Did you know...

...that the powdery look on grapes, cabbage and what not...ya know, the "water off a duck's back" affect? ...is actually there for a reason - to protect the little bacterial cultures? If bacterial is the correct term...I'm not quite sure.

Ok...I looked it up. Here's what Dom says in his info about making what he calls "kefirkraut."

"The native microflora of cabbage is evident as a powdery white film, covering the surface of the outer dark green leaves. This film causes the interesting phenomenon, which I refer to as, water running off of a duck's back. This effect can be observed when water is poured over the surface of cabbage leaves. The water is repelled away from the surface of the leaf, repelling the water forcing it to form water beads, which readily roll away off the leaf. This phenomenon protects the native microflora from being damaged or removed in wet conditions."

He uses the native microflora on the cabbage itself along with kefir grains to make kefirkraut....a milder and healthier version of sauerkraut.

Well, I decided to try making some kraut Sally Fallon style last week. She uses some salt, and if it is available, whey. Here's the recipe.

Sauerkraut

4 cups shredded cabbage, loosley packed

1 tsp juniper berries

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

2 tsp sea salt

2 TB whey, or add additional 1 tsp salt if not available.

1 cup filtered water.

In a bowl, mix cabbage with spices. (I sliced the cabbage into thin ribbons and it seemed to work fine, and used several of the outer green leaves as well to boost the microflora. Also, I only had mustard, so that's what I used.) Mash or pound with a wooden pounder for several minutes to release juices. (Heh...I used a glass drink bottle I could fit my hand around.) Place in a wide-mouth quart jar (not neccesary....just makes it easier to get in) and pack down. Mix water with salt and whey, pour over, and add more water if needed to cover cabbage. There should be about 1 inch of headspace. Cover tightly ad keep at room temp for 2-3 days. Transfer to cold storage. It can be eaten immediately, but will continue to develop over the next 3-6 months. If little white spots of foam occur, it's fine and harmless. Just remove them with a spoon.

If a batch gets too much oxygen and goes bad, you'll know it and won't even be tempted to eat it. In general, a room temp of about 72' will be sufficient to insure fermentation within 2-4 days.

She says. "Lacto-fermented vegetables should have a pleasant odor and a mildly acidic taste. They are not meant to be eaten in large quantities, but as condiments."

I let mine ferment for 3 days, because I forgot to check it on the second. Oops! Seemed to be fine...I was pleased with the taste. Oh...make sure you open the jar over the sink...it tends to want to spray and overflow, but there's just a bunch of air that can be mashed back out of it so the liquid will cover again.

I try to eat a few forkfuls as I'm preparing a meal and in and out of the fridge. This gives my digestion the boost it needs to prepare for a full meal.

Here's a pic of the kraut on the right, and some kimchi on the left. The latter is spicy and has carrots, ginger and garlic in it.