Fermented food is really good for you. No one is denying it. But let’s be honest, plain old sauerkraut can get real old, real quick. Thanks to my Baltic heritage, though, I grew up loving the stuff because we figured out a long time ago how to make it awesome. I mean…my Mom’s kraut has BACON in it for goodness sake. If you can’t choke down a bottle of kombucha on a daily basis, this is a great way to get your prebiotics, probiotics, and everything in between.
This is a great side for any meal of the day…I even like it with eggs in the morning! The apple takes some of the bite out of it and I’m convinced that even people who can’t stand the uber-vinegary flavor would like this version. And yes, if you’re not in the mood to go crazy with the stuff, it goes great with brats…who doesn’t love brats with sauerkraut?
Ingredients
1 Jar Sauerkraut (28 oz)
2 Granny Smith Apples, chopped
6 Slices Bacon, fried crisp and diced
2 t Fennel Seed
1 t Black Pepper
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a suacepan over medium-low heat. Allow to simmer for at least 3 hours before serving. More time is better! This stuff keeps incredibly well and is even good cold.
Does the sauerkraut lose its probiotic effect when it’s cooked? Sounds awsome by the way!
Yeah the sauerkraut will lose it’s probiotics by cooking. I might try cooking the other stuff first then adding the sauerkraut when cool
That’s actually a really good idea…as long as you get the apple and bacon flavor in there to cut some of the acidity it should be awesome!
My (Polish) wife, Kasia, introduced me to sauerkraut with shredded raw carrots. The sweetness of the carrots nicely balances the tartness of the kraut. Yummy.
Have you ever tried bigos (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bigos)? It’s one of my favorite dishes.
I really need to try that…thanks for the tip!