Counter Top Pickles and Sauerkraut

Have you ever wondered how food was preserved before there were glass jars with rubber seals?  I admit I never really thought about it.  I've read lots of novels that talked about the root cellar and putting up food.  I always imagined stacks of potatoes and pumpkins, nothing like pickles or sauerkraut.

Before the convenience of glass and canning supplies, people would ferment their food in large crocks using a salt brine.

 This would preserve the food with it's vitamin C and they could keep the crocks in the root cellar to eat from through the winter.  Whether they realized it or not, this process was amazingly helpful for their digestion.  This method of preserving develops good bacteria that helps in gut health.  Fermented food actually increases in vitamins and contains digestive enzymes, homemade probiotics!

I've made sauerkraut and pickles by this method and both were yummy, though I won't use the red pepper flake in the pickles again and they were only yum until they turned your mouth to fire!  If your family eats pickles, this is a killer way to get some living probiotics into their diets.

Sauerkraut from a website I like:  The Nourishing Gourmet

Countertop pickle recipe (gluten free)  But I recommend you skip the red pepper flakes!  Pickles