I believe that incorporating pickles into your diet is essential for good health. No, I am not talking about the commercially prepared pickles made with vinegar and produced for the masses (ie. the ones you find in most major supermarkets). I am talking about raw, vinegar-free pickles made with the natural fermentation process which has been used by healthy humans for centuries all over the world.
The health benefits of consuming naturally fermented raw pickles are numerous. These raw, naturally fermented pickles contain active cultures and enzymes (like those in yogurt) which support proper digestion, contribute to healthy metabolic function, and inhibit harmful microbes in the intestinal system. Lactic acid (which is a by-product of the fermentation process) supports the growth of healthy intestinal flora. Many people, including those into macrobiotics, make their own pickles as part of their lifestyle. I don’t make my own pickles because I am a princess and I buy mine in jars.
My favorite pickles are made by a company called “Real Pickles” which are 100% organic and come from family farms in New England and New York. I love the Garlic Kraut and Sauerkraut the best; but you can buy all types of pickles including Asian-Style Cabbage (Kimchi), Ginger-Carrot, Dill, Garlic Dill, Spicy Dill and many other varieties. I buy my “Real Pickles” in Whole Foods and they are sold throughout the Northeast in various stores. You can also order them from the “Real Pickles” website but I think that they only ship in the Northeast region of the country. My other favorite brand of pickles is “Bubbie’s.” I think “Bubbie’s” ships anywhere in the country but you could check their website. For your information, a “Bubbie” is a Jewish grandma and I was named after my “Bubbie.”
My favorite snack is made by toasting a piece of sourdough rye bread (I love the brand “Bread Alone” which I buy in Whole Foods), smashing avocado onto the toasted rye bread and, then, topping with raw, naturally fermented sauerkraut or garlic kraut (after the juices have been squeezed out of the kraut). This simple snack also works well with a Lundberg Farm brown rice cake. Obviously, you can use any variety of raw, naturally fermented pickles in many other ways (ie. topped on a tofu hotdog, on a tempeh or avocado reuben or as a side to any other vegan dish). Yum!
TOASTED SOURDOUGH RYE BREAD TOPPED WITH AVOCADO AND SAUERKRAUT
Ingredients:
1 large slice of sourdough rye bread, toasted
1/4 to 1/2 avocado
Raw, naturally fermented sauerkraut or garlic kraut
Directions:
Smash about 1/4 to 1/2 avocado onto a large slice of toasted sourdough rye bread. Squeeze the juice from the sauerkraut and place as much as you desire on top of the avocado. I will say “your welcome” right now for introducing you to this simple, healthy and delicious snack!!!
i was wondering if it was just “flavorful” or actually probiotic. I made my own sauerkaut but forgot to make a batch so I picked up “real pickles” saurkraut and it wasn’t as fermented as mine was. I did mine for 4 weeks back in june and refrigerated them in mason jars. how can you tell if it was probiotic or not unless you went through the fermentation process with it and seen the product on every step of the way?
If it was naturally fermented for a period of time without the use of vinegar, it will usually be probiotic. If you’re making it at home and fermenting for 4 weeks in mason jars, Im confident in saying that your sauerkraut was probiotic. The “Real Pickles” brand is a naturally fermented and probiotic pickle. I think this was due to the lack of vinegar. But so were yours.
Hi, i am a 40 yr old male who was diagnoswed with celiacs two yrs and have been doiing great 100% gluten free the whiole time. And i feel good, that is until i had to take antibiotics. destroyed my stomach, thought i had kidney stones, constant pain and discomfort. I think my flora is wrecked. Does anyone recomend theses krauts to get it back in order ??? Any info or direction is greatly apprexciated ….. Thank You – daN
Hi! We are not physicians, so we cannot recommend foods as a prescription for your medical condition. We strongly suggest that you talk to and follow your doctors’ orders concerning your celiac condition. However, naturally fermented foods such as these pickles and krauts are known to help with digestive flora. Once again, your doctor is and should be your best resource for your medical condition.
Aaaaaand Debbie Downer says…
I just want to encourage anyone here to make their own cultured veggies, it is so cheap and easy, and so amazingly beneficial! No special equipment needed, no matter what some websites try to get you to buy! A recycled glass jar with a lid, some veggies, salt, water and the natural microbes on fresh veggies will take care of everything! Humans have been doing this for millennia to preserve their food, in less than sanitary conditions, so though you want to be reasonably clean, sterilizing is unnecessary. You just chop your raw veggies, pack ’em into a jar, submerge them under a fairly salty brine to keep the wrong microbes away, screw on the lid and keep in a fairly warm place. After a few days you should see some bubbles, which means fermentation has begun. Try to keep the veggies submerged, fermentation takes place anaerobically…without oxygen…so any veggies poking above water need to get pushed back under, weighted down, or shaken back daily. Depending on what is fermenting and the temperature of the location, you can start tasting in 5 days or so, and leave it ferment for weeks, or if cold, even months. Sandor Katz has excellent books on fermenting, and a website too! So does Donna Schwenk… http://www.culturedfoodlife.com/ Enjoy!
Another good sandwich- Your favorite bread (raw or as toast) A layer of sliced apple, tempeh, purple onion, Veganaise, and Cucumber or lettuce.
PS: I had been eating Bubvies but, after trying real pickles nothing else will do.
Thank you so much! That combo sounds amazing!