Making your own sauerkraut

Sauerkraut – Powerkraut | Traditional preservation of vegetables in a crock
It may not be a widely known fact but sauerkraut is a true vitamin C bomb – that is the reason why it had such great value for sailors in previous times. In addition, sauerkraut made in a fermentation crock pot is rich in roughage, contains many minerals, and has very few calories. An amount of 100 g (or 3.53 oz.) has a mere 17 kcal! Sauerkraut should cook for no longer than 20 minutes so as not to lose valuable nutrients.

In previous times, seafarers such as Christopher Columbus and James Cook used sauerkraut to protect themselves and their crews against scurvy. This feared disease is caused by a lack in vitamin C, a vitamin of which sauerkraut contains great amounts. Also, sauerkraut fermented in a crock and pickled in salt had the unbeatable advantage of remaining palatable during the long sea journeys.