Have you ever tried quality sauerkraut? Not the kind you find as a condiment on bratwurst in a football stadium. I mean the real home made type made from fermented cabbage that adds a deliciously pungent flavor to foods? If the answer is no, you have been missing out on a great tasting food that has some amazing health benefits.
History of Sauerkraut
Sauerkraut is German for “sour cabbage.” It’s believed that laborers working on the Great Wall of China over 2,000 years a go first to made sauerkraut by fermenting shredded cabbage in rice wine. A thousand years later, Ghengis Khan introduced sauerkraut to Europe as part of his empire’s expansion. Later, seamen (including Captain James Cook) relied on sauerkraut to prevent scurvy in sailors during long sea voyages. For more information on the history of sauerkraut click on:
http://easteuropeanfood.about.com/od/vegetables/a/sauerkraut.htm
How Does Cabbage Become Sauerkraut?
Sauerkraut is made by finely shredding cabbage, layering the cabbage with salt, and leaving the mixture to ferment. The naturally occurring air-borne bacteria on the cabbage start the fermentation process. Different bacteria thrive and multiply as sugars are broken down, and the environment becomes increasingly acidic. There are many more details on fermentation that can be found at:
https://www.foodpreservationmethods.com/sauerkraut-kimchi-pickles-relishes/sauerkraut/fermentation
Why Should I Eat Sauerkraut?
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines probiotics as “living microorganisms that provide a health benefit to the host when ingested in adequate amounts.” More simply, probiotics are beneficial bacteria. In fact, they are an important part of a healthy digestive tract. Probiotics have a wide range of health benefits including: managing weight, lowering “bad” cholesterol, decreasing allergies, managing Type 2 diabetes, combating anxiety and depression, and more! To learn more about probiotics, check out the following links:
http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/features/what-are-probiotics
http://www.humanevents.com/2013/04/25/what-are-probiotics-bacteria-with-benefits/
Rejuvenative Raw Sauerkraut
Rejuvenative Sauerkraut is made from cultured cabbage and is a raw, gluten, free, vegan, and non-GMO food. Rejuvenative Sauerkraut is never heated or pasteurized. (Most commercially available sauerkraut is heated which kills the naturally occurring enzymes and beneficial bacteria that are vital for the digestive process.) Most importantly, it is tastey! If I knew sauerkraut could taste this good, I would have been adding it to all of my favorite dishes. Check out the Rejuvenative website for more information on their sauerkraut and other great products!
