Alive in the Tub: Why I Never Heat My Sauerkraut

In my family, sauerkraut was never a superfood. It was everyday food, all year round.

My grandmother Ulyana made it every autumn in her village in Siberia. Across Russia, Ukraine, Poland and much of Eastern Europe, families have done the same for centuries. Fermenting kept vegetables on the table all year round, even in the months when nothing grew.

Nobody in her kitchen talked about gut health. Today it's the first thing people ask me about at markets. So here's the honest version of what's in my tub.

The bacteria were there all along

Fresh cabbage carries its own lactic acid bacteria. When you shred it and pack it with salt, the salt draws out the juice, and those bacteria start eating the natural sugars and turning them into lactic acid. That's the sourness. It's also what preserves the cabbage, without a drop of vinegar.

I don't add a starter or a powder. The cabbage, carrots, salt, filtered water and time do the work. Because it happens naturally, the mix of bacteria shifts a little from batch to batch. That's what real ferments do.

Raw or heated: it's a different food

A lot of sauerkraut on supermarket shelves is pasteurised, which means it's been heated so it can sit in the pantry for months. Heat stops the fermentation and kills the live bacteria. Some is made quickly with vinegar instead, which gives the sour taste without any fermentation at all.

Both can taste fine. Neither is what my grandmother made. Mine is never heated. It ferments, goes into the fridge and stays alive. That's why a little brine sometimes escapes in the post. It's still working.

How to spot real sauerkraut at the shop

• It's in the fridge, not on the shelf.
• The label says raw or unpasteurised.
• There's no vinegar in the ingredients.
• A little fizz when you open it is a good sign.

How to keep it alive at home

• Keep it cold. Straight into the fridge.
• Press the cabbage back under the brine after serving.
• Always use a clean fork.
• Add it to food after cooking. Stir it through warm potatoes or put it on top of soup, but don't boil it, or you lose what makes it alive.

So, is it good for you?

I won't make promises about what my sauerkraut will do for your body. That isn't mine to say, and you should be a little suspicious of anyone selling food who does. What I can tell you is what's in it: four ingredients, live cultures, no heat and no vinegar, made the way Eastern European families have made it for centuries.

My serve is about 100g, two or three good forkfuls with a meal.

If you want to taste the difference, start with the Traditional.

Source: University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension, "Sauerkraut" (how salt and natural bacteria ferment cabbage).