Kickas.org Forums Treatments, Drugs and Alternatives NSD and diet-related; Amazed

I'll look for my references, but the fermenters are definitely lacto-bacterium so it follows, just like yoghurt.

Just google "lactose sauerkraut sugar"
Lots of reading

You are right. There is no lactose in raw or cooked cabbage. Reference Widdowson & McCance. Just the sugars glucose, fructose and sucrose are present.

Well in this case the learned book has some explaining to do because there is one very obvious source for lactic acid and that is the lactose present in cabbage and the obvious lactose-intolerance symptoms of people who cannot easily eat cabbage.
Not to worry, it's all just words.
The first sauerkraut feremnter ferments the lactose present and then the lactic acid produced helps preserve the vegetable as it lowers pH more and a secondary, very acid-tolerant lacto-fermenter transforms the other sugars and whatever else.

I have a recipe handout, from a class my sister took, where she learned to make the wild fermented sauerkraut. She scanned and sent to me in an email. If anyone would like a copy, PM me with your email address and I will forward it to you.

I also just added a step by step photo recipe to my blog which should help beginners:

http://myankylosingspondylitis.blogspot.com/2008/04/lacto-fermented-sauerkraut.html

Hi Megan - where do you get your kefir? what do you look for when purchasing a good brand? Or do you make it? How much do you take daily?

Surprisingly, I found some good tasting organic kefir at Safeway with strawberry puree added to it, but am planning to try out some other brands, if I can hunt some down. This stuff is pricey. It didn't seem to have any junk added to it, so I went with it.
I'm trying to make kefir right now, very similar to making yogurt, but not having alot of luck. Mine's pretty lumpy and nasty lookin - not like store bought. lol This is a learning process.
You need a starter, or "grains" (not grains, but called grains anyways) to start the process. I found some at health food and organic stores, but got my present starter from my naturopath.
I only drink a few swigs at at time - usually when I pass by the fridge, but my naturopath advises 1/2 cup a day in a smoothie or similar. I'll try taking in more if I can actually figure out how to make the stuff.

I just checked - and seems you can get kefir grains on ebay!

Quote:

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pretty lumpy and nasty lookin

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I thought you were describing Mateo's diaper after he is done with it

Hey Trudi,

this is the recipe I use now.... I will PM it to you as well. If I can do it, most anyone can. Depending on weather it can turn out better or worse... some times I let sit longer if cooler (see step 8).

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lena's Home Made Sauerkraut
by Lena Sanchez

My husband grows a very large garden every year and I have to preserve the it to last through the winter. Since we both love sauerkraut I make sauerkraut each year. After several trials, I found this to be the best and most certainly the simplest sauerkraut recipe around!

You will need a very large crock, glass or enamel container
Minimum of 2 heads of cabbage
Kosher salt
Heavy duty food-grade plastic bags or 2 gal freezer bags
Wooden spoon

Some tips here to prevent problems with your sauerkraut:

Never use aluminum utensils!
Absolute cleanliness is necessary for a healthy brew!
I have a very old 5 gallon crock that I use to make my sauerkraut. But you can use a glass or enamel coated container. Clean and scald the container well! (I put mine in the dishwasher, but if you wish you can simply scald by pouring boiling water into the container and swishing around for no less than 30 seconds)

To prepare the cabbage, remove and discard the outer leaves. Wash and drain and then cut the cabbages into halves or quarters while removing the core in the process.

Step 1) Shred Cabbage - I use my food processor for speed and ease. If you shred by hand, make sure the shreds are no thicker than a nickel or dime!

Step 2) Mix, with wooden spoon or very clean hands, 5 pounds of shredded cabbage with 4 tablespoons of Kosher salt (pickling salt will do but changes the flavor a bit - do not use table salt) and toss and mix thoroughly until kosher salr dissolves! (You can make as much as you wish as long as you use the ratio of 5 lbs. cabbage to 4 Tbs. salt.)

NOTE: If you plan on refrigerating and not canning use 3 tbs of salt not 4!

Step 3) When juice starts to form on cabbage from tossing - Pack the cabbage firmly and evenly into a clean crock, glass or enamel container. Press firmly to encourage juice formation. Fill the utensil no closer than 5 inches from the top.

Step 4) Make sure juice covers the cabbage completely! (This does not always happen unless the cabbage is fresh from the garden) I prepare additional brine by putting 1 1/2 Tablespoons of kosher salt into 1 quart of boiling water. Dissolve salt and cool brine to room temperature before adding to the pot of cabbage.

Step 5) Once cabbage is immersed in brine water, place a large food grade, plastic bag filled with brine water and lay on top if cabbage... (I use 2 large bags, one inside the other - sometimes a 2 gal freezer bag - with a couple of quarts of cooled brine water inside - this if the bag breaks it will not water down the cabbage into a tasteless mess)

The cabbage must be well sealed all around with the bag, so no air can get in and contaminate the sauerkraut with unwanted yeasts or molds!

Step 6) Now cover the container with plastic wrap, then a heavy towel or cloth and tie securely into place. Do not remove this until fermenting is complete!

Step 7) Put in an area where the temperature will not be above 75 degrees. Fermentation will begin within a day, depending upon the room temperature.

Step 8) If room temperature is 75 degrees allow 3 weeks for fermentation. If temperature is 70 degrees allow 4 weeks. If temperature is 65 degrees allow 5 weeks. If temperature is 60 degrees allow 6 weeks.

NOTE: If temperature is above 75 or 76 degrees, the sauerkraut may not ferment and could spoil!

Step 9) Once fermented taste to see if your required tartness exists. Tartness will weaken as you process in canning so make sure it is a wee bit more tart than you like!

Can be eaten immediately if you desire!

(I sometimes mix in 1/2 teaspoon caraway seed into 4 cups, enough for a couple of pints or 1 quart. This makes a tasty variation.)

NOTE: if you refrigerate only rinse and toss with cold water to attain the tartness desired!

Lena Sanchez is an Internet Great Grandmother who has her own Home Based Internet Business Center at http://www.envirodocs.com/ and is Editor of "Natural Environmental Health & Business Facts" newsletter.

Oops. Seems most cabbages have almost zero lactoseso the lactic comes from malo-lactic and other pathways it seems, but there is very little maltose. It was years ago i researched cabbage so i must look to it again. There are simple sugars mainly so they must be combined first.
It's the simple sugars that make it an attractive food for me so i'll have to find what it is that people react to if not lactose...