Spiced Turmeric Sauerkraut
We love fermenting with audacious ingredients when it means raising the bar on FLAVOR and FUNCTIONAL HEALTH BENEFITS.
This sauerkraut variety combines the warm, earthy flavors of fresh baby turmeric with the spicy heat of cayenne peppers. And we weren’t done there. Pink ginger, fresh garlic and cracked black pepper… also invited to the party to catapult the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects of this kraut through the roof!
WATCH OUT seasonal flu, this one is comin’ for YOU!
“Turmeric – a healing product that, for centuries, has been used to fight viral and bacterial infections. It has proven anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties."
- Mary Jones, Herbal Antibiotics: How to Pick and Use the 45 Most Powerful Herbal Antibiotics for Overcoming Any Ailment
How Kres Kitchen Brings a New Sauerkraut Variety to Life
Inspired by customer feedback, we heard your craving for turmeric + SPICE. Very different from our mild Golden Turmeric Sauerkraut, this seasonal variety is fermented with spice to build the heat that people crave, and to enhance complexity of flavor. Shredded carrots layer in additional benefits with their natural sweetness, extra beta-carotene (vitamin A) and a bit of crunch - a perfect accession to texture, flavor and functional benefits.
Why Cayenne Pepper?
Most of our customers know that we’re big proponents of using diverse whole food ingredients in our recipes. We’ve learned that diversity, even within the same plant category such as hot chili peppers, helps to layer in flavor and build unmatched complexity within each ferment. Most of our spicy sauerkrauts are made from multiple hot chili pepper varieties - at least six in most recipes. Spiced Turmeric kraut is different.
Here’s why:
While research on chili peppers is extensive, cayenne peppers are among the most frequently studied varieties, particularly in the context of traditional and clinical medicine. Although much of the scientific literature focuses broadly on capsaicin, the active compound found in all hot peppers, we’re impressed by current thinking around the potential benefits of pairing cayenne pepper (containing capsaicin) and turmeric (containing curcumin). Together, these two ingredients can create a potent health synergy, particularly for managing inflammation and metabolic health.
The run down on potential synergistic benefits:
Enhanced Anti-Inflammatory Action: While both compounds independently reduce inflammation, their combination may be more effective than either alone. This is because they work through different mechanisms: curcumin inhibits the expression of inflammatory markers like COX-2 and IL-6, while capsaicin directly inhibits enzyme activity.
Potential Bioavailability Boost: Curcumin is notoriously difficult for the body to absorb. While black pepper is the most proven enhancer, capsaicin in cayenne may also improve the intestinal absorption and stability of curcumin.
Cardiovascular Support: The duo may offer enhanced management for hypertension and heart health. Capsaicin promotes nitric oxide production for better blood flow, while curcumin's antioxidant properties protect blood vessel linings and improve lipid profiles.
Pain Management: Their combined effect has shown significant potential in reducing symptoms of chronic inflammatory conditions like osteoarthritis, often comparable to certain non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like Naproxen.
Metabolic and Gut Health: Small-scale studies suggest that a mixture including these spices can increase the diversity of the gut microbiome, which helps regulate systemic inflammation and supports metabolism.
Best Practices for Synergy:
Include Black Pepper: For maximum benefit, add a pinch of black pepper to meals containing turmeric. Black pepper’s active compound, piperine, can increase curcumin absorption by up to 2,000%. We do this for you at the outset of fermentation; black pepper is a key ingredient in our turmeric sauerkraut varieties.
Consume with Fats: Since curcumin is fat-soluble, pairing this spice duo with healthy fats (like olive oil or avocado) further enhances absorption.
Watch for Sensitivity: Both spices can be irritating to the stomach in high doses though the fermentation process can reduce this risk. If you have sensitive digestion or conditions like gallstones, consult with your healthcare provider before incorporating into your diet.
Our Closed-loop System for Spiced Turmeric Seasonal Production:
We’re excited to offer a functional food loaded with ingredients to promote health. There’s a wealth of research indicating that fermentation leads to the amplification of turmeric's antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties. A nutraceutical that’s far more influential to our health after fermentation than it is before. During lacto-fermenation, microorganisms convert key compounds found in turmeric and cayenne peppers into more bioavailable and potentially beneficial forms. Better bioavailability means our bodies can absorb more of the molecules known to promote health.
“Several natural compounds that turn on antioxidant and detoxification pathways through activation of the Nrf2 system have been identified. Among these are curcumin from turmeric.”
If you’re looking for ways to get more turmeric into your diet, we can help. Of course, you can enjoy this kraut right out of the jar but we think it works exquisitely as a topping for coconut curry dishes where spicy heat is craved. For a quick breakfast you can enjoy this kraut over eggs or avocado toast. For a fast snack, simply top a slice of sourdough with cream cheese and Spiced Turmeric Kraut. Another quick snack idea: cottage cheese or hummus topped with Spiced Turmeric Kraut. Think of wild fermented kraut as a living food that builds flavor and bumps-up the overall nutritive value of any meal.
When adding kraut to a hot dish remember to always add after cooking. Proper timing preserves probiotic and enzyme vitality inherent to unpasteurized sauerkrauts. Heat tolerance thresholds of the fermentative ecology is generally about 110° F - try and stay well below. Probiotics and enzymes generated from wild fermentation are the purest gifts of nature. We’ve carefully nurtured and bottled these forces for your wellbeing… and ours :) It is our belief that healthy eating should never be boring. Fermentation takes the “blah” out of “raw.”
Kres Spiced Turmeric Sauerkraut is available as a seasonal variety meaning, when we’re sold out, we’re out until we produce again in the upcoming season.
Fresh. Local. Authentic.
Kraut on!
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