Armchair Health

Making Sauerkraut and Pickled Vegetables at Home
by Klaus Kaufmann and Annelies Sch?k

I'm hooked! I've just rediscovered a refreshing new health food that is far removed from the denatured "cooked" sour cabbage of my childhood dinner table. alive's newest Natural Health Guide succinctly yet thoroughly introduces us to an age-old tradition of preserving food--tasty uncooked, unpasteurized lactic acid fermentation--and its many health benefits.

More than simply a way of preserving, lactic acid fermentation actually enhances flavour while rendering the food more digestible. The regular addition of even small amounts of such traditionally preserved foods--rich in friendly bacteria--helps improve digestion and lower blood pressure. Often used in wholistic cancer treatments, lactic acid-fermented vegetables also improve pancreatic function, making such foods of special benefit to diabetics.

While the focus of Kaufmann and Sch?k's book is indeed sauerkraut--the "queen" of lactic-fermented foods--you'll find simple recipes to ferment other garden produce such as beans, beets, cauliflower, cucumbers, onions, peppers and tomatoes. Small amounts of these lactic-fermented foods on a regular basis work best for health. To this end, the authors combine efforts with whole-foods chef Fred Edrissi to offer innovative fermented-food recipe ideas. You'll be surprised and delighted by the exquisite colour and flavour combinations of such dishes as Horseradish Sauerkraut with Grapefruit and Pineapple Sauerkraut with Roasted Potato.

Discover these homemade pickled vegetables and you'll also be hooked. Whether you are intrigued by the preventive, curative or flavourful qualities of sauerkraut and other lactic-fermented foods, one thing is certain: Making Sauerkraut and Pickled Vegetables at Home will motivate both your health plan and your taste buds into action.

For more information on Making Sauerkraut and Pickled Vegetables at Home by Klaus Kaufmann and Annelies Sch?k, or any of the other Natural Health Guides, please contact your local health food store, call alive Books at 1-800-663-6513 or search "Natural Health Guides" at alivepublishing.com. We invite your feedback at editorial@alivemagazine.com.