Daily words of affirmation time! Today’s card suits me all too well. LOL
My house is smelling great today people! I browned up six pork chops and they are slow cooking, on the stove, in my Dutch Oven, covered in Sauerkraut. Yummmmm…..
I am actually not a fan of eating sauerkraut, but pork chops cooked in them is SO good!
Paul and Janina LOVE sauerkraut, that stinky fermented shredded cabbage. LOL
For some crazy reason, Paul decided to take up the hobby of making his own kraut. He did some research, talked to several people who have all made it, started collecting some vintage stoneware crocks and started small.
Then, last fall he sent me to Black Creek to buy cabbages for him. The price for one cabbage was only $3 a head which was great. My mom came with me, and we drove there to find a flatbed wagon heaped full of them! Not the normal cabbage head you find in the grocery stores! These monsters were HUGE! Averaging around 15 pounds each! Paul told me to buy him twenty! TWENTY!
Thank God I took my pickup truck! We just about filled the bed. LOL
My parents came over one evening and they all worked at shredding all that cabbage. I couldn’t believe how much he made.
Since I don’t eat it, I just take other peoples word for it when they say it tastes great.
My aunt & uncle are now reoccurring sauerkraut customers every fall. LOL
The thing about sauerkraut is, it’s best raw. See, just by the process of natural fermentation it ends up packed full of live probiotics, active enzymes, and prebiotics. It has Vitamin C, Vitamin K2, and organic acids that support digestion, immunity, and overall gut health.
IT TRULY IS A SUPERFOOD!!!
When you freeze or can raw sauerkraut, you lose the very things that make is a raw superfood. The live probiotics and enzymes are pretty much entirely destroyed.
You will still get the fiber and minerals, but you lose the main reason for even eating it.
Paul keeps a jar of raw kraut in the fridge just for a daily forkful of that gut helping goodness. I do force myself to have some now and then for the health benefits. By some I mean, I take a small fork and pick up a few strands. LOL
I AM getting better at it though! Small steps! LOL
We obviously can’t go through THAT much kraut from 20 flippin’ heads of cabbage so we did process and can about half. This is what I use for cooking.
I’ll scrape most of it off of my porkchop and give it to Paul. I just like how the juices make the chops nice and tender, salty, and juicy. I can’t wait for supper. I still need to make the side dishes to go with it though.
We still have some left from last fall so I assumed he wouldn’t need to make very much this year.
How dumb of me to assume!
Once again, though this time he came along, as we made the trip to Black Creek. Backed that truck up to the wagon once again heaped full of giant cabbages.
Once again, he bought TWENTY!
I just repeat to myself, “He built me a Quack Shack for my ducks”, “He lets me keep my chickens”, as I have to now sit and smell fermenting cabbage for the next month or so. “It COULD be worse!” LOL!
I will admit, I am proud that he learned this skill. He is also very skilled at making smoked meats. Breakfast sausages, Ring Bologna, summer sausage, etc. That stuff doesn’t last long around here. LOL
It’s always just one less thing we need to buy from the grocery store. Learning how to grow and make your own foods give you something no one can take away from you. That knowledge is becoming more and more rare. Forcing people to become more and more dependent on stores for literally everything.
If anyone wants a good recipe, I’ll gladly share. 🙂
Which now I’m craving my new recipe of Creamy Pumpkin Gnocchi. I’ve only made it once, but the family and I loved it. So, I’m glad I wrote it all down! YUM!
Something about fall and the cooler weather just puts you in a warm comfort food kind of mood. (Yes, I’m currently sniffing the delicious air here and practically drooling. LOL)
What is your favorite recipe?
Take care!
*Hugs*
Come spill the tea with me!