According to the latest research, at least 80% of our immune system is located in our intestines. Indigestion, constipation, diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome and chronic inflammation are indications that our intestines are way out of balance and this is often related to the development of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. Fermented and cultured foods produce the good bacterium that helps our intestines maintain strong immunity while they break down sugars and carbohydrates in foods to make them more digestible and more nutritious.
Although I knew nothing about fermentation when my children we growing up, I did know how to make a great German Red Cabbage. Unfortunately, my children hated this wonderful sweet and sour dish, so I only made it once or twice a year. Still, my children conspired to weave ever bigger and bigger tales about the "horrid Red Cabbage Mom ALWAYS served."
Over the years it has become a Christmas tradition to place a brightly wrapped jar of Red Cabbage in front of the plate of one of our family members who will have to take it home but will get to return the "favor" out of "revenge" the following year. Nobody ever eats this poor regifted Red Cabbage.
No matter what the color, red or green, the poor maligned Cabbage has lost favor among a generation raised on low nutrition greasy fast food. Suddenly, however, the Cabbage has come back into vogue. We are rediscovering the many benefits of the lowly cabbage.
. . .And from East to West, when a Cabbage is fermented our intestines are at their best! Sauerkraut, for example, has many digestive enzymes, lactic acid, and is high in vitamin C. That's how the Cabbage gets it revenge by healing our intestines and ridding our minds of our misguided notions of what is best for us.
Now that my grown children are of the age where they are concerned about their own and their children's intestinal health, they don't mind forking out $30 a month for a jar of probiotics. That's good, but they could be learning how to make probiotic foods right in their own kitchens.
So let's discover how to make sour foods fun.
