I have gotten on a kick lately. It is called lacto-fermented veggies. My kids just call it weird.
Lacto-fermented veggies are great in so many ways: natural probiotics that aid the digestive and immune systems, beneficial enzymes, and is a food that is rich in vitamin C.
I have to watch everything I eat to constantly manage my Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis (an autoimmune disease where my immune system has turned against my body’s own tissues). I have a number of food intolerances: gluten, grains, nightshade veggies, citrus, pomegranate, and the list continues… and fermented veggies really help me manage my symptoms!
Regardless of having an autoimmune disease or not, I encourage you to add this to your diet. It is SO easy to make and lasts forever in the fridge. It is very low maintenance and so great for you!
Basic Lacto-Fermented Veggies
1 small cabbage (red, green or a mix), shredded
1 apple (I have experimented with various apples and settled on green as my favorite), shredded
1 1/2 tablespoon caraway seeds
2 tablespoon Celtic sea salt
In a large ceramic bowl, mix all ingredients and allow to “marinate” for 20 minutes. The cabbage needs to wilt and create a salty brine. Spoon the cabbage into a mason jar (I use a quart-sized, wide-mouth). With each spoonful, press down firmly with a wooden spoon. The juice needs to rise to the top of the jar. Be sure to leave about one inch of space from the cabbage to the top of the jar. There will be some expansion while it is lacto-fermenting and you don’t want it to overflow out of the jar. Tighten lid and keep at room temperature for about three days before transferring to the refrigerator. You are able to eat your lacto-fermented veggies immediately, but the flavor gets even better as it “ages”.
** This is my basic recipe. Feel free to vary the veggies up! Sometimes I add in onion, carrots, shallots, whatever I have on hand that I would like to get rid of. A quick search online will give you hundreds of ideas and recipes for a variation on the above basic recipe.
Simply live. Simply Smiles.
Shannon Miles
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