Mind & Body Food: Sauerkraut Workshop.

Today’s Mindfulness session involved a sauerkraut workshop delivered by the lovely Aysha of Kinfolk and Co.

Kinfolk and Co was created out of a love of sharing stories over a meal, passing down of traditions and communities that were brought together by a passion for good food.

Kinfolk and Co create beautiful homewares inspired by nature, with a view to reinstate the art of food making and slow living.

Their purpose is to nurture the connection between people and the process of creating a wholesome meal that will nourish both the body and soul.

And it all began with Sauerkraut!

Unable to find a vessel perfect for Sauerkraut fermentation, Ashya set out on a journey to design her own.

The resulting fermentation crock pot was both functional and beautiful.

It was the first of many beautiful creations, created in collaboration with numerous Australian ceramicists and artisans.

First, a little chemistry lesson. Sauerkraut is nutritious because it’s fermented.

Fermentation is a process whereby cabbage sugars are digested by naturally occurring yeast and bacteria.

The sugars are converted into carbon dioxide and organic acids. This creates ideal conditions for beneficial probiotics to flourish.

All those lovely probiotics are hard workers; they boost immunity, improve bowel health and assist with stress reduction and brain health.

Ashya recommends popping a little sauerkraut on the side of all your meals, as those ever-giving probiotics make food more digestible.

This means it increases your gut’s ability to absorb the nutrients in your food.

Today, Ashya took us through the surprisingly simple process of creating delicious, nutrient-dense Sauerkraut.

Ingredients 📝

 

1. Cabbage 🥬 Ashya sourced ours at the local farmer’s market.
2. High quality salt 🧂 we used macrobiotic salt. Himalayan is also a great option for mineral enriched sauerkraut.
3. Optional 🌿🌶 herbs/spices/vegetables according to your taste.

 

Method 🥣

 

1. Sterilize jars using boiling water. Allow to drip dry.
2. Remove any soft or dirty leaves from the outside of the cabbage and put aside one whole leaf.
3. Finely shred the cabbage.
4. Grab a large mixing bowl. Using your hands, mix the cabbage with salt.
5. Mix through flavour add ins. We used farmers market-fresh dill. Caraway seeds and juniper berries also make for delicious additions.
6. Pack the cabbage mix into your jars, using a wooden tamper to firmly press the cabbage. The aim is to ensure no oxygen makes its way to the cabbage, so ensure It’s covered with juices.

If you don’t have enough juices to cover the cabbage, dissolve 1 tablespoon of salt in 1 litre of water and top up as required.
7. Grab the cabbage leaf you put aside earlier and cut out a circle roughly the circumference of your jar. Place on top of the cabbage, then add a weight- we used marbles.

The cabbage will expand slightly as it ferments, and this will ensure the cabbage remains submerged in juices.
8. Place the lid on the jar loosely, so gas can escape. This is very important as a tightly closed lid can result in the jar exploding.
9. Place out of direct sunlight on plates to catch juices that may overflow throughout the fermentation process. A cupboard is ideal.
10. Check on your kraut in a week- it’s ready when it has a sour, tangy, salty flavour. The flavour will intensify the longer you leave it to ferment.

Ashya recommends leaving for 1-4 weeks. When it’s ready, store in the fridge. It lasts up to one year refrigerated.

Being good for the gut (and therefore mind and body) and cheap and easy to make, sauerkraut is life changing. Thanks so much to Aysha for introducing us to the wonderful world of sauerkraut!

Aysha can hold custom fermentation workshops to teach you how to make your own sauerkraut and kimchi at your home or workplace around the Byron Bay, Gold Coast and Brisbane area.

If you’re eager to delve into the fermentation world get, in touch with Aysha via hello@kinfolkandco.com.

In the meantime, head to www.kinfolkandco.com for an array of carefully crafted tableware that age gracefully and can be handed down through generations.

And you can rest easy knowing these products are locally handcrafted with all-natural ingredients and sustainably packaged with love in eco-friendly materials.