The Art of Fermentation: How to make Sauerkraut!

Sandor Katz, author of the excellent how-to book, ‘The Art of Fermentation,’ describes fermentation as the flavourful space between fresh and rotten.

Fermenting food not only enhances the flavour, but produces bountiful nutrients and probiotics (aka good bacteria) to aid in digestive health.

Fermentation is also a beautiful process to watch. The food is not stagnant, but dynamic and alive. The bacteria alter the cabbage so that each passing day produces new colours and tastes. You can open your jar and taste the sauekraut every two or three days, and when the taste is to your liking, stick the jar in the fridge to halt the fermentation process, making each batch unique.

Sauerkraut is simple to make and adds a delicious flavour to all sorts of meals, from sausage and other meats to rice and beans, or as a side dise with eggs in the morning.

How to Make Sauerkraut!

Ingredients:

• 1 head of cabbage (about 8 cups). I use half a head of each purple and green (feel free to experiment with other veggies as well, such as carrots, beets, etc)
• 1 tbsp salt (himalayan or celtic sea salt)

1. Wash and drain cabbage well, removing any outer leaves that don’t look so pretty. Save one big outer leaf, as you will use this at the end to help push down and cover the sauerkraut.

2. Increase the surface area by slicing the cabbage as finely as you can. A nice sharp knife does the trick, but you can try grating the cabbage, or use a mandoline or food processor if you have one.

3. Put the sliced cabbage in a large bowl, and add the salt. Use your (clean) hands to thoroughly massage the salt into the cabbage. The cabbage will begin to soften and you will notice juice forming in the bottom of the bowl. This is good (do not discard this juice!). The juice will dissolve the salt, and in turn draw more juice from the cabbage.

4. Massage some more. Keep going until the cabbage is soft and limp, similar in consistency to steamed or stir-fry cabbage. You can taste the cabbage at this point, and it will be noticeably different than the taste and consistency of raw cabbage.

5. Pack the cabbage into a mason (or other) jar, packing it down as you go. Use a wooden spoon or a folded cabbage leaf to press down the cabbage to release any air pockets. Pack it as tightly as you can, and add brine if necessary so that the cabbage is fully submerged. Then place the folded cabbage leaf on top to cover the kraut.

6. Store container at room temperature for three to seven days. You may need to open the lid daily to release the pressure from the gas, and have a taste. The kraut tends to get stronger in flavour the longer it sits at room temp. Once the taste is to your liking, stick it in the fridge and store until you use it all up (which for me isn’t very long!).

I use half and half purple and green cabbage.

Dice up cabbage.

Mix in a large bowl. I used a grater for this batch.

Add 1 tbsp sea salt and massage well.

Always good to have someone to cheer you on.

Pack tightly into jar, seal lid, wait a few days and enjoy!

Until next time,

T.

The Hierarchy of Healing

Many of you who are familiar with naturopathic medicine have probably heard of the seven principles guiding our approach (if you haven’t, check it out here, here, and here). You may see it in latin (vis medicatrix naturae) or english (the healing power of nature). It may sound familiar (first, do no harm), or all-encompassing (prevention).

“First, Do No Harm.”  Good call Hippocrates.

But there is another code guiding our medicine. Although ten different naturopaths may have ten different treatments for the same patient, the hierarchy of the treatments often remains the same.

There is always room for exception, especially considering the focus is on the individual and not solely on the disease or symptoms. But here is the naturopathic hierarchy of healing.

The Therapeutic Order

1. Establish the conditions for health

“Identify and remove disturbing factors”

When health is the baseline, and physiology prevails over pathology, then removing factors that perturb these conditions is an essential first step. The most common “disturbing factors” are poor diet, excessive stress, toxins (hello smoking, I’m talking to you), and last but not least, spiritual disharmony. Thinking about it another way, the foundations for good health begin with a nutritious and fulfilling diet, adequate ability to manage and cope with stress, minimizing toxin exposure, and finding spiritual harmony.

 

2. Stimulate the self-healing mechanisms

“Vis medicatrix naturae – the healing power of nature”

This one overlaps with one of the principles mentioned in the intro, and is based on the recognition that the body has an innate wisdom and, if given the opportunity, the ability to heal itself. Once the disturbing factors are removed, the “vital force” [insert star wars joke here] can do amazing things. Helping ignite this self-healing power can be accomplished in any number of ways. One of the most basic of these methods is hydrotherapy, or the application of water (often contrasting hot and cold) in the therapeutic setting. Other modalities that can stimulate the vital force include, but are not limited to, acupuncture and homeopathy.

Alternate hot and cold. End with cold.  Doesn’t get much simpler than that.

3. Support weakened or damaged organs or systems

While for some cases removing disturbing factors and stimulating the body’s self-healing powers is enough to re-establish optimal health, in many this is not sufficient. The chronic stresses of modern life tax the adrenal glands, the accumulation of toxins in the diet and environment overwhelm the detoxification abilities of the liver, and the accumulated pressure to succeed in this ever-changing society can disharmonize the spirit. In these circumstances, additional support is required. Fortunately, naturopathic medicine is equipped with a vast and extensive “tool-kit” to address these problems, including botanicals, nutraceuticals, and counselling.

4. Address structural integrity

The body has a fundamental balance and alignment that can be altered in myriad ways. A fall or injury is a clear cause-and-effect example. Poor posture is another major source of structural imbalance. Many of us spend our days hunched over a computer, resulting in “upper-cross” syndrome. But structural alignment can be thrown off in other, more subtle ways. Chronic stress is often held as tension in the shoulders, which over time pulls of the spinal segments in that region out of place. Emotions are not often thought of as a cause for structural imbalance, but they too can be held in different regions of the body, resulting in chronic pain and malposition.

If this is you, proceed to step 4.

Once again the naturopath has many tools at their disposal to address these imbalances. These include a combination of soft tissue massage, spinal manipulations, trigger point release therapy, and more subtle forms of physical medicine such as bowen therapy and craniosacral.

5. Address pathology

Wait a minute. Addressing pathology is number five? I thought removing the pathology would be number one? At least in the top 3??

Nope.

When the pathology does not resolve itself after the previous steps have been taken, naturopaths employ the least invasive therapies (remember, first do no harm) that will act on the level of the pathology without adding to the toxic burden of the individual. For example, anti-microbial herbs may be utilized in conjunction with herbs that support the immune system in a persistent bacterial infection.

More recently, naturopathic doctors in BC have gained the rights to prescribe pharmaceutical medications (after attending a certification course and passing the exam). While there is a time and a place to use these medications, due to their side effects (once again – first do no harm), they are not usually the first thing a naturopath will reach for when treating most patients.

Rx: eat some kale

6. Suppress the pathology

At the bottom rung of the ladder of healing is suppressing the pathology. A common example of suppressing the pathology would be using a corticosteroid cream to treat a skin disorder such as eczema. While this strategy will sometimes work initially to relieve symptoms, it does not address the underlying cause. And this can often result in harm (did I mentioned that old saying, first do no harm?), such as a compromised immune system. So, except for certain severe or life-threatening circumstances, this option is our last resort.

There you have it folks. The hierarchy of healing.

Until next time,

T.