Garlic Dill Pickle Sauerkraut
While we were in Florida over March break, my husband and I came across the Garlic Dill Pickle Kraut made by Farmhouse Culture on one of our outings at Whole Foods. We all fell in LOVE with it (even my mom who’s a titch skeptical of all things sauerkraut). And not only were my boys not fighting me on eating their kraut, they were asking me for more!!!
If you're new to sauerkraut or you still don’t *love* its traditional flavour, then dill pickle sauerkraut is your new BFF. It literally tastes like a dill pickle but with all the gut loving bacteria to help balance your microbiome!
This is a definite must-try for anyone wanting to improve their gut health but who is having a hard time getting traditional kraut down the hatch.
You can add this on top of a burger, a sandwich, avocado toast, a salad or simply to the side of any meal. And if you’re not up for making your own, look for the Farmhouse Culture brand of sauerkraut and try any one of their 5 amazing flavours!
And so, in my attempt at re-creating Farmhouse Culture's delicious Garlic Dill Sauerkraut, here you go....
RECIPE:
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
1-2 very large mixing bowls
5-6 large mason jars with air-tight lids
Your hands 😊
INGREDIENTS:
2 large heads organic cabbage, shredded (I used my food processor to shred mine)
6-8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 bunch fresh dill, chopped (organic if possible)
1 organic cucumber, very thinly sliced
4 cups room temperature brine (see recipe below)
DIRECTONS:
Put shredded cabbage in a very large bowl.
Add garlic, dill, cucumber and 2 cups of the brine and mix with clean hands, massaging well (about 10 minutes, until cabbage becomes wilted and softer).
Transfer to mason jars and pack down firmly. The brine should come at least 1 inch above the level of the vegetables. If it's not, simply add more brine as needed.
Wipe down the top of the jar (things can get a little messy!) and cover with an airlock lid.
Leave to culture at room temperature (70°F or 21°C is preferred) for about 2 weeks or until desired flavour and texture are achieved. Make sure and "burp" daily for the first few days to release excess pressure (simply open and reseal to release building pressure, and prevent sauerkraut explosions!).
After two weeks, you can move the sauerkraut to a fridge or cold storage to slow down fermentation. The sauerkraut's flavour will continue to develop as it ages.
Add to any dish and enjoy!
BASIC BRINE:
4 cups filtered water (*see note below on filtered water)
3 tbsp fine pure sea salt
DIRECTIONS FOR BRINE:
Dissolve the salt in 1 cup of very warm filtered water and then combine with the remaining 3 cups of cold water.
*Notes:
It highly recommend using filtered water when making sauerkraut. The chlorine, fluoride and others toxins that can be found in tap water, are very damaging to the beneficial bacteria that you are trying to grow when fermenting vegetables. On a side note, this is also why I recommend drinking filtered water on a regular basis, so as not to damage or kill off any of the healthy bacteria already present in your beloved gut! Consider investing in a water filtration system for the health of you and your gut (it can even be something as simple as a Brita filter. Anything is better than nothing)!
I also recommend using organic vegetables for similar reasons. Conventionally grown vegetables are exposed to numerous chemicals and contain toxic residues, which damage and kill off healthy bacteria. So in order to get the most from your sauerkraut, use organic whenever possible!
