Sour cabbage
My Great Grandmother, Arizona Henry, made her sauerkraut in clay crock pots every fall. She would spend hours shredding the cabbage in the kitchen, complaining about her arm being sore. She always called it sour cabbage. I always thought of kraut back then as gross and stinky. My Grandma cooked the sour cabbage with a few hot dogs in it for me. I would pick out the dogs and leave the stinky cabbage on my plate. Grandma would eat my kraut.
Sauerkraut is a super food for our gut health due to the fermenting process. Sauerkraut is low in calories and high in fiber. It’s a great source of probiotics, vitamin C, and iron, which contribute to a stronger immune system. Sauerkraut contains beneficial plant compounds that may reduce the risk of cancer cells developing and spreading.
Sauerkraut is easy to make or inexpensive to buy at the grocery store. It is high in sodium and may need to be consumed in moderation for individuals with high blood pressure.
Zona’s Sour Cabbage Recipe
2 lb. bag of sauerkraut
1 large chopped onion
½ cup cooking sherry
2 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp caraway seeds
½ cup chicken stock
1 package of little smokies
- Place all ingredients into a medium pan, boiling for about one hour.
Stacy Schultz is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist, a former Morgan County Commissioner and is the author of “It’s Stacy’s Grandma ‘Zona’s recipes.” She has been in healthcare for 38 years at War Memorial Hospital.