Re: cabbage rejuvelac questions for Bee & others

[Guest guest]

Dear ,

Lacto-fermented foods started eons ago and was the method of food

preservation when there were no fridges. Lactic acid is a natural

preservative that inhibits pathogenic bacteria. Sugars and starches

in vegetables and fruits are converted into lactic acid by

lactobacilli (naturally contained in them), which include many

special of bactera, like acidophilus. The living lactobacilli in

fermented foods enhance digestibility and increase vitamin content.

They produce many helpful enzymes, antibiotics and anti-carcinogens.

Lactic acid, their by-product, promotes the growth of healthy flora

throughout the intestine as as preventing the growth of harmful

bacteria.

wrote:

> A. To be able to make a probiotic without blowing up my kitchen,

>lol.

> B. To be able to make a probiotic without giving myself food

poisoning, YIKES!

>

> Okay, Bee, I'm gonna repost your info with my questions after it.

>I'll put your info in caps, and my questions in regular sized print

so that no one, besides me lol, is confused.

> CABBAGE IS A VEGETABLE THAT IS TEEMING WITH LACTOBACTERIA. NO

>STARTER IS NEEDED FOR MAKING THIS REJUVELAC.

>

> No started is needed? Why? Ya don't need to go too scientific

>here, love, I just want to understand how this works. Oh, and why

>don't we need salt?

==>The cabbage itself contains lactobacilli, so it contains the

starter already. After you've made the first batch the " starter " is

1/4 cup of the rejuvelac and it only takes 24 hours for each

successive bath.

==>Salt is only necessary for long fermentation preservation because

it prevents any putrefying bacteria from developing for several days

until enough lactic acid is produced to keep them preserved for

months. But cabbage rejuvelac is only fermented for 3 days and is

not intended to be kept for months.

>

> START ONE MORNING BY BLENDING TOGETHER 1-3/4 CUPS DISTILLED OR

>PURIFIED WATER PLUS 3 CUPS OF COARSELY CHOPPED, LOOSELY PACKED FRESH

>CABBAGE. START THE BLENDER AT LOW SPEED, AND THEN ADVANCE THE

>BLENDER TO HIGH SPEED AND BLEND FOR 30 MORE SECONDS.

>

> Coarsely chopped cabbage......do you chop this by hand or should

>one use their food processor or blender?

==>For blending or processors the you coarsely chop the cabbage by

hand before putting it into the blender or food processor. The

recipe provides both the blended version and the chopped version if

you don't have a blender or food processor.

> POUR INTO A JAR (A QUART JAR IS EXCELLENT TO USE), COVER TIGHTLY

>ENSURE THERE IS AT LEAST 1 INCH OF SPACE ABOVE THE MIXTURE), AND LET

>IT STAND AT ROOM TEMP FOR 3 DAYS.

> Cover tightly? You mean put a mason lid w/ring on top tightly so

>that no air is getting in? Then how does this stuff keep from

>dying? I know that there is air left at the top, but I was

> just wondering how this works. I read the following warning on the

net after " googling " sauerkraut the other day:

> *****

> ***** " Second, sealing fresh, unfermented cabbage--a low acid food--

>into jars essentially by the open kettle method could permit the

>growth of the spores that produce the toxin that causes botulism.

>Any sauerkraut made using this procedure could be dangerous.

> Discard it. " End of warning.

==>Any jar with a lid is okay to use - it doesn't have to be a mson

lid with a ring. The lid is not to stop air from getting in, it is

to keep anything airborne from getting into it. I've made numerous

batches of cabbage rejuvelac and never had a bad batch. The recipe

describes what the juice is like if it is bad.

> AFTER 3 DAYS, STRAIN OFF THE LIQUID REJUVELAC AND DISCARD THE

>CABBAGE. THE INITIAL BATCH OF CABBAGE REJUVELAC TAKES 3 DAYS TO

>MATURE, BUT SUCCEEDING BATCHES TAKE 24 HOURS EACH.

> I read on the net while looking up info on sauerkraut that it can

>take weeks to ferment. How come this is ready in 3 days? After 3

>days this stuff will have all the probiotic goodies of a several

>week old kraut? I hope so cause this is much easier!

==>Sauerkraut and other lacto-fermted fruits and vegetables are made

in larger batches and are intended to be kept (preserved) for very

long periods of time. But cabbage rejuvelac is ready in 3 days and

all but 1/4 cup of the juice is consumed the day it is ready. Don't

leave it any longer or it may putrefy - you can tell because good

quality rejuvelac tastes similar to a cross between carbonated water

and the whey obtained when making yogurt. Bad quality rejuvelac has

a much more putrid odour and taste and should not be consumed.

> What do we do with the strained juice? Do we put it into a

>container and keep in the fridge throughout the day or just leave it

>out? If we leave it out, do we leave the lid off, but cover

> it with cloth or something?

==>Strain the juice into another clean jar, put a lid on it and keep

it on the counter; but refrigerate rejuvelac if it is to be kept

overnight. Discard any rejuvelac on hand 24 hours after it is poured

off the cabbage. Each day's rejuvelac is intended to be consumed

within the same day, before night time anyway.

> Is this stuff as potent (as far as probiotics go) as fermented

>kraut? I don't think my gut is up to sauerkraut (the fiber) yet,

>but I'd like to try the juice.

==>Yes, this stuff is potent with probiotics. The cabbage is

discarded and not eaten. Start with fresh cabbage for each new

batch, adding 1/4 cup of the juice from the first batch as

a " starter " .

The best to you ,

Bee

[Guest guest]

Hi Bee,

> Lacto-fermented foods started eons ago and was the method of food

> preservation when there were no fridges. Lactic acid is a natural

> preservative that inhibits pathogenic bacteria. Sugars and starches

> in vegetables and fruits are converted into lactic acid by

> lactobacilli (naturally contained in them), which include many

> special of bactera, like acidophilus. The living lactobacilli in

> fermented foods enhance digestibility and increase vitamin content....

Thanks so much Bee!! This is so helpful. I'm planning on trying this after the

holidays so I

really appreciate the help. I've copied your previous post with the answers for

my file.

Thanks again,

'