Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Sauerkraut

Basic Health Points for Sauerkraut:

*  Increases the healthy flora in the intestinal tract
*  Creates the type of environment for flora to flourish
*  An immune booster
*  Inhibits or actively fights cancer
*  Provides ingredients for gut health
*  Flu fighter
*  Inhibits pathogenic organisms including E. coli, salmonella and candida
*  Creates antioxidants that scavenge free radicals
*  Transforms lactose to lactic acid
*  Neutralizes phytic acid found in all grains and the trypsin-inhibitors in soy
*  Generates new nutrients including omega-3 fatty acids, digestive aids and GTF chromium
*  Sauerkraut and its juices are a traditional folk remedy for constipation
*  Facilitates the breakdown and assimilation of proteins -
                 has a soothing effect on the nervous system
*   Strengthens the acidity of the stomach - helps normalize pH
*  Stimulates peristaltic movement of the intestines.
*  Detoxifies the intestines
*  Encourages pancreas function
*  Stimulates the secretion of all digestive juices
*  Helps re-establish healthy intestinal flora after taking antibiotics
*  Improves blood circulation
*  Helps cleanse the blood
*  Supports natural reistance against infections.
*  Strengthens the body's immune system
*  Helps rid the body of worms
*  Lowers the sugar in the blood and urine
*  Controls a craving for sweets
*  Alleviates morning sickness in pregnant women

News release from October 18, 2005 WGN9 Chicago (WGN-TV):

Bird Flu:  A cure for the bird flu may come from a strange source... sauerkraut!  Scientists at Seoul National University say they've successfully treated infected chickens with kimchi sauerkraut.  Kimchi is a seasoned version of traditional sauerkraut, but both contain an important bacteria, lactic acid, which appears to kill avian flu.  13 infected chickens with bird flu ate sauerkraut and 11 of them got better.

Further reading - "A Passion for Sauerkraut" a recipe book by Samuel Hofer

How to Culture Butter

So... I have been doing a little research and if you want raw, cultured butter, you are going to have to start with raw cream.  You can get it at the Whole Foods Depot....

Natures Whole Food Depot

...then, you culture the CREAM (someone will probably have to buy a starter and share) , and leave it to thicken for a day or so before churning. Also, hold back a bit of the cream each time to use as the starter in the next batch. The flavor will continue to develop.

NEW IDEA:  I think you can use Cream Fraiche to culture the cream.   I am listing another direction page for your reference.  It covers the steps very clearly.  Just use the cream Fraiche as your starter.  I don't know if I can find any here, but will look.  I plan to try this as soon as possible.

Immunutrition - How to make raw, cultured butter

You can use your Kitchen Aid or food processor to make the butter from the cultured cream.  I found a site that has picture.

Here are a couple of sites with some good pictures.  I plan to just buy some cream fraiche and use that as a culture (or starter), then just follow the directions listed on one of these pages.

Positron

Cooking for Engineers - Making Butter

Love you all.

Have fun.  Someone is going to have to be brave and try this.

Cindy

Ramble in the Woods - Thoughts on Sauerkraut

One of the biggest milestones on my personal journey to health occurred when I stumbled across sauerkraut and its benefits.  Sauerkraut is a food I had never eaten willingly, had no intention of EVER having as a part of my diet, and certainly had no plan to ever make the stuff.  Happily, as I continued my research into this amazing food, my head changed.

Certainly, my taste buds did not change overnight.  However, the miraculous properties of this food convinced me to try to incorporate it into our lives.  We quit buying probiotics and Obadiah and I figured out to mix the sauerkraut into salsa and sour cream, then eat it with chips.  Over time we developed an appreciation for the taste and texture of this soured, lacto fermented food.  We also found that we did not seem to need the probiotics.... as long as we continued to eat lots of these foods and to take it easy on the  sugars and simple carbs.

We had long since changed out all of our oils, so we were getting coconut oil every day somewhere.  This helps so much.  Coconut oil is just a miracle food for your gut.

Today I am going back and revisiting much of that previous research I did.  The class I am doing today is really on the practical - how to make sauerkraut.  However, I want to remember what changed my opinion in the first place.

Take control of the health of your family.  Don't subcontract it out to anyone else.  Be proactive.  Study and learn, then apply what you know to be true.

One of my big rule of thumb food ideas is..... If it is a food that COULD have been eaten in Biblical times, it is probably fine.  Could you have made sauerkraut 5000 years ago?  Yes.  It is good.  (btw... I also think butter and honey are good - raw)

I did warn you that this was a RAMBLE, didn't I  :)

Best of Health
Cindy