Introducing Raw Vegetables

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Introducing Raw Vegetables in Stage 5 of the GAPS Introduction Diet Intervention instructions: Add raw vegetables starting from the following: 1. Softer parts of lettuce and cucumber 2. When the above two vegetables are well tolerated, start adding other raw vegetables such as carrot, tomato, onion, cabbage, capsicum, celery etc. Points • Refer to Clinic […]

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 Introducing Raw Vegetables
This recipe is appropriate for the GAPS Introduction Diet from stage Five onward
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Course Salads, Vegetables & Ferments
Cuisine Full GAPS Diet, GAPS Introduction Stages, Stage 5 - onward
Servings
Course Salads, Vegetables & Ferments
Cuisine Full GAPS Diet, GAPS Introduction Stages, Stage 5 - onward
Servings
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Recipe Notes

Clinical Notes

Monitor stools: If diarrhoea returns or becomes a new concern, your patient is not ready for this food and should remain on the step prior for longer.

Sauerkraut

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Sauerkraut is a condiment suggested to be eaten as a side dish whenever meat is consumed and especially at the end of the day when the body’s enzyme storage is depleted having already been expended on previous meals earlier in the day.  The evening meal is often the most difficult for people who suffer from […]

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 Sauerkraut
This recipe is appropriate for the introduction diet from stage One onward
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Course Condiments, Vegetables & Ferments
Cuisine Full GAPS Diet, GAPS Baby: Introducing Solids, GAPS Introduction Stages, Stage 1 - onward
Servings
Litre
Ingredients
Sauerkraut
Sauerkraut Equipment
  • 1 Fermentation Vessel A glass jar or crock with a weight to hold the vegetables submerged under the brine and an airlock system with a release valve to allow air to escape whilst creating an anaerobic environment. Refer to Weck images below
  • 1 Mandolin For slicing cabage (or use a knife)
Course Condiments, Vegetables & Ferments
Cuisine Full GAPS Diet, GAPS Baby: Introducing Solids, GAPS Introduction Stages, Stage 1 - onward
Servings
Litre
Ingredients
Sauerkraut
Sauerkraut Equipment
  • 1 Fermentation Vessel A glass jar or crock with a weight to hold the vegetables submerged under the brine and an airlock system with a release valve to allow air to escape whilst creating an anaerobic environment. Refer to Weck images below
  • 1 Mandolin For slicing cabage (or use a knife)
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Instructions
  1. Thinly slice or shred the cabbage with a knife or mandolin. I like to use a mandolin.
  2. Place the shredded cabbage in a large glass bowl and add the dill (optional).
  3. For Wild Fermentation, add a generous amount of salt to the cabbage and mix it through with your hands to allow an overall coverage. Let it sit for 15 – 20 minutes to allow the salt to draw out some of the cabbage juice naturally. 5-8grams - (max 15grams) per 1kg cabbage. HINTS: Salt allows the cabbage to sweat so that juices can be extracted to create the brine. For Cultured fermentation, add the commercial culture starter as per packet instructions.
  4. Mix, massage and knead the ingredients with your hands. Bruising the cabbage this way allows the cabbage to extract a natural brine solution. Keep kneading until you have squeezed a substantial amount of juice from the mixture. Sometimes this may take 10-20 minutes. HINTS: It is beneficial to have someone with strong hands to do the kneading & massaging.
  5. Place mixture into the selected fermenting vessel and pack and push the mixture down so that the cabbage is compacted in the bottom and the juice is sitting on the top of the cabbage with a minimum of 4 - 5cm’s or 2 inches. It is important to push the cabbage down firmly so that no air is trapped and the cabbage is completely submerged in and under its own brine juice. HINTS: If for any reason the cabbage is not submerged under enough of its own juices, you may need to add a small amount of filtered water with more salt (15 gms of salt to 1 ltr).
  6. Place the weight on the top of the cabbage to keep all the cabbage submerged. Push the weight down and you will see more juice rise to the top. It is very important to ensure that all the sauerkraut is submerged under its own juice. If any bits of cabbage float up to the surface, remove them throughout the fermentation process to prevent them from going moldy.
  7. If you use a canning jar with a rubber ring top, and close the lid, be sure to burp it a few times in the first few days to release the pressure. If using the weck airlock system which has it's own release valve allowing gasses to escape without letting air into the jar, place the rubber ring around the top and clamp down the lid with the attached release valve to the top. Store in a dark place for one to two weeks (ie pantry).
  8. The sauerkraut may be consumed and ready to eat after 5-7 days but it matures better with age so it is good to wait the full two weeks unless the outside temperature is hot which will speed up the fermentation process.
  9. The sauerkraut may be stored in the fridge after 1-2 weeks of fermentation. If there is any scum or mold development on the top – remove this. The kraut remaining under the juice will be fine.
Recipe Notes

Optional: It is also nice to add a little grated carrot to your sauerkraut.

Fermented Sauerkraut Juice

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What if you run out of sauerkraut juice on the introduction diet? Sauerkraut juice is a by-product from making sauerkraut.  There is often not enough to cater for the introduction diet stages when you purchase sauerkraut or when you make your own so here is a recipe that will help you keep up with your […]

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 Sauerkraut Juice
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Course Beverages, Condiments, Vegetables & Ferments
Cuisine Full GAPS Diet, GAPS Baby: Introducing Solids, GAPS Introduction Stages, Stage 1 - onward
Servings
litres
Ingredients
Juice Ingredients
Equipment Reguired
Course Beverages, Condiments, Vegetables & Ferments
Cuisine Full GAPS Diet, GAPS Baby: Introducing Solids, GAPS Introduction Stages, Stage 1 - onward
Servings
litres
Ingredients
Juice Ingredients
Equipment Reguired
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Instructions
  1. Fresh press your cabbage to make close to a litre of cabbage juice.
  2. And add either a cup of whey dripped from your yoghurt or kefir or use some yoghurt starter or vegetable culture.
  3. A cup of water can be added to top it up.
  4. Ferment the juice on the bench for 24 – 48 hours at room temperature and you will notice it will become slightly carbonated or effervescent. It is good to use a glass container that is sealed tight. Be sure to release any gas build up in the bottle by loosening the jar and tightening it again during the fermentation process.
Recipe Notes

Store in the fridge when fermentation is complete.

Traditional Wild Sauerkraut & Sauerkraut Juice

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Wild fermentation is specific to the live organisms naturally present on the raw vegetables. This is the traditional way to ferment vegetables and sauerkraut because there are abundant lactic acid bacteria on all plants and if submerged under its own juices with a good coverage of salt (regardless of what type vessel they are contained […]

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 Traditional Wild Sauerkraut & Sauerkraut Juice
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Course Vegetables & Ferments
Cuisine Full GAPS Diet, GAPS Baby: Introducing Solids, GAPS Introduction Stages
Prep Time 45 mins
Passive Time 4 weeks
Servings
litre
Ingredients
Cabbage mixture
  • 1 kg Cabbage The green cabbages produce more brine – select a good quality fresh organic cabbage that is not dry or too old
  • 2 - 3 tbl Celtic or Himalayan Sea Salt Salt is a traditional ingredient in sauerkraut because it increases shelf life, texture, and flavor. The amount of salt used can vary according to personal taste but too little can spoit the batch. The salt helps to preserve.
Special equipment
  • 1 Fermenting Jar/Vessle There are many kinds of fermenting vessles on the market. You can make your own at home or spend extra money on something fancy. See our notes for recommendations
  • 1 Heavy weight this is used to keep the cabbage submerged under its own juices
  • 1 Cabbage/vegetable pounder This aids to help push and compress the cabbage or fermented vegetables so that they are submerged udner their own brine
  • 1 Unbleached cheesecloth
Course Vegetables & Ferments
Cuisine Full GAPS Diet, GAPS Baby: Introducing Solids, GAPS Introduction Stages
Prep Time 45 mins
Passive Time 4 weeks
Servings
litre
Ingredients
Cabbage mixture
  • 1 kg Cabbage The green cabbages produce more brine – select a good quality fresh organic cabbage that is not dry or too old
  • 2 - 3 tbl Celtic or Himalayan Sea Salt Salt is a traditional ingredient in sauerkraut because it increases shelf life, texture, and flavor. The amount of salt used can vary according to personal taste but too little can spoit the batch. The salt helps to preserve.
Special equipment
  • 1 Fermenting Jar/Vessle There are many kinds of fermenting vessles on the market. You can make your own at home or spend extra money on something fancy. See our notes for recommendations
  • 1 Heavy weight this is used to keep the cabbage submerged under its own juices
  • 1 Cabbage/vegetable pounder This aids to help push and compress the cabbage or fermented vegetables so that they are submerged udner their own brine
  • 1 Unbleached cheesecloth
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Instructions
Sauerkraut Mixture
  1. Thinly slice or shred the cabbage and place it into a large bowl. A good quality mandolin is great for shredding. A big cooking pot is good to contain the cabbage for this will allow you to easily get your hands into the mix later.
  2. Add a generous amount of salt to the mixture and mix the salt into the cabbage with your hands. Let it sit for 10 – 20 minutes to allow the salt to draw out some of the cabbage juice naturally. Salt actually allows the cabbage to sweat so that juices can be extracted to create the brine. 2 tablesppons of salt per 1kg cabbage.
  3. After you have allowed the cabbage to sit for 20 minutes, mix, massage and knead the ingredients with your hands. Bruising the cabbage this way allows the cabbage to extract more natural brine solution. Keep kneading until you have squeezed a substantial amount of juice from the mixture. This may take approximately 10-20 minutes. It is always handy to have someone with strong hands to do the kneading & massaging.
  4. Place the cabbage mixture into the selected kraut vessel and pack and push the mixture down so that the cabbage is compacted in the bottom and the juice is sitting on the top of the cabbage with a minimum of 4 - 5cm’s or 2 inches of the juice above. It is important to push the cabbage down firmly so that no air is trapped and the cabbage is completely submerged in and under its own brine juice. A cabbage/vegetable pounder or potato masher can be a good tool for this.
  5. Most fermented vegetable kits will have a weight but if you do not have a kit with a weight, simply make your own weight by using a plate that fits snug in the fermenting vessle and place it on the top of the cabbage and then place a smaller jar (filled with water) on top of the plate to weigh the cabbage down and keep it submerged. Push the jar down and you will see more juice rise to the top. It is very important to ensure that all the sauerkraut is submerged under its own juice. Don’t worry if you don’t have a weight to push it down, just try to make sure that all the cabbage remains under the brine and if any bits float up, remove them throughout the process to prevent them from going mouldy.
  6. When all the cabage is submerged under its own juices with the weight keeping it down, cover the top with a double folded cheesecloth to keep away the dust and store in a dark place for four weeks (ie pantry). If you use a canning jar with a rubber ring top, and close the lid, be sure to burp it a few times in the first few days to release the pressure or it will burst - you won’t need the cheesecloth if you use this type of jar. Keep checking to remove any mould or scum build up floating on the top and make sure the kraut remains under its own juices. The sauerkraut may be consumed and ready to eat after 2 weeks but it matures better and contains more good bacteria wioth more time. The sauerkraut may be stored in the fridge after 2 - 4 weeks of fermentation. If there is any scum or mould development on the top – remove this. The kraut remaining under the juice will be fine.
  7. After the cabbage has completed the fermentation process it becomes preserved and will last up to 12 months in the fridge. Fermentation is the traditional way we preserved food before companies decided to create synthetic harmful preservative options.
Kraut Juice
  1. The juice remaining in the kraut jar is a by-product of the sauerkraut but it is just as probiotic and benneficial to consume as the kraut itself. Do not discard the juice, either leave it in the jar and consume it gradually along with the kraut or strain it into a bottle to use as a fermented probiotic drink. This juice is what we like to use in the introduction stages of the GAPS Diet. It is introduced slowely and methodically. Refer to the GAPS introduction stagesfor this method.
Recipe Notes

Alternative options

This is a wild feremtnation method which often takes a little more time to ferment naturally, however you can assist this process further by inoculating the kraut batch with good bacteria from the very beginning by adding a vegetable starter culture to the mixture and massage that through with your hands along with the salt.

You may add other vegetables like grated carrots and other favourites such as caraway seeds or dill. 

Trouble shooting

If for any reason the cabbage is not submerged under enough of its own juices, you may need to add a small amount of filtered water with more salt (15 gms of salt to 1 ltr).

Sauerkraut & how to introduce it

 

 

 

Fermented Almond Flour

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If the introduction of nuts or nut flour persists to be a problem for people starting the GAPS Diet, you may wish to ferment the nut flour itself. Both nuts and seeds contain phytates, phenols and oxalates etc and these can make it difficult for some people (not all) to digest whilst their gut is […]

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 Fermented Almond Flour
Fermenting Almond Flour
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Rating: 5
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Course Baking at home, Miscellaneous, Vegetables & Ferments
Cuisine Full GAPS Diet, GAPS Introduction Stages, Stage 6 - onward
Prep Time 5 mins
Passive Time 24 hours
Servings
cups
Ingredients
Fermenting mixture
  • 2-3 cups Blanched almond flour Organic - quantity here is dependant upon how much you plan to use for the recipe intended
  • 1 cup Whey This is the dripped liquid from your yoghurt - see whey recipe
  • 2 cups Filtered water
Special equipment
Course Baking at home, Miscellaneous, Vegetables & Ferments
Cuisine Full GAPS Diet, GAPS Introduction Stages, Stage 6 - onward
Prep Time 5 mins
Passive Time 24 hours
Servings
cups
Ingredients
Fermenting mixture
  • 2-3 cups Blanched almond flour Organic - quantity here is dependant upon how much you plan to use for the recipe intended
  • 1 cup Whey This is the dripped liquid from your yoghurt - see whey recipe
  • 2 cups Filtered water
Special equipment
Fermenting Almond Flour
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Instructions
  1. Add the almond flour into a bowl or dish
  2. Mix filtered water with a cup of whey and pour over the almond flour
  3. Leave the bowl or dish on the kitchen bench top at room temperature for 24 hours.
  4. When 24 hours have passed, drain the flour through a cheescloth and use the drained flour directly in baking.

Fermented Fish

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This is a very easy and nutritious probiotic meal to prepare. Avoid Farmed Fish Farmed fish are generally not native to the area and if they escape (which they do) they create disease among native fish, pollute the native species gene pool and compete for food and spawning sites. Some 50,000 salmon are farmed in […]

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 Fermented Fish
This recipe is appropriate for the GAPS Introduction Diet Stage Two - onward
Votes: 4
Rating: 4.25
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Course Main Dishes, Vegetables & Ferments
Cuisine Full GAPS Diet, GAPS Introduction Stages, Stage 2 - onward
Prep Time 25 Mins
Passive Time 3 Days
Servings
Litre jar
Ingredients
Course Main Dishes, Vegetables & Ferments
Cuisine Full GAPS Diet, GAPS Introduction Stages, Stage 2 - onward
Prep Time 25 Mins
Passive Time 3 Days
Servings
Litre jar
Ingredients
Votes: 4
Rating: 4.25
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Instructions
  1. Skin the fish and remove the bones, cut into mouth size pieces.
  2. Put the pieces of the fish into the jar mixing with slightly crushed peppercorns, a few slices of white onion (optional), coriander seeds, bay leaves and dill seeds or dill herb.
  3. In a separate jug add ½ litre of water and dissolve 1 tablespoon of sea salt and 3-4 tablespoons of your homemade whey. Pour this brine into the jar with the fish until the fish is completely covered; if the fish is not covered just add more water.
  4. Close the jar tightly and leave to ferment for 3-5 days at a room temperature, then store in the fridge.
  5. This fish does not keep long, so consume in the next few days. Serve with avocado, lemons and onions.
Recipe Notes

Alternative Options

Another way to ferment fish: buy some fresh sardines (also works for herring and mackerel), de-scale the fish, cut the heads off and clean the belly out. Put into a suitable size glass jar or a stainless steel pan. Add 1-2 cups of whey, 1-2 tablespoons of salt (per 1 litre), a teaspoon of black pepper corns (freshly crushed), 10 bay leaves and ½ a teaspoon of coriander seeds (freshly crushed). Top up with water so the fish is completely covered with water, you may want to float a small plate on top of the fish to keep it submerged in the brine. Cover the pan or put the lid on the jar and let it ferment for 3-5 days at a room temperature. When the fish is ready take the meat off the bones, cut into bite-size pieces and serve with avocado, fresh dill and some chopped red onion.