DOCTOR RAW – Bioactive sauerkraut 500g

Description

Fermentation of sauerkraut

Fermentation can be explained quite well using the production of sauerkraut as an example. To make sauerkraut, fresh white cabbage is first cut into thin strips. The white cabbage already contains natural lactic acid bacteria, which also live in our intestines. The white cabbage is mixed with plenty of salt and mashed with a cabbage masher to release the cell sap. The salt causes the cabbage to release water and also preserves it until lactic acid fermentation begins. Together with the salt, the cell sap forms the so-called brine. The cabbage must be mashed and pressed until it is completely covered by the brine. This creates an oxygen-free environment around the cabbage, which makes lactic acid fermentation possible in the first place. Under anaerobic conditions (without oxygen), the lactic acid bacteria begin to convert the sugar contained in the white cabbage into lactic acid. Through this reaction, the bacteria create an acidic environment in which only they can thrive and harmful putrefactive bacteria have no place. Depending on the temperature, fermentation takes between three and six weeks – the warmer the temperature, the faster fermentation takes place and the longer the cabbage is left to ferment, the more intense the flavor becomes.

Probiotics in sauerkraut

(Probiotics hybrid word from Latin pro ‘for”and ancient Greek bios ‘life’)

Raw, fermented sauerkraut still contains a lot of vitamins and minerals on the one hand and the valuable lactic acid bacteria on the other, which have been able to multiply beautifully during fermentation. These lactic acid bacteria are also part of our intestinal flora, which is why fermented vegetables such as sauerkraut are a great probiotic and can help us to build up our intestinal flora.

Sauerkraut from the tin

However, if you think that sauerkraut from the supermarket contains lots of vitamins and probiotics, you will be disappointed. Conventional sauerkraut from a can or jar is usually pasteurized (heated) after fermentation, which destroys vitamins and probiotics. Unfortunately, most people nowadays only know cooked sauerkraut, although raw sauerkraut tastes at least as good (if not even better ;-)).

What makes it special

…about our fresh sauerkraut is that, unlike canned sauerkraut, we do not stop the fermentation process by pasteurization, but only interrupt it by cooling. This means that all the important ingredients are retained in their original, naturally high concentrations.

It is best to store the fresh sauerkraut in a cool place, otherwise the fermentation process will be interrupted and it will over-acidify.

Our tip: Store the fresh sauerkraut at 2 – 6 °C and eat it raw to enjoy all the benefits of this winter vegetable.