Cultured Food Challenge 2012

I have been wanting to challenge myself to a "one cultured food a day"challenge for quite some time!  So, I am starting the Cultured Food Challenge 2012.  Join me in the goal of eating one cultured food a day.  Each Monday for the rest of the year, I will be posting recipes, ideas, and information about cultured foods.

If you are new to culturing and that goal seems daunting, then set a goal that will helpful for you!  It has certainly taken me a few years of making cultured products to reach this goal.  The object is to eat more cultured foods and benefit from their healthful properties.

Here are a few cultured food ideas to get you started: yogurt, kefir (both dairy and water), cultured sour cream, cultured butter, kombucha, sauerkraut, cultured carrots and beets, cultured applesauce, cultured condiments like mustard, ketchup, and jam.  There are many more, but hopefully those will give you some ideas to get started.

Cultures can be purchased at Cultures for Health.  Just click on the Cultures for Health icon to the right and it will take you straight to their website.  They have a vast variety of cultures and all come with detailed descriptions on how to use them and the company is very helpful for answering any questions you might have.

Questions can also be left in the comments section of this website and I will answer as many as I am able.

Here is a recipe I made this week that created my most beautiful cultured product to date!

Garlicky Green and Purple Sauerkraut:

*one large head of green cabbage
*one large head of purple cabbage
*6 large garlic cloves, sliced in half
*2 T dried seaweed flakes
*16 pepper corns
*4 T sea or pink salt

Shred cabbage in food processor and back into two 6 cup canning jars.  Pound until juices start to form and come even with the top of the cabbage.  Add 2 T salt, 3 garlic cloves, 1 T dried seaweed, and 8 peppercorns to eat jar.  If you do not have seaweed, then add an extra T of salt.  Cover and store in a dark place for 3 days, then place in the fridge.

This is my favorite sauerkraut creation to date!  The color is stunning and the garlic and peppercorns add a spicy kick.  My husband loved it.

(Featured on My Sweet and Savory, Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms, You are Talking Too Much, The Healthy Home Economist, Delightfully Dowling, 11th Heavens Homemaking Haven, Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker, Homestead Revival,  Organizing Junkie , A Southern Fairy Tale , Market Yourself Monday, Home Savvy A to Z , Nourishing Treasures,   Real Food Foragerhttp://realfoodforager.com/probiotic-food-challenge-linky/ )