it is school holidays, and I do have 2 kids loitering around, so guess who got called in- they had a blast getting in that cabbage and working that salt through, and I was almost disappointed that they were only required for 30 SECONDS!!! 

So fast-forward 8 hours, the cabbage sat covered on the bench whilst the salt (and no elbow-grease!) worked its magic. That night I squashed it all down into two 1lt glass jars of cabbagy goodness- that cabbage condenses a-lot! And then I waited....

Today is the 6th day since I bottled my kraut. I've been taste testing it since day 3, and today I couldn't wait any longer. So this lunchtime I decided it was time to eat that first jar. The verdict- well I have to admit that its not as good as the Koa Koa, but I think this is partly because I haven't been patient enough to let it ferment any longer, so I've started eating one jar and I'm leaving the other one to ferment more and hopefully get a little more of that yummy vinegar taste.. oh and I accidentally added too much salt- not the recipes fault, I just thought I knew better and added 3TBS of himalayan salt instead of the 2 I was told to put in.. but hey, not bad for a first attempt!

So, guess whats going into my box this week.... yep, it's time for a second attempt at perfecting my kraut- will you join me?