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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Renew Life. All opinions are 100% mine.

You guys know how much I love kraut.

I’m not talking the jar of kraut you buy in an aisle at the grocery store; I’m talking raw sauerkraut that’s either homemade or bought in the refrigerated section. The good stuff!

There’s a major difference and that is raw probiotics, nutrients and living enzymes. Known to keep our bellies happy, sauerkraut is one of the tastiest ways to heal, balance and enhance digestion, while simultaneously nourishing our bodies and adding amazing flavor to food.

Who knew something as simple as fermented veggies could offer such an abundance of health benefits? A wonder food, through and through.

Being that kraut is some sort of wonder food in the health world; it’s also a food that many are still skeptical of.

While I have plenty of internet friends who love kraut; pretty sure none of my real life friends have ever laid a fork on it. I can understand why because I was skeptical too until I tried it a couple years ago in a Sesame Kale Macro Bowl from Native Foods Cafe. From there, I grew to love and appreciate sauerkraut but prior to that bowl, kraut was not on my radar.

Now, I can’t imagine a glow bowl without the tangy flavor! I talked about other food sources and why we need probiotics in this post so be sure to read that too.

Fermented foods are found in many cuisines around the world, and for good reason. They’re great eaten before and after a meal to help our bodies better absorb nutrients, while also eliminating toxins by keeping our digestion regular.

This ‘Spicy Probiotic Beet and Red Cabbage Kraut’ provides raw probiotics to keep your belly happy!

I figured why not try and make my own kraut at home, since I buy it so often?!

This is all new for me (still learning!) but I know some of you have made your own at home. I aim to have an open mind for trying new things because ya never know how easy something will be or how much you’ll like it until you try, right? Sure, it’s probably easier to buy at the store but it tastes better homemade, plus I know exactly what’s in it!

My new weck jars had me feeling all inspired to ferment something, since that’s what they were made for. I started with coconut yogurt which was WAY more work than expected and was a total fail the first time.. but I’m not giving up you guys, I’m determined to get it right eventually! Any tips for making homemade dairy-free yogurt would be much appreciated.

Anyways, making fermented veggies is much, much easier. You really can’t get it wrong… and there’s so many different flavor combos to try—the possibilities are endless!

All you’ll need are:

organic veggies
a “starter” (I’ll get to it)
a large, sterilized jar (sterile from the dishwasher or from boiling water)

For this batch I chose red cabbage, beets and grated ginger. Carrots, jalapeño, cabbage, kale, leeks, any of these will work! I added in a “starter” for convenience to speed up the fermentation process but this step is optional. A “starter” is one or two probiotic capsules (I like Renew Life® Ultimate Flora 50 Billion). Note: It’s important that the probiotic contains the Lactobacillus plantarum strand.

I like the Renew Life Probiotic formula because it’s vegan, gluten free, dairy free, soy free and does not contain artificial or GMO ingredients. You’re getting a high quality, potent, powerful probiotic in a delayed release capsule. The Extra Care has scientifically studied probiotic strains including 18 billion Bifido bacteria and 12 billion Lactobacillus cultures to support both the large and small intestines.*

I picked up the Ultimate Flora Extra Care probiotic at Target in the vitamin/supplement section for less than $20.

Save $3 using this coupon!

How To Make Probiotic Kraut:

Cleanliness is super important. Clean all utensils and jars extremely well by boiling them or scalding them with hot water. You don’t want bad bacteria to go wild in your cultured veggies, just the good bacteria! Next, wash all of your veggies extremely well.
Remove 4-5 outer layers of cabbage. Cut in half. Cut out the white core and the stem end (save the core; you will use this in the jar later. I forgot to do this while taking pictures so don’t mind that).
Thinly slice the cabbage into shreds or small pieces (think coleslaw). I shredded 1/2 of a red beet and a 2-inch knob of ginger in a food processor.
Loosely pack the sliced cabbage, shredded beets and ginger into a clean glass jar, sprinkling in red pepper flakes (for some spice; totally optional) as you fill the jar.
Make a brine by dissolving the salt in the filtered water. Open up 1-2 probiotic capsules and stir into brine (use a wooden spoon instead of metal for bacteria to flourish). Once stirred, pour brine into your large glass jar of veggies, leaving about 1-2 inches left for veggies to expand.
Gently press down on the cabbage with a wooden spoon to submerge in brine and release any air bubbles.
Place the cabbage core on top of veggies to keep them submerged in the brine and fill the empty space on top.
Seal with a lid or clamp down. Set jar on a plate since there may be some overflow once active fermentation starts.
Leave the jar at room temperature, keeping lids sealed the entire time for a full 3 days. You should start to see some bubbles on top, which is a sign that fermentation has started.
After 3 days, the sauerkraut should have a lightly sour but clean smell and taste. Transfer jar to the refrigerator to ferment for 5 more days.
Sauerkraut will keep in the refrigerator and should be eaten within 3 months.