Any fellow sauerkrauters here?

[Devonviolet]

! It really takes 9 weeks?

Mine doesn't take that long . . . a week, maybe a bit longer in winter, since we keep our house at 68° F. I use 1 gallon glass jars with air locks in the lids. The batch that I gave to @baymule was pink, but that was because I used purple cabbage.

Sodium Metabisulfite (preservative),

UGH! That stuff gives me an instant migraine! So, making my own sauerkraut is even more necessary.

The added benefit of natural probiotics is priceless. Those bad boys kill off the bad bacteria & build up the immune system.

When I get a cold, I increase my intake of my homemade sauerkraut, kefir & Kombucha, in addition to taking my homemade Elderberry Syrup, & the cold is gone before I know it. Those virus bugs don't stand a chance against my natural arsenal!

 

[CrealCritter]

Mine doesn't take that long . . . a week, maybe a bit longer in winter, since we keep our house at 68° F. I use 1 gallon glass jars with air locks in the lids. The batch that I gave to @baymule was pink, but that was because I used purple cabbage.

UGH! That stuff gives me an instant migraine! So, making my own sauerkraut is even more necessary. The added benefit of natural probiotics is priceless. Those bad boys kill off the bad bacteria & build up the immune system. When I get a cold, I increase my intake of my homemade sauerkraut, kefir & Kombucha, in addition to taking my homemade Elderberry Syrup, & the cold is gone before I know it. Those virus bugs don't stand a chance against my natural arsenal!

I figure if I can't pronounce it - I really probably shouldn't be eating it. I'm sure I eat enough of this sort of crap anyways without intentionally adding it to my diet.

Knock on wood... I ain't been sick for just a little over 3 years. Occasional allergies in the spring but nothing so bad I needed to do anything special. The last time I got sick in beginning of Nov 2014 - I was sick bad... bad sick. Per my doctor's strong advise I take 5000 ICU of vitamin D3 every night along with 1 tsp of Bragg's organic ACV Nov through April. It's really helped me not only regulate my body temperature (used to be cold all the time) but also fend off cold/flu/crud. Of course I continue to try and eat at least one naturally fermented food I make here at home everyday - I know the probiotics in naturally fermented foods are great for me also.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I can't get DH to eat much sauerkraut - but I can get him to eat Kimchee (Korean sauerkraut). I'm planning on making a batch tomorrow. It only takes a few days to ferment ....the longer it goes the sour-er it gets. We like it hot and spicy!

The first bite I ever took of Kimchee I was like - ugh.... no... But about 5 minutes later I wanted another bite. I was hooked from then on. It's hot and sour and oh so delish!

 

[CrealCritter]

Mine doesn't take that long . . . a week, maybe a bit longer in winter, since we keep our house at 68° F. I use 1 gallon glass jars with air locks in the lids. The batch that I gave to @baymule was pink, but that was because I used purple cabbage.
.

68?.Phew... That's what we keep the house at during the summer day and 65 at night. Winter is 60 during the day and 58 at night. I think I might burn up at 68 -:lol since even at 60, I have to wear a tank top while in the house. I think I might have to strip down to just shorts @ 68 so I wouldn't burn up.

 

[Devonviolet]

Per my doctor's strong advise I take 5000 ICU of vitamin D3 every night along with 1 tsp of Bragg's organic ACV Nov through April.

DH & I have been taking Vitamin D3 (5000 IU) for years. We have gone to one 3 timed a week. However, during flu season we go to one daily, along with 2000mg Vitamin C 2× daily, Echinacea with Goldenseal, Schizandra and Astragalus 3x daily, all for immune building.

I started feeling my sinus swelling up the other day. I bumped up the Elderberry & added a few cups of Echinacea tea. Today I'm back to normal. I will continue taking 1 Tbsp Elderberry Syrup twice daily until Spring, unless I feel symptoms, then will bump it up to 3× daily. It works really well with viruses. Studies have shown that a compound in Elderberries prevents virus from replicating (reproducing). It also prevents it from breaking down cell walls, so it can't get in your cells & make you sick.

You do well to take a couple Tbsp of Bragg's ACV daily. It is very similar to Kombucha and has healthy probiotics and immune building qualities. Kefir & cultured veggies all have different probiotics, which act synergistically, to keep us healthy.

A really good website about this is:

www.culturedfoodlife.com.

 

[CrealCritter]

DH & I have been taking Vitamin D3 (5000 IU) for years. We have gone to one 3 timed a week. However, during flu season we go to one daily, along with 2000mg Vitamin C 2× daily, Echinacea with Goldenseal, Schizandra and Astragalus 3x daily, all for immune building.

I started feeling my sinus swelling up the other day. I bumped up the Elderberry & added a few cups of Echinacea tea. Today I'm back to normal. I will continue taking 1 Tbsp Elderberry Syrup twice daily until Spring, unless I feel symptoms, then will bump it up to 3× daily. It works really well with viruses. Studies have shown that a compound in Elderberries prevents virus from replicating (reproducing). It also prevents it from breaking down cell walls, so it can't get in your cells & make you sick.

You do well to take a couple Tbsp of Bragg's ACV daily. It is very similar to Kombucha and has healthy probiotics and immune building qualities. Kefir & cultured veggies all have different probiotics, which act synergistically, to keep us healthy.

A really good website about this is:

www.culturedfoodlife.com.

I'm learning so much from all of you. THANK YOU!

Elderberry syrup - how do you make it? I believe i have several elderberry bushes about the property. I never thought about them much until now.

Here's a recipe for elderberry syrup ---> https://wellnessmama.com/1888/elderberry-syrup/

That space between my ears is churning, thinking that elderberry - horehound juice made into a hard candy might just be the cats meow

 

[Devonviolet]

Following is my recipe. As you can see, it makes a half gallon, which can be saved in 4 pint canning jars, which if the lid is screwed tightly, before putting in,the refrigerator, will seal and will last in the back of the fridge for many months.

Your write up from Wellness Mama, says to take 1 tsp at a time. However, I have seen other write ups, that say to use 1 Tbspe daily, unless you start feeling flu symptoms, then increase to 1 Tbsp several times daily. Some say every 2-3 hours.

So, here is my recipe:

Elderberry Honey Syrup

2 cups dried Elderberries
6 cups Filtered Water
2 oz sliced, peeled ginger root, cut into small pieces
25 oz (Net Wt) Raw/Unfiltered Honey (Local honey is best)
[in the original recipe, it said 36 oz honey. After making it today, I have changed it to 25 oz.]

Combine Elderberries, ginger and water.

On stovetop heat until boiling. Lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

While hot, use immersion blender to remove fruit from seeds (approximately 5 minutes).

Pour into large fine screen strainer over a large bowl. Using large spoon, stir, scrape, mash berries until most of the fruit is off seed and moisture is squeezed out. Rinse strainer with an additional 1/2 to 1 cup more of filtered water, to get all the residual goodness of the berries.

Cool to body temp and add honey. Heating raw honey destroys the enzymes, which give honey it's healing qualities.

Pour into 1/2 gallon canning jar or 2g, 1-quart canning jars and refrigerate. I put some in a used honey bottle for easier dispensing. Store in refrigerator.

To minimize risk of getting the cold/flu virus, take 1 Tablespoon of this syrup daily. If you do get a cold, start taking 1 Tbsp three times daily for the duration of the illness plus 3-4 days.

http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/news/20031222/elderberry-fights-flu-symptoms#1

**********
I used to buy my elderberries on Amazon. From what I have seen, this is the best price at $16.46, for one pound, which will make several batches :

https://www.amazon.com/Elderberries...56&sr=8-4&keywords=dried+elderberries+1+pound
**********
This past Summer, DH and I foraged a nice amount of berries. I have also bought four bushes, which gave us a few berries this past summer. I'm hoping that it won't be too long before it gives us lots of berries.

 

[baymule]

I make Devonviolets recipe for elderberry syrup. It is not only delicious, but it works!

 

[CrealCritter]

I'll have to wait until in the summer when elderberries ripen up or I guess I could buy some off the on-line Borg (Amazon.com)

But irregardless you betcha I'm gonna try and make Devonviolets recipe.

 

[Devonviolet]

I made another batch today, as I am giving my daughter a big bottle, of it, for Christmas.

I have tried different ways to strain the seeds out. Today I tried a screen sieve, and used a serving spoon, to push the solids against the screen so it drained. I was hoping to push the berry solids through, while straining out the seeds.

For the most part, it worked, but I ended up with some seeds going through the screen. I left it that way, except for my daughter's bottle. She's not so into the "natural" way, so I'm not sure she would appreciate the "texture" in the syrup. So I ran it through a finer sieve. Then I ate the solids, that I got out, with a spoon. It was yummy

In the past, I have used a flour sack dish towel, dedicated to straining juices. I think, in the future, I will just use that to strain the solids out of the juice, before I add the honey.

*** Please note - (@baymule and @CrealCritter) I changed the amount of honey, in the Elderberry Syrup, as I made it again today, and 25 oz made it plenty sweet, vs. the original 36 oz. Just make sure you put it away warm, screw the lid on tight, and put it in,the refrigerator. It should last at least several months.

As I said before, I store it in pint jars, however today I used glass peanut butter jars. Smaller batches minimize exposure both by touching and to possible germs in the air, each time the jar is opened.