Homemade Sauerkraut

In case you were wondering about my lineage (just in case), I am almost completely German. My mother's father was German and her mother was mostly Alsatian (Franco-German). My father's father was German and his mother was Scotch Irish. (Did I get that one right Dad?). With 3 of four grandparents belonging to a generally Germanic background, I always grew up saying that my heritage was German. But unlike the Italian-Americans, I did not get to grow up eating my homeland's food. Why not? Much of my German family came to this country around the turn of the 20th century, while some came over 10-20 years earlier I believe. During WW2, many German-Americans were eager to sluff off their heritage in favor of being Americans. It was very unpopular then to be proud of being descended from the country we were at war with, and later it only became worse when news of atrocities and genocide came out of Europe. What was a family to do except walk away from their culture. Many of my great grand parents spoke German and ate German food. But my maternal grandmother told me many stories about her desire to not be associated with her heritage. She was in her early twenties during Word War 2. I truly feel that this is a shame, because nothing has survived from my family's culture save our American traditions. But I will resurrect them if I can! Today I make Sauerkraut.

This Sauerkraut is nothing like what you buying in those terrible glass jars, all stringy and white and sour from vinegar. Jarred sauerkraut must be pasteurized to be allowed to sit on grocery store shelves indefinitely. And while my sauerkraut is technically preserved, it must be refrigerated in order to halt the fermentation. The longer it sits out, the more sour it becomes. And at a certain point, it definitely is not good eats. But, on the up side my sauerkraut is considered a raw fermented food. It is teeming with live enzymes and it is very good for your tummy!

Sauerkraut-from Nourishing Traditions
One head of green cabbage (You know--I never thought of doing this with red cabbage, but....apparently you can)
One tablespoon of sea salt
One tablespoon of caraway seeds
4 tablespoons of whey (or you could just use an extra table spoon of salt, which is nice if you don't want to go through the trouble of making whey)

Shred the cabbage and place in a large bowl. You could use the food processor, but I find that shredding with a knife makes for a better consistency. sprinkle in the sea salt, caraway seeds and whey. Using the pestle of a mortar and pestle (or some other similar blunt object) mashing the shredded cabbage until it's juices are released. Place in a large mouth quart sized jar and press down firmly with a pounder firmly until the juices rise to the top of the cabbage. The top of the cabbage should be more than 1 inch below the top of the jar (but mine was several inches below--small cabbage). Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for about three days. After then it can be refrigerator. The Sauerkraut can be eaten then, but improves with age.

I made my kraut on a Sunday evening and let it sit. On Thursday morning I put it up in the fridge, but did not serve it for dinner until the following Saturday. I served the cabbage cool (I let it sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before serving) alongside fats links of turkey sausage and mashed potatoes. The kids refused to touch it. But DH, why he loved it! DH is also about half Germanic, though not from the same general vicinity as me. He grew up embracing his culture because much of his family came to this country after the war. When he had my sauerkraut he absolutely loved it. Which meant alot to me. It takes a special man to learn to love his wife's fermented vegetables. He also gave me a great idea. A hot panini with roast beef, swiss cheese and my homemade sauerkraut. Whoa. Now I am hungry.

Enzymes and The Raw Foods Diet

I have planned a couple posts this week regarding enzymes. The first will be a basic introduction into what they are and why they are important. Then I have some foods that I am hoping will help me eat more of these important thingies.

First off, we have all heard of enzymes, but what are they exactly? Enzymes are proteins that are catalysts for a whole host of bodily functions. Catalysts increase or decrease the rates of these functions, like digestion, electrical impulses in the body, neutralizing of pollutants in the body, many many functions require enzymes. Even seemingly simple functions like moving and talking and breathing. One category of enzymes and the one that I am dealing with in this post are the food enzymes. Food enzymes initiate the process of digestion in the mouth and stomach. They includes proteases for digesting protein, lipases for digesting fat and amylases for digesting carbohydrates. These enzymes are in a way "alive" and cooking renders them "dead". So naturally it makes sense that enzymes are found in many raw foods. The pancreas can create many enzymes, but it should not be completely relied upon for supplying all the digestive enzymes needed. Sally Fallon explains in Nourishing Traditions "A diet composed exclusively of cooked food puts a severe strain on the pancreas, drawing down its reserves so to speak. If the pancreas is constantly overstimulated to produce enzymes thatought to be in foods, the result over time will be inhibited function...The result, according to the late Dr Edward Howell, a noted pioneer in the field of enzyme research, is a shortened life span, illness and lowered resistance to stress of all types. He points out that humans and animals on a diet comprised largely of cooked foods, particularly grains, have enlarged pancreas organs while other glands and organs, notably the brain, actually shrink in size."(pg 46-7)

Almost two months ago I wrote a little bit about the various fringe diet movements I have read about. Back then I realized the similarities between the Real/ Traditional Foods People, the Paleo People, the Atkins People and the Raw Foods People. They all downplay grains, embrace vegetables and understand the importance of enzymes. Particularly the Raw Foods People. If you have ever wondered what is the thinking behind the celebrities embracing Raw Foods, it is the idea that raw foods contain enzymes and contribute to an alkaline body pH.

I took the following from one of the better Raw Food websites out there, Raw Food Life. It gives a good explaination of what the main ideas are around Raw Foods. "Here are the basics in a nutshell, though simplified for easy understanding. A raw foodist is someone that eats 75-100% live, nutritionally-dense organic uncooked and unprocessed food (and drinks pure, live water), enjoying delicious meals that optimize your health by alkalizing your body. At that rate your elimination system can get rid of the toxins created when you cook. But when you eat more cooked food you are consuming acidic toxins faster than your body can eliminate them so they back up, disrupting your body's delicate acid/alkaline balance, a major cause of excess weight and disease. Heating food above 118 degrees F. causes the chemical changes that create acidic toxins, including the carcinogens, mutagens and free-radicals associated with diseases like diabetes, arthritis, heart disease and cancer. Cooking also destroys the live enzymes that aid in digestion and health."

Most Raw Food Enthusiasts are strict vegans, though I suppose you could eat raw fish or beef if it came from a trusted source. I am very interested in eating raw foods. I don't think it is an accident that I find an unprocessed diet to be so agreeable to my tummy. I eat a raw salad for lunch most days, I will eat raw nuts and only lightly pasteurized milk, which retains some of the enzymes. While I never set out to specifically eat raw foods, I am sure that this is part of why I have so much more energy on my unprocessed foods diet. Processed foods are virtually all cooked and/ or pasteurized, which invariably kills the enzyme content. One must consume some raw foods in a day in order to support digestive function. Fermented vegetables also contain a considerable amount of enzymes.

Tomorrow...I make sauerkraut. At home. On my countertop. Yup, that's right.