Thanks for the great tutorial. I had 2 bottles of homemade sitting in the fridge from 6 weeks ago not brave enough to try it - it hadn't smelt too great 😔 Today my husband got a tummy bug and then mine started to gurgle and I got brave!! I was pleasantly surprised the sauerkraut was DELICIOUS it was more crunchy then the bought one. It seemed to settle my stomach do far... Even hubby enjoyed it. I look forward to making a second batch of this nutritional food. Thanks for your helpful demonstrations. Love the pic of your daughter deliciously munching away on her sauerkraut 😍 If only my adult children would too!
Your free ebook is such a blessing for someone who is just getting started! My official GAPS diet book hasn’t arrived yet and it would take me a lot of time to finish reading it before I want to get started. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and beauty with us!
You can ferment the whole leaves and use as wraps, I’ve never done it but you can also ferment a whole cabbage. If you need to add liquid you can use any other fermented liquids leftover.
I covered my sauerkraut with whole leaves, they fermented and were crisp and delicious! My friend from Serbia, made cabbage rolls using storebought fermented whole leaves. Those leaves did not taste as good as mine. I'm going to try to make cabbage rolls with mine. I wonder if u have a GAPS version of cabbage rolls. I love tomato with cabbage and mashed potatoes, but ur so clever with ur alterations of recipes to make them easily digestible and nutritious. Id love to see ur take on this❤@BumblebeeApothecary
followed your recipe and it came out perfect in 7 days! Yay! :) Thanks! I put a little casserole dish under my jar to catch the overflow juice and keep my counter clean ;)
Thank you for your videos! I love how simple and informative they are but also... That you are non-judgmental for those who may not have the time or be in a situation to not be able to do this. I've liked and subscribed!! 😊
I have just made 5 quarts! I CANNOT wait and my hubby absolutely loves sauerkraut! First time I’ve ever made it homemade. Thank you so much Marisa! ❤️ I also have my first batch of Kefir going. I also read that cabbage juice is great to drink for acid reflux, and that’s good to know since I am having the worst symptoms due to my gut issues! I am making a batch of juice now also. Hope this helps!
I recommend getting a fermentation kit. Having the weights to keep everything down, and the lids that let the gasses out, makes it a lot easier. If too much pressure builds up you can have a very messy explosion.
Yaaay!!! I just made my first batch of sauerkraut!!!!! I'm thrilled!!!! I can't wait to see how it turns out!!!! Thank you Marisa!!! I love your channel!!!
I put the shredded cabbage Olin the jar and pound it down with a jelly sieve pestle. (The wood squisher thing) It’s wide and fits just right in the jar!
Great video tutorial thank you so much!! I was thinking man she looks like she is just absolutely glowing! Then a side camera shot came and I saw you were pregnant couldn't even tell from the front you look so gorgeous!
Since GAPS initially requires consuming the sauerkraut water only, is it alright to add a 2% brine to a jar after taking some water out? Can you keep adding water as needed or will the effectiveness diminish? Thank you for your GAPS related videos
You’re welcome! Yes, you can keep doing that. I’d keep it out at room temperature the whole time you’re adding and removing liquid, to keep the probiotics high and lively 😊
Hi Marisa I love your videos...Iv'e just done a batch of sauerkraut and left them in a dark cupboard for about 4 weeks. I've opened my first bottle to have as a side dish with dinner I just need to know that once opened must I refrigerate it or just leave tightly sealed in my pantry? Your feedback will be greatly appreciated🤩thank you for sharing your knowledge with us
Thank you! Great question. If you like the flavor as it is, you can keep it in the fridge. If you want to ferment it longer, you can keep it on the fridge, just keep in mind that you will introduced oxygen by opening it, so just watch to make sure everything stays submerged and doesn't mold. Hope that helps!
Great video...I have ruined two batches of SK. I will follow your info very soon. I subscribed today so I will be watching more of your videos. Thanks!
Hi Marissa! I was just referred to GAPS day before yesterday. I found you and am excited about this journey. Once I make the kraut for the liquid-how long will it remain “good” in the fridge? I’m just wondering since it’s just me using if making a large batch would end up wasteful or if it keeps for quite awhile in the fridge?
Great! The kraut will stay good in the fridge for a very long time. In fact, it can keep at cool room temp for months. It is the way people traditionally preserved their vegetable harvest for eating all winter. In the fridge it can last much longer.
I prepared my sauerkraut last night and it definitely needed more liquid so I added filtered water. This morning I remembered your video and the part about the brine. Should I try to "fix" it somehow or let it be?
Thanks for making this easy to follow recipe. Do you have to use a plastic lid or can you use the lids that come with the mason jars. I read somewhere about not using an aluminum lid but not sure why you shouldn't.
Hi! I made your recipe before, let it sit for 6 weeks and it smelled sour and tasted amazing! I am making another batch with a huge head that I have. Half went into one jar and now I'm making the other half of the head, however, I'm afraid I've used too much salt. Is that something that will affect my kraut? Do I need to dilute it? I accidentally used 2tbs for one half of the head.
Thank you for your detailed video and being so responsive in comments! I needed a bit of brine to cover the Cabbage leaves so I made some and used about a cup of it but unfortunately forgot that you said filtered water until it was too late. Have I ruined it using tap water?
You're very welcome! You can see how it goes, it's not ideal but if you don't see any mold or anything, I would probably still use it and not throw it out :)
This may be a silly question but since we need the sauerkraut juice for GAPS intro, can we just juice a whole cabbage then add salt to the juice (from the juiced cabbage) and let that ferment? I have a masticating juicer. Thanks to your videos, my family of 5 is so much closer to starting GAPS soon!
You're welcome! No, that's a great question! Yes, that is a fantastic way to make a probiotic tonic. It's important to have mostly liquid in the beginning of GAPS, so that is perfect. Sending well wishes!
Could you please send me a link for the mortar and pestle that you used. I didn't see a link posted. Also, once it's done fermenting, do you remove the liquid and do you store in fridge?
Thanks for this video. Just wanted to clarify: after making it it can sit on the counter? It doesn’t need to go in the fridge? How come when you buy the fermented sauerkraut it’s always in the fridge?
Hi Marisa, I am at the 2.stage of the introduction diet. Is it ok to take the different ferments together, at the same time (whey + sauerkraut juice for now) if I had already introduced them? Or is it better more distributed? I am trying to go slow and patiently but so excited to get the lots of good stuff :-) Thanks for all your valuable work here ❣
Along the same lines: is it safer to increase the already introduced ferments first, before adding in new ones (I am planning kombucha and kefir next) or greater variety in small amounts is better and I should increase them simultaneously? Thanks a lot anyway 🤩
Thank you so much! Great question. Yes, as long as you go slowly, and make sure you're not doing too much too soon, it's perfectly fine to have different fermented foods and drinks together :)
Yes, I like to focus on increasing the ones you're already doing first, and get those to a good amount that you feel is right, and then work on new ones. But overall, listening to your body is so important :)
Excellent recipe thanks. How long can the sauerkraut last ? We are just starting out with GAPS and having to take teaspoon full of juice at a time so it’s bound to last a long time. Does it go off ? As we cannot consume the cabbage, once the juices have been used up can we make another batch with the same used cabbage ??
Thanks! Since fermentation is a traditional food preservation method, sauerkraut lasts a very long time. It won't go off as long as it's either refrigerated or kept submerged. You can add more water and salt, but it won't be as strong. I usually just make a new batch. If you need a lot of liquid, I recommend making a probiotic cabbage tonic. I'll do a video on this soon!
@@BumblebeeApothecary thanks for your response and suggestions. I had decided to make a new batch after all! Looking forward to seeing you’d need video! Can hardly wait 😁
Thanks a lot for bringing us all this delicious recipes. I’ve made 2 jars of sauerkraut the 2.2.22 and they were burping out. So I helped them by slightly open them to release some of the gases for 3 days in arrow. My question is, when I push the lid down it doesn’t make any noise, but the lid looks like swollen or lifted up instead of being down like when you get the pickles from supermarket. Is the jar still ok? Or should I keep burping them out until the lid sinks. Hopefully I explain my situation clearly. English is not my mother language 🤗
You're welcome! The jar is getting taut because the sauerkraut is releasing a lot of gasses, which is totally normal and good. The jar should be fine :) I like to let my sauerkraut on the counter go at least a week, longer is good, too. You can burp them if you like. Hope this helps!
@@BumblebeeApothecary Great! Thank you so much. Yesterday was a week and I was tented to open it but I wasn’t sure. Probably today I will try it. I’m pregnant with my 3 kid (w 34) and it is a pity that I discover gaps diet just recently. I would like to start the intro but it seems I have to wait a bit. I always had an irregular digestion often on the liquid side and not only once a day. I don’t suffer other conditions fortunately but I think gaps could regulate my gut. For now I’m doing recipes from the full diet. Can you suggest me when could I start doin the intro? Im looking forward to see some results and give my family a healthier diet.
Well today I finally opened one of the jars, and omg 😱 the taste is sooo good. Even my 2.5 years old doughter liked it, not much the crunchiness but the taste 👅 I added a bit of more salty water, because it doesn’t had enough to stay covered since I removed the weights. But I’m in love with the results. Should I keep it in the fridge, since I added more water? Or should I let it in my counter to see what happen? I’m so glad to find you ❤️
Great video, very informative, question how long can you leave the sauerkraut for will it last like a year ? Like could this be like survival type food ? Just curious thank you.
I have been making sauerkraut for almost a year now and it always turns out delicious but I’ve noticed lately that when I’m through fermenting it and it’s ready to go in the fridge that the water level is super low. The kraut is never moldy and tastes amazing but should I be adding water to the jar while it’s fermenting? I never look at them, just leave them under the towel for 5-7 days then into the fridge.
If you haven't had any issues with mold, it might not be necessary to change what you're doing. I always try to keep everything submerged though, so I add more water if I see that the level is too low :)
You're welcome! In my research, I read that the salt kills the bad bacteria, but allows the good bacteria to culture. Here's more info: www.onevibrantmama.com/salt-and-lacto-fermentation/
When it is ready to eat after week, shoud I leave that liquid which prevents from molding in the jars or should I drink this liquid or should I spill out it and while jar is in refrigerator we dont need liquid preventing from mold? Thanks 🙂
I made this recipe and it is delicious however I have a bunch of questions. I figure if I get all of these questions out in one place it might help some other first-timer. 1. While it was fermenting, ALL of the liquid bubbled out of it leaving the cabbage almost completely dry except what was above the folded leaves (had to add some extra salt water around day 3). The first time it was all over my counter so I just left a bowl under it. It kept bubbling out until I put it in the fridge on day 5. The problem is it did not leave me with any liquid to drink which I thought would help my chronic intestinal issues. How can I prevent this? Is it possible I pounded it too much in the bowl so too much juice expelled before it went in the jar? Did I put too much in the jar? I ended up putting both heads, about 5.5 pounds in a half gallon jar however there was still headspace in the jar. Just not sure what I can do to prevent losing all the juice on the next batch. 2. Can I use conventional cabbage versus organic? In my area the organic is VERY expensive and cost me over $8. I was not sure if the cleaning rinses farms use during processing/boxing would inhibit the fermentation or not. 3. As cabbage heads come in all different sizes, how much salt per pound should we use? 4. I am not sure how good my reverse osmosis filter is doing right now, can I use distilled water instead? I always have some of that on hand or does it need to be bottled water? 5. Mine was still very crunchy which I really liked. Is this normally how it is supposed to be or should it be soft? I thin sliced mine (3/16"-1/4") rather than shredded and about 2.5"-3" long. Made it easy to eat with a fork too. Is this okay? 6. I used one of the plastic Ball lids for the jar. I snugged it down (not tight), then turned it back about a quarter turn. Is that correct/adequate/too much? 6. It has only been 3 days and over half the jar is gone, it is that good. I am trying to eat some before every meal. I am definitely going to have at least 3 jars going at one time to keep up!!! My best friend thought it was too sour for him even after only 5 days. Leaves more for me!! 7. Any other suggestions you may have are appreciated. Thank you so much for this recipe.
This is beyond what I can cover in a comment, but please send me an email and I'm happy to help. My contact info is in the description box. Sending well wishes!
I don't have a water filter system. Is it OK to use purchased spring water? I noticed my spring water has a lot of natural calcium. Hopefully that's alright.
What if someone is also histamine intolerant cannot consume fermented foods?? (even probiotics can trigger histamine release). Do you still do Gaps diet?
Sorry, my question might show up twice. I posted it and can't see it anymore ! Some little bits of shredded cabbage have got past the cabbage leaf and are floating at the top. Is this ok ? I don't have another leaf...
Some of the shredded cabbage bits got past the cabbage leaf and are floating at the top. Is this ok ? I don't have another leaf to keep those bits down.
Hi marissa, i want to ask something sorry if this is sounds like a dumb question because this is my first time i prepare sauerkraut and (to be honest) before gaps i never hear sauerkraut before... Because we need only sauerkraut liquid in stage one i confused & scared running out of liquid so i make 2 small cabbage with maybe 400ml water (brine) so the jar is 1/4 cabbage & 3/4 water. Is it too much?
There aren't really hard and fast measurements, and it would work to do it that way! In the intro stages when you're mostly using liquid, this is probably a good way to make it. Sounds like you're doing fine! :)
I just clean everything as well as I would anytime I wash dishes. They're probably not completely sterile, just as clean as I normally get my dishes, and it's always worked well :)
I'm going to try this but I have zero experience with fermenting food. My question is: what do you do after you open the jar after the seven days? I mean when you start consuming the sauerkraut you just remove the leaf and the liquid and leave the jar in the fridge or should you add extra water every time? And how long does the sauerkraut last once opened?
Yes, you can remove and eat the leaf, and store the jar in the fridge. You don't have to add extra water. The fermentation plus cool temp in the fridge keep the sauerkraut good for many, many months :)
We have the lid closed, but not very tight. After 2-3 days, the brine has started overflowing and we have to clean it up. The top leaf of the cabbage “cover” is now below the brine. Do we add more brine to keep it under the water? Do we now tighten the lid so it can’t spill out?
It always overflows for me, too 😄 I set the jars on a towel to lessen the mess. It’s good to keep the lid loose so the gases can escape. You can add more water. It’s important to keep everything below the brine so it won’t mold.
I depends where it came from. If it comes from the grocery store, it's a good idea to wash it. If I'm using cabbage I grew myself, I don't usually wash them :)
I've been making my own sauerkraut using different vessels for years. I store my kraut in jars in the fridge, taking out some to eat and keeping the remaining pushed under the brine. It keeps for months. How do you get all the extra juice to use in the beginning stages of the GAPS diet?
That's wonderful! Great question. For all the liquid that you need during the beginning of GAPS intro, I recommend making a probiotic tonic. You use the same method as sauerkraut, but only fill the half gallon jar with about 1 cup of cabbage, 2 TBSP salt, and the rest water. You can also add whey or a probiotic capsule, and reduce the salt by 1 TBSP. Hope that helps!
@@BumblebeeApothecary I am so glad to see this answer as I need lots of liquid and have a probiotic that I want to grow but cant have dairy yet. Have you added any specific strains to your sauerkraut process?
Do you shred the cabbage core also? Along side a cup of warm broth, do you eat the saurkraut cold, or it you put it in the broth, and will the heat kill the probiotics?
I usually cut the core out, but I think you can shred it if you want to. We'll do both; if I add it to soup or broth I'll let it cool a bit first so it doesn't kill the probiotics :)
Hi. I just followed your recipe for the sauerkraut. I had it on the counter for 10 days to ferment. Do I store it in fridge now?? And for how long can I use it ?
If you like the taste, you can store it in the fridge now, or you can keep it on the counter longer. I let mine go for 6 weeks :) It will keep in the refrigerator for a very long time. Enjoy!
Is it okay to just use the metal jar lid that it comes with and ferment it that way? Do I need the lid tightly on there or loose? Just curious because in another video you reviewed other types of lids for fermenting so I just want to make sure I do this right and it doesn’t mold 😬 I already slightly opened it at one point today and pushed down the cabbage leaf on top because a tiny part wants to stick up out of the water - did I contaminate it? Not sure when it’s okay to open to check on?
Great questions! Yes, the metal lids are great. I put them on tightly. No worries! If I have to push anything down, I use a clean fork. You can open it and check on it after the lid builds pressure and won't click anymore :)
I followed another recipe before I saw this. They didn't mention the cabbage "cap" so I haven't covered it...(Besides the plastic lid ofc). I have fluid covering the cabbage, but pieces are floating ofc. Will they mold and destroy the batch? Should I find something to press those pieces down and add brine? And they said to store it in darkness, is that really necessary...? You didn't mention that so I guess it's fine to store out in the open then!😄
It's best to keep everything submerged. If pieces are just floating, but not sticking out of the water (dry) it will probably be okay. Darkness is good, but not necessary. You just want to avoid direct sunlight. :)
@@BumblebeeApothecary Thanks! My problem is that it doesn't stay submerged, it always floats up eventually! I did like you with the whole leaf's and saltwater. It just floats up so now I have given up and hope for the best..? But now it's ruined then? It has been over the surface for about 2 days bcs I just can't keep it under water!😅 I figured I throw a good part of the top away later, bit maybe it's ruined all the way down now..?
Sauerkraut :) I will be making my first one thanks to your recipe and I am grateful and amazed to learn I can do it without fancy expensive equipment. Thank you and blessings!
Is it normal to see white scum on top after the day you make it? It smells like mold. :( Will this still work if I scoop it off every day? Is it worth opening the jar and letting air in to do that? I'm using fresh organic veggies, filtered water and adding fresh kefir whey to kickstart. Very helpful to actually see someone use the cabbage leaf as a weight! Told me why mine wasn't working!
The white stuff is most likely kahm yeast. Keeping everything submerged and adding some more salt helps keep it away. You can scoop it off. If you're using kefir it could be yeasts strains from the kefir, too. Hope that helps!
I have tried the gaps phase 1 before and I always get very sick on phase 1. Is there a more gentle way to do it even if it takes longer? I am just getting over covid right now that took out my stomach already. Very weak still and shaky. I need as easy a way as possible to get back on my feet.
Yes you can! It will just take longer. For sauerkraut, I'd try at least two weeks, maybe longer. Just keep it out until you like the taste. Hope that helps!
Thank you for the great tutorial! Is it possible to create a batch with more juice? I don’t have a juicer, but thought maybe I could just add less cabbage, but more brine, would that work?
Yes! There is a ferment called cabbage tonic that is mostly liquid. I need to do a video on it soon! But it is like what you are describing: less cabbage, more brine :)
Yes Marisa please do create a tutorial on this idea (less cabbage more brine)! Grateful for your support and style of communicating, teaching, demonstrating via videos to show us the “how to’s”
Dear marissa what do you do with the remaining Sauerkraut after using the liquid for the Gaps diet? I am afraid of not having enough Sauerkraut Juice because you need a lot at the introduction phase. Can i just put more salt brine in top when my juice is gone?
You will be eating the sauerkraut a little later. Yes, you can add more liquid; make a brine with 1 tsp salt per pint of water, add it to the jar of sauerkraut, and let the jar sit at room temp for several days.
If you have a cool place, like a basement, you can put them there. That's where I keep ours. I just check them periodically to make sure everything is below the brine so it doesn't mold. Otherwise, if you don't have a cool place like that, the refrigerator is a good place 😊
