Sauerkraut (Raw, Unpasteurized)

Sauerkraut — fermented shredded cabbage — is the most accessible fermented food in this list and the one with the longest documented use in traditional European cuisine (German, Polish, and Alsatian cooking has used it for over 500 years). The critical distinction that most supermarket sauerkraut fails: the live bacteria are only present in raw, unpasteurized sauerkraut. Commercial canned sauerkraut is pasteurized (heated to above 70 degrees Celsius), which kills all live cultures. The authentic product is found refrigerated, not shelf-stable, and ideally made with only cabbage and salt (no vinegar, which inhibits fermentation and is used to mimic the flavor without the fermentation process). Vitamin C content: a 100g serving of raw sauerkraut contains 14-18mg vitamin C — significant for a preservation food, and historically the reason sauerkraut was carried on long voyages as scurvy prevention. Making sauerkraut at home requires only a knife, salt, and a jar.