Sauerkraut juice is a fermented cabbage drink full of the same live good microbes found in sauerkraut, only in much higher concentrations.
Sauerkraut juice is the leftovers from a batch of sauerkraut made from fermented cabbage, salt, and water.
Don't toss out the liquid left over after finishing a jar of sauerkraut because it is full of probiotics and enzymes that can support the digestive processes.
Sauerkraut brine is also an excellent source of vitamins and minerals and is known to support your immunity, and since 70-80% of your immune cells are in your gut, that's a good thing.
How To Make Sauerkraut Juice
Sauerkraut juice comes from fermented sauerkraut. Check out our homemade sauerkraut recipe to learn how to make this healthy treat.
Related: Best Cabbage for Making Sauerkraut
Buy Sauerkraut Juice
Several great brands make sauerkraut juice. They can be called sauerkraut kvass, sauerkraut brine, and kraut juice.
Beware, when buying sauerkraut juice, avoid the canned or jarred versions. These varieties are not fermented and do not have gut-healthy probiotics.
Try Hamptons Raw Probiotic Sauerkraut Brine and Sauerkraut Classic Kvass.
Last update on 2023-09-13 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Last update on 2023-09-13 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Ways to Drink Sauerkraut Juice
Here are a few suggestions on what to do with your leftover sauerkraut brine.
Drink it Straight: Like pickle juice, drink the leftover brine straight up.
Sauerkraut brine makes an excellent base for salad dressing: Another simple way to use some of that tasty kraut juice is to use it as a base for a salad dressing. Add olive oil and whatever seasonings tickle your fancy.
Marinate Meat: The lactic acid in leftover sauerkraut juice is strong enough to tenderize raw meat while infusing it with flavor.
Add sauerkraut juice to any meat for a tender kick, but we think the fermented flavor profiles pairs best with white meat such as chicken or pork.
Quick Pickle your favorite vegetables: Sauerkraut brine makes an excellent, ready-made pickling brine. Add thinly sliced carrots, cucumbers, onions, radishes, and whatever sounds tasty, and soak it in the juice overnight.
This will give the vegetables an added kick of flavor without actually fermenting them.
However, the proportions of salt and brine are not strong enough to ferment the vegetables.
Nutritional Benefits Of Sauerkraut Juice
Sauerkraut juice is a food item that we would regard as a superfood. It is highly rich in natural lactic acid. Natural lactic acid encourages the growth of good bacteria in our gut while simultaneously preventing it from producing harmful bacteria.
As well as this, sauerkraut juice is also great for boosting the immune system and has been proven to reduce the risk of contracting certain infections.
Final Thoughts
Sauerkraut is a highly nutritious beverage that is very simple to make. All you require is a cabbage head, salt, and purified water. Shred the cabbage, then covered it in salt before adding it to a mason jar with your water.
Leave the mixture to ferment for two months in an airtight container. Then it will be ready to consume.
