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did anyone try sour kraut for gut problems? I got some jars and I want to make my own because the o

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Simela1
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Joined : Dec 2014
Posts : 1224
Posted 1/15/2015 11:54 PM (GMT -7)
did anyone try sour kraut for gut problems? I got some jars and I want to make my own because the one on the market is usually way to salty. I've heard a dr (dr K from Washington state) saying that taking sour kraut on empty stomach is better than all the probiotics because probiotics only have a few strains in them but the sour kraut has a lot more types of strains and that it all comes down to as far as I understand it.
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achievinggrace
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Joined : Nov 2009
Posts : 3266
Posted 1/16/2015 5:36 AM (GMT -7)
Hi Simela!

I've been making sauerkraut for years and just recently have started making all sorts of other fermented goodies. It is a fun hobby and the products are really good for your stomach and immune system. And they taste so much better than the commercial stuff.

There is a lot of information on the internet about how to ferment stuff. It can get a little confusing. I bought "The Art of Fermentation"by Katz to understand the whole idea better. While there are a lot of recipes out there, you have to learn how to balance seasonal changes including temperature, moisture, and invading organisms.

There are a lot of people trying to sell a lot of fermenting supplies but basically all you need is good veggies, clean jars and sea salt.

Let me know if you have questions!
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Cheetahjade
Regular Member
Joined : Jul 2014
Posts : 464
Posted 1/16/2015 7:05 AM (GMT -7)
I've been looking into fermented foods and as much as I want to try it, I'm also a little scared. Especially about the invading organisms and bacteria. There are fermentation crocks and jars that are suppose to make it easier but you still have to make sure it's 80% full, some recipes call for salt, others call for whey or kefir. I feel like it should be simple but then when I start reading about it, I become intimidated.

Is sauerkraut the best place to start or is there something else to try first? Which jars are the best? Should I get one of those airlock lids? Will a starter culture be best instead of salt and whey?
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Simela1
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Joined : Dec 2014
Posts : 1224
Posted 1/16/2015 11:03 AM (GMT -7)
Clara: thanks so much! Waiting for my ball glass jars to come in.

Husband thought i 'm going overboard but he bought some pickles the other day and they were terrible! The front said no sugar but when I tasted them they were Sweeter than candy. Looked at ingredients and they have Splenda and everything but the kitchen sink in there. Yuck!
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bucci
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Joined : May 2006
Posts : 1477
Posted 1/16/2015 1:02 PM (GMT -7)
BUBBIES SOURKROUT!!!

its my favorite food.

no sugar, vinegar or preservatives
gluten free

abundant with live cultures.

that what label say.

someone told me it is MAJOR PROBIOTIC.

Itmakes my belly feel better and is delicious!
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Simela1
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Joined : Dec 2014
Posts : 1224
Posted 1/16/2015 1:18 PM (GMT -7)
bucci: it is a major probiotic, found out from listening to dr K from washington. I want to be a step ahead of gut problems :) so I will start making my own. Thanks
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teragram
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Joined : May 2013
Posts : 4039
Posted 1/16/2015 7:17 PM (GMT -7)
It's cheaper, but I highly advise against making it yourself. It can be dangerous. I got very sick from making something, what was it (?), oh, Kombucha myself.

I've heard making anything except kefir can be dangerous for our immune systems. Even kefir.

Margaret
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achievinggrace
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Joined : Nov 2009
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Posted 1/16/2015 7:46 PM (GMT -7)
No you do not need any special equipment.

People have been fermenting for centuries. The basic rule is, if it doesn't smell good, don't eat it.

A lot of recipes call for whey or starters. They are not necessary. With good hygiene to start and an understanding that you need more salt for warmer weather, and less for cooler weather, you will quickly learn to find a balance that grows the beneficial organisms. And your vegetables need to be in good shape -- absolutely no rotten bits.

teragram, I am sorry you got ill from your kombucha, but generations of people have been fermenting around the world and reaped its benefits. I would be far more suspicious of commercial products, frankly.

I started with cabbage sauerkraut and found it very easy to do. I had to throw out one batch because the weather got too warm and I didn't check it soon enough. Another time I lost a batch because the cabbage didn't have enough internal water to produce a brine, if I had added some salt water to top it off, it would have been fine. I did just that with the next batch of late season cabbage.

I've had some great success with kimchee, okra, mixed veggies, ginger carrots, and beets. I haven't done well with the cucumbers but I'll work on that next year.

Again, if it doesn't smell good, don't eat it!
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Simela1
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Joined : Dec 2014
Posts : 1224
Posted 1/16/2015 8:04 PM (GMT -7)
Thanks for your input. Yes achievinggrace, my grandmother made everything from scratch. She never bought a jar of pickles or jelly I her life! I think the chlorine water and the pesticides may have something to do with it. So I will do things with organic food and filtered water. Never got sick on my granny's stuff! Granny only purchased rice. That's pretty much it. My mom makes sourkraut too. Same thing. Always good. Thanks for giving me the heads up about the room temperature. I never would have thought to use it as a probiotic until dr k talked about it. Time to go back to my roots! She is 95 and doesn't take any pills. She must have done something right! She is going blind but besides that still walking (slowly). She never knew what a probiotic was but ate the sour kraut and look, she never needed to find out about probiotics, pills, or antibiotics!
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Simela1
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Joined : Dec 2014
Posts : 1224
Posted 1/29/2015 2:39 PM (GMT -7)
Achievinggrace:

I made my batch and it's great! I put less salt because that seemed too salty, I was a bit nervous to change the recipe, but I figured no one will eat it if it's too salty. It took an additional 2 days to ferment, but it's great! Also, I added some colored grounds of pepper to pretty it up :) and in another jar I added some cloves of garlic. Super happy with this, Thanks!

Question: Do you know if all fermented foods have the same benefits for the gut, or is it something special for the cabbage? Thanks again!
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achievinggrace
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Joined : Nov 2009
Posts : 3266
Posted 1/29/2015 2:53 PM (GMT -7)
Hi Simela!

So glad you had a good result!

You can vary the amount of salt according to taste. You also change it according to how hot the weather is; more for warm weather less for cold.

The benefits of the fermented foods lie in the "critters" grown in the process and the nutrients released from the food. I think cabbage is most well-known because it is the easiest vegetable to get good results!

Happy fermenting!
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Simela1
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Joined : Dec 2014
Posts : 1224
Posted 1/29/2015 3:02 PM (GMT -7)
Thanks, I'm hooked LOL I can't say I am craving the taste, but I will use it for the health benefits. Hobby likes it too. I wish I could get the kids to eat it, but no luck there.
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Garden Peace
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Joined : Sep 2012
Posts : 4191
Posted 1/29/2015 5:16 PM (GMT -7)
You could use the crocks from crock pots that no longer work. Goodwill often has some. Just make sure there are no cracks that go all the way through.

I can't eat much fermented foods since I'm either allergic or sensitive to alcohol, unfortunately.
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teragram
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Joined : May 2013
Posts : 4039
Posted 1/29/2015 11:46 PM (GMT -7)
Oh be careful, all of you!! A friend of mine who was perfectly healthy ended up in the hospital in the ICU on a ventilator due to Myasthenia Gravis. It came from botulism, because she cans her own food.

We have compromised immune systems. I got really sick from homemade Kombucha. I have decided that from now on, I'm buying cultured foods (as opposed to making them). Yes, it's expensive, but for me it's not worth the risk.

Maybe, on down the line, I might start making my own kefir, with the kefir grains that you buy in the store, but only if I'm strictly following directions.

All it takes is one little bacterium . . . .

Margaret
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achievinggrace
Veteran Member
Joined : Nov 2009
Posts : 3266
Posted 1/30/2015 5:31 AM (GMT -7)
Oh, teragram, I don't think this is very helpful.

Improper canning practices is a totally different issue and not part of what is being discussed here. Anyone wanting to do their own canning should get a book called "Putting Food By" by Janet Greene and Ruth Hertzerg. They thoroughly explain the science and practice of good canning procedures.

We have enough to be afraid of -- fermenting isn't one of them.
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