What Makes RAW Sauerkraut So Special?
Your gut contributes to the state of your emotions, to the function of your organs and to the future of your health. In short, treat your gut right and you’re on your way to a happier body and soul. Here at RAW, our sauerkrauts are made to be the best of the best – deliciously crunchy and tangy and the easiest way you can be kind to your gut.
What makes RAW Sauerkraut so special?
We use organic white cabbage which is finely cut and combined with sea salt before being filled into recyclable glass jars. We pack our kraut into their individual jars straight away – this way we are able to retain the classic crunch of raw cabbage. It is this that sets us apart from other sauerkrauts on the market which are often left to ferment in big batches for several weeks. As a result, the cabbage softens, giving it a texture more similar to pasteurised sauerkraut.
After the jars are filled, they are left to ferment with starter cultures for approximately a week before they are shipped off to us in the UK. As our krauts are not pasteurised, they continuously ferment which means when we fill our jars they are only just beginning their fermentation journey! Even when our kraut reaches the hands of our customers it is still fermenting. Because of this, we need to allow our krauts to ‘breathe’. Afterall it is a living product! For this reason, we use a special lid that allows the gasses that are produced throughout the fermentation cycle to escape freely without allowing any air to enter the jar.
How do you open the special jars?
Because of the special ‘breathing’ lids that we use, they also have an equally special way they need to be opened. At first glance you might think you just twist it off like a regular jar, but no! You’ll notice that these lids a secured with a load of little flexible metal ‘teeth’ which you need to lever up to release. Simply take a teaspoon and wedge it under the teeth and lift up – do this in a few points around the jar. Then grab one of the free edges and peel the lid off and voila! To reseal the lid, all you need to do is pop the lid back on and give the teeth a little squeeze to secure. Check out our handy video below for a quick step by step! OR if you want to step things up a notch even further, we’ve discovered these amazing jar lid openers that work a treat if you’re sauerkraut fanatics like us! We’ll have one in every colour please…
What can you do with the empty jar?
Because our sauerkraut is packed into glass jars there are a tonne of ways to re-use them. Here are some tried and tested uses:
- Make your own beehive
- Plant herbs and make your own little herb garden on your kitchen windowsill
- Storage holder for paper clips, pens and any other bits of stationary
- Make your own candles
- Store any left-overs
- Flower pot
- Tea light/candle holder
How to use sauerkraut?
- Use it as a condiment. The tartness and comfortingly crisp texture make it a perfect partner for many savoury dishes.
- Jazz up a salad with a couple of tablespoons or spice up a whole jar to use as the base of something more kimchi-esque.
- Stuff some sushi with it for bitesize bursts of flavour.
- The secret to a great sandwich is variety in flavour and texture, so spread away!
- Add a spoonful to a smoothie for extra goodness (A bit rogue we know, but it works!)
Take a look at our favourite kraut-tastic recipes here:
Oktoberfest Soft Baked Pretzels with Sauerkraut
Vegan Cauliflower Burger with Sauerkraut
Vegan Potato and Cabbage Curry with Sauerkraut and Chapattis
Vegan Grilled Cheese with Sauerkraut
Vegan Sauerkraut Pierogi with Coconut Bacon
Cranberry Sauerkraut Meatballs with Courgetti
