Immunity: Red Cabbage Sauerkraut
- March 18, 2021
- Ashley Tyrner
Prep
90 mins
cook
0 mins
serves
32
Did you know that a healthy immune system is the foundation for your current state of health? If your immune system is balanced and strong, you are likely in a state of good health. It sounds simple, but if your sole goal is to have better internal health, then you must create an atmosphere for your immune system to thrive in. Let’s start with some of the basics.
Purpose of the Immune System
Essentially, the immune system is a super complex network of cells and proteins that help defend the body against infections via substances, germs, and cell changes. The better shape it is in, the lower chance you have at catching a virus, and the better chance you have at fighting it off. When the body notices foreign and potentially harmful substances known as antigens, the immune system immediately starts working to help get rid of them. It’s like your very own, frontline of defense!
How To Keep The Immune System High
Most of us know the basics like eating oranges for vitamin C to help boost the immune system during the cold winter months. But it is also important to keep in mind that the immune system, much like health at large, is not single-faceted. That is to say, that doing just one thing will not be enough to keep you in high health. To achieve a healthier state in accordance with an impressive immune system, one must implement a variety of health-propelling practices into daily life. Fortunately, how to do so is not very difficult, and you have probably heard it before! Keep your focus around eating a clean diet consisting of as many fruits and vegetables as possible, along with some daily exercise, and being sure to spend time outdoors.
It Starts With Diet
I know, I know we’ve heard it all before, we should be trying to eat healthy. Albeit simple in concept, in practice the advice becomes a little more confusing and challenging. And although being healthy doesn’t mean just one thing, we do know that certain foods do a better job at boosting the immune system than others. And the search for which those foods are, can almost always be discovered in a diet filled with more fruits and vegetables. And to take it one step further, I’d suggest giving attention to the colors of your produce as well, as specific colors found in nature offer additional healthy advantages. Anthocyanins for example, are responsible for giving foods their blue and purple hues. Foods like red cabbage, blackberries, and blueberries have all of the bonus points associated with their bold colors. One bonus point in my playbook is acting as antioxidants to help fight off free radicals aka atoms that cause cell damage and illnesses. Not to mention these blueish purple shades also possess antiviral, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties. How’s that for an immune system boost!?
For all of your colorful, natural food needs, be sure to check out FarmboxRx as the go-to source for fruits and vegetables delivered to your door. To make sure that you are eating a variety of fresh produce to provide your immune system with the love and strength it seeks, I recommend utilizing a service that can relieve one less stress in your life. The box contents are constantly changing in accordance to what’s in season; and one thing is for sure, it is a lot easier to eat the very foods that boost your body’s health when you get fresh fruits and vegetables delivered to your home. Plus, when you are receiving so many nutritious goodies, you are likely to start getting more creative in the kitchen. Recently, I gave a sauerkraut recipe a go and it turned out so well, I want to share the recipe with you!
Sauerkraut is essentially just fermented cabbage that offers incredible health benefits such as improving your digestion, promoting heart health, and you guessed it, boosting the immune system! Because the bacteria lining your gut plays such a key indicator in this system responsible for fighting off illnesses, the probiotics in sauerkraut can help improve your internal bacteria-gut balance. Basically eating sauerkraut is like taking a probiotic pill but better because it is made from fresh cabbage and made by none other than you yourself! It is easy to throw into a salad, on avocado toast, or alongside your eggs for a more nutritious and colorful meal.
Today you can follow along to the recipe below. It takes minutes to make and the fermentation time does all of the work for you. It’s like cooking without having to do anything! Before you know it, you’ll have a fresh batch of immune system-boosting red cabbage sauerkraut!
Ingredients
2.5 lb red cabbage, small
1 ½ tbsp salt
½ tbsp black peppercorns
1 tsp red pepper flakes
Directions
1. Wash a 2 quart glass jar with boiling water and soap and rinse well.
2. Prepare cabbage by slicing into thin shreds. Add to a large bowl with salt and begin massaging for 2-3 minutes, or until all of the shreds begin to feel tender and release liquid.
3. Let sit for 15 minutes, and repeat step two. Repeat about 4-6 times, or until there is enough brine to submerge the cabbage. Add peppercorns and red pepper flakes.
4. Tightly pack the cabbage into your clean glass jars and submerge in the brine.
- Note: make sure the kraut is completely submerged. If necessary, top off with additional salted water.
5. Cover the jars with a clean cloth and a rubber band. Place a small, heavy weight on top of the cloth to keep the cabbage pressed and completely submerged during fermentation.
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- Note: a jar with dry beans, canned soup, or canned vegetables are all good options!
6. Set aside in room temperature conditions and allow to ferment.
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- Note: check on the sauerkraut daily to ensure everything is submerged and skim off any white scum that may form during the fermentation process.
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7. Allow to ferment until sauerkraut reaches desired sourness and complexity, anywhere from 1-4 weeks.
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- Note: warm rooms will result in faster fermentation, so trust your own taste.
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8. Remove the weight and cloth and refrigerate covered once the sauerkraut reaches desired flavor and enjoy.
Be sure to tag as @FarmboxRx and use the hashtag #FarmboxRx so that we can see how it turns out. Happy fermenting!
Immunity: Red Cabbage Sauerkraut
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
- 2.5 lb red cabbage small
- 1.5 tbsp salt
- .5 tbsp black peppercorns
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Wash a 2 quart glass jar with boiling water and soap and rinse well.
- Prepare cabbage by slicing into thin shreds. Add to a large bowl with salt and begin massaging for 2-3 minutes, or until all of the shreds begin to feel tender and release liquid.
- Let sit for 15 minutes, and repeat step two. Repeat about 4-6 times, or until there is enough brine to submerge the cabbage. Add peppercorns and red pepper flakes.
- Tightly pack the cabbage into your clean glass jars and submerge in the brine.Note: make sure the kraut is completely submerged. If necessary, top off with additional salted water.
- Cover the jars with a clean cloth and a rubber band. Place a small, heavy weight on top of the cloth to keep the cabbage pressed and completely submerged during fermentation.Note: a jar with dry beans, canned soup, or canned vegetables are all good options!
- Set aside in room temperature conditions and allow to ferment.Note: check on the sauerkraut daily to ensure everything is submerged and skim off any white scum that may form during the fermentation process.
- Allow to ferment until sauerkraut reaches desired sourness and complexity, anywhere from 1-4 weeks.Note: warm rooms will result in faster fermentation, so trust your own taste.
- Remove the weight and cloth and refrigerate covered once the sauerkraut reaches desired flavor and enjoy.