How to Use my CSA SauerKraut Add-On
The ‘classic’ sauerkraut is one of the kraut options you can currently find as a CSA add-on.
You may have noticed our CSA weekly specials and pantry items expanding. As we meet new farmer’s market friends and continue growing our network of small local businesses, we often fall in love with the creative and tasty products that our new pals produce! One of these sustainable, delicious, and local goods is the Wise Goat SauerKraut. Haven’t added it to your CSA box yet? This is your week! Not sure how to use it? We’ve got you covered with some cooking and health inspo below:
Why kraut is king
Sauerkraut isn’t just tasteless leftover veggies that couldn’t make it onto your plate fresh. In fact, it’s a super intentional, nutritionally-packed and history-rich way to reap some of the healthiest benefits from your cabbage. Sauerkraut was invented centuries ago by the laborers building the Great Wall of China and quickly spread to Eastern Europe as it was linked to helping with immunity from the deadly disease, Scurvy.
Since then, the health benefits and research around eating sauerkraut has exploded. Because it’s intensely packed with probiotics, eating kraut is linked to weight loss, increased mood function, and mitigating digestive troubles digestion (bloating, constipation, diarrhea, etc.). Doctors around the world suggest more and more, that eating sauerkraut is an incredibly beneficial addition to your regular diet.
What do I put it on?
If you haven’t purchased kraut before, it can be a little intimidating to know how to use it. Seriously, are you supposed to just scoop a spoonful of fermented cabbage out with a fork for your daily dose of probiotics? While yes, that may be your method of choice, there’s so many other creative ways to cook with kraut:
Top your tacos, quesadillas, and burrito bowls with a heaping spoonful to add a burst of flavor!
Add it to your pizzas, either pre or post cooking. Note that cooked sauerkraut loses its probiotics but still retains its other health benefits and taste.
Incorporate it into soups (both on top or mixed in). This especially pairs nicely with potato or sausage soups.
Bake it into cheesy pasta casseroles for a nutritious comfort dish you can scoop into for days.
Top your summer tomato or grilled cheese sandwiches with a thick layer of crunchy kraut.
Using the brine to feel oh-so-fine
Use the leftover brine from any of your sauerkrauts for different flavors!
Once you’ve finished your sauerkraut jar and are all amped up to buy another one, make sure to hold on to the leftover brine! This brine is a super probiotic-charged ‘gut tonic’ and is worth saving. Take a small ‘shot’ before a big meal to help ease your digestion or use it to make a salad dressing, soup base, smoothie, or healthy cocktail!
*All phots in this blog are from Wise Goat Organics