Since sauerkraut is fermented it contains probiotics to add to your beneficial gut bacteria (#microflora). I grew up eating the stuff, but never got that benefit because it was always cooked at high temps in an oven. That classic pork roast in sauerkraut is a typical New Year’s dish.
Cooked sauerkraut is prebiotic (with an E), which feeds the microflora.
So what I am tempted to conclude is that the pork roast should cook in some sauerkraut (for flavor and for the prebiotics. But before serving some cold or room temp uncooked sauerkraut should be mixed in to increase gut bacteria.
Do folks agree or disagree with this?
Unlike kimchi, sauerkraut is much better cooked because uncooked is strong and acidic. So I’m trying to get the best of both worlds. There must be a temp at which sauerkraut can brought to without compromising the microflora. What temp is it, though?
oh shit… I never thought of the canning. I suppose the canning process kill it. Which I suppose also means buying kimchi in jars loses the probiotics for the same reason.
The fresher kraut in the grocery store seems to be in plastic bags in the refrigerated section, but I’m not sure I can trust that either… those bags have to be sealed just as well. OTOH, I’ve bought food in the fridge section with plastic film over it which really balloons out when close to expiry, apparently due to gas emitted by the bacteria. So maybe they aren’t killing the bacteria in those cases.
Kimchi in jars is different because it’s usually refrigerated from the start, and the fermentation is slower than kraut which usually starts at room temp, and finishes refrigerated. You can almost always tell if it’s live by just tasting it. A live culture will have a bit of a carbonated kind of fizz in the bite.
If it’s in the airlock bags or plastic vessels, it’s assumed that it’s live. Like Farmhouse Culture, Sinto, or Wildbrine.
There are brands that specifically state “live and active cultures” on the main part of the label
edit: usually these will be in the refrigerated section. If it is a fermented product and it is being refrigerated at the store it is likely live.