My favorite vegan sauerkraut recipes & uses (2024)

FAQs

What can be added to sauerkraut to make it taste better? ›

We recommend Himalayan Pink Salt for use in fermenting due to its mineral-rich profile, being less processed than other salts (meaning no chemicals went into the production of the salt). Salt is not only a factor in taste; it also affects the texture of your sauerkraut.

Cabbage, salt, and sugar (plus some time) are all that's required to make a standout homemade sauerkraut recipe.

As per experts at Fermenters Kitchen, the early morning is the golden hour for sauerkraut. Why? On an empty stomach, the gut-friendly microbes in sauerkraut have a clear path to colonize your gut microbiome. They can thus foster a balanced digestive system and set a positive tone throughout the day.

No need to add any vinegar! Salt alone preserves sour cabbage very well. I add 1/4 cup of shredded carrot for colour. Sometimes, I add a laurel leaf and 1/2 teaspoon of caraway seeds.

The mineral impurities that give it a pink color, often promoted as healthful, are far too low in concentration to help with your nutrition. You would have to eat a lethal amount of sodium to achieve helpful quantities of the other minerals.

Salt: Use non—iodized salt with no added anti—caking agents for best quality. Salt helps form the brine and acts as a preservative. Salt causes the cabbage cells to release fermentable sugars and inhibits growth of undesirable yeasts, molds, and bacteria.

Sea salt works well, or rock salt. Watch out for the salt labelled 'pickling salt', it often has anti-caking agents in it which can negatively affect your fermentation. If you're not sure, read the ingredients, there should just be one! A fine grind of salt is required for this type of pickling.

Depending on your taste, onions, bacon, juniper berries, caraway, and/or cream can be added to and cooked with the Sauerkraut. In many parts of Germany, pork ribs or pork cutlets are cooked in the Sauerkraut to give it a smokey flavor. The pork absorbs the liquid and becomes very soft and juicy.

How to eat sauerkraut if you don't like it? ›

Toss together some grated carrot, chopped parsley, and your favorite sauerkraut, perhaps Ginger Carrot Sauerkraut. Add some toasted nuts for crunch, and you're set. This is a great way to introduce sauerkraut to the hesitant. The sweetness of the carrots takes away the bite of the sauerkraut.

Serve it alongside any meaty dish such as ham, chicken or beef roast. Roast it alongside your favorite fresh vegetables such as carrots, broccoli or potatoes. Or add it to your next batch of slow cooker veggies. This makes such a simple recipe!

Fermented foods such as kimchi and sauerkraut contain health-promoting compounds, including probiotics, minerals, and antioxidants. Research associates these compounds with improved blood sugar and insulin sensitivity ( 33 , 34 ).

By adding vinegar, even raw apple cider vinegar, you stunt the growth of the lactic-acid bacteria resulting in off-texture and flavor and a decrease in the natural preservative qualities of lacto-fermentation.

Press down to allow the brine to cover the shredded cabbage. If for some reason you don't have enough brine, prepare the extra brine by combining the water and salt.

Therefore, I empty the jars of sauerkraut into a stock pot and add several jars of water to start the process. As the kraut cooks I add water to it as necessary so it doesn't cook down and burn. Usually this is enough to tone down the sourness and make the sauerkraut perfect by the time dinner is served.

One important issue to remember is that cooking sauerkraut will kill off the probiotic bacteria that we want to consume. Even after cooking, sauerkraut is a healthy, cabbage-based dish, but it will be missing out on that probiotic boost. So, when possible, try to add your sauerkraut to your dishes uncooked.

The more salt, the slower the fermentation and the more acidic your sauerkraut. Use too much salt, though, and you'll inhibit fermentation.