The positive effects of sauerkraut were already known to Hippocrates, and also to Sebastian Kneipp, who described sauerkraut “as a brush for the stomach and intestines”.
How is sauerkraut made? Cabbage heads are grated into noodles and mixed with salt. The mixture is then placed in a wooden or plastic (now days) container. All is pressed well, to allow water to escape.
The cabbage is then covered with a linen cloth or board, and weighted with stones (or other heavy things). The water that covers the cabbage (which are the juices of the cabbage mixed with salt), prevents the access of air, so the cabbage does not spoil, but sours during lactic acid fermentation.
I’m buying sauerkraut from a local farmer, who has a long family tradition of sauerkraut making (I found out that sauerkraut making in Slovenia dates back in 18th century). For a few years now, if we have some home-grown cabbage, I make the sauerkraut myself, an easy procedure of making it in a glass jar. But these are small quantities, so I mainly buy it from local farmers.
Properly and naturally pickled cabbage is pale yellow, soft but still crispy and has a pleasant sour smell. It contains large amounts of vitamins, especially vitamin C, minerals, and fibers. Like most other fermented foods, sauerkraut speeds up gastrointestinal cleansing and improves metabolism. Thus, due to improved intestinal flora, certain nutrients are more easily absorbed in the intestine, which also strengthens the immune system.
Of course, the best thing is to consume it raw (not cooked), but we do like it cooked in several dishes. This week we have prepared a very traditional lunch, which was composed of sausage, potatoes and sauerkraut. Here we go with my version of sautéed sauerkraut as a side dish. Quantities are not specified, since it all depends on your own taste.
- sourcrout
- onion
- garlic
- olive oil
- pancetta or bacon or cracklings (if you want a vegetarian dish, you just skip this part)
- salt and pepper
First, I’ve cooked the sauerkraut in the water, to make it tender. I’ve used the pressure cooker, since it was quicker (10 minutes). When the sauerkraut is cooked you can start with the preparation of the sauteed sauerkraut.
Chop the onions, the garlic and the pancetta (or bacon).
Add some olive oil to the pan. My grandmother used lard instead of olive oil and in quite large quantities (not to mention that her sauerkraut was tastier than mine 😊), but also sparing on a few calories is good for our body😊!
Slowly roast the pancetta and the onions.
When they are nicely roasted add the sauerkraut. Since I was not using a lot of oil, I’ve added a little bit of water (where the sauerkraut was cooked).
As a last step I’ve added the garlic and left it to slowly cook for 30 minutes. My sauerkraut was already well salted, that is why I haven’t added any salt while cooking. Similar thing is with pepper, since my son doesn’t like it, we added it only on the plate.
And the sauteed sauerkraut is ready to eat 😛
For a great lunch we also cooked some sausages (also from a local farmer, not the same one as the sourcrout, but as you have probably noted I prefer to buy from locals 😊) and baked some new potatoes. As for the final touch, we added fresh grated horseradish.
Cheers to good traditional food and recipes❗
Bon Appetite 🍽️ 🍴 😋
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