Pineapple Sauerkraut

Last year I made heaps of different batches of sauerkraut and other fermented vegetables. Not all of them were successful, the beetroot turned out a little slimy, the carrot to gingery. And my first batch of sauerkraut was a little sad. Changing jars, the second batch was amazing!
With sauerkraut the trick is in slicing the cabbage as thinly as possible, a thicker cut keeps you pounding for a very long time to get the juices flowing. I found that my mixer attachment can slice very thinly, making todays session a breeze.
I saw this recipe for Pineapple Turmeric Sauerkraut last year, it’s very detailed and easy to follow, but  it wasn’t pineapple time, until this week....

Grating in fresh turmeric and ginger. 

Our biggest sauerkraut lover, happy to help. High Five!

Lacto-Fermentation is the traditional way of storing excess (garden) produce for leaner times, a nice bonus is that it’s also a very cost effective probiotic. Boosting your immunity for all those winter colds. There is no need for great quantities of sugar and or vinegar as modern pickling does, just a scoop of salt, the veggies will bring along their own beneficial bacterias that will do all the hard work for you.

It’s all ridiculously easy, once you have a good fermenting vessel. There are heaps on he market, pretty ones with air locks and proper kraut crocks. But they can be quite pricey for someone who is just giving this a try.
I find these glass jars with rubber rings work perfect. Air can’t get in, very important to prevent spoilage. But gas, building up during fermentation, can work it’s way out along the seal, without blowing up the jar! They’re available in many sizes and are besides fermenting also very handy in storing things like granola, pulses, flour,...

I just found another recipe for Raw Pickled Ginger Carrots, one of the many recipes and advice on Fermented Food Lab, it looks very promising. Come winter time, I think the kids will love these too.