Children Can Make Sauerkraut – Tutorial

EVEN YOUNG CHILDREN CAN MAKE SAUERKRAUT

Yes, children can make sauerkraut and they usually have an enjoyable time learning new things. I hope you get a chance to try making sauerkraut with the help of your favorite young one! My little buddy Forrester joins me today for a simple tutorial to make fresh sauerkraut.

DO CHILDREN EVEN LIKE SAUERKRAUT?

Many people wonder if children even like sauerkraut. Some children and babies love it upon first bite. Other's need more convincing. Either way, I encourage you to keep eating it yourself and strategizing ways to get your children to try it.

I've found that if remember that children model what we do. If you think your children wouldn't like it, consider learning how to make it together. By making it, you help show them a magical experiment and can show them how the taste at the beginning is so different to the taste at the end. Even if they spit it out…that's ok! It's part of their process.

I was working with one of my Fermentationists and she knew her 12-year old son wouldn't like the sauerkraut she made. I suggested that she make the sauerkraut, put it in the fridge, and not mention it. Wait until he got curious and asked about it himself. When he (inevitably) asked, I told her to shrug and say, “That's my food.” I told her not to try to get him to eat it. Just keep shrugging off his requests and paying no mind until he blatantly asked to try it himself. She did all of this. And it worked like a charm.

You have to remember that part of childhood development is about children establishing their own identity and learning how to have control over themselves and their decisions. If you can keep this in mind and respect their experience, you will end up with a more adventurous child when it comes to tasting things.

I strongly encourage that you create a family value at the dinner table to “Try one bite.” Even when they haven't tried a food, many kids say, “I don't like that.” I suggest asking a child to try it at least once. That is a good rule of thumb in your household because if their tastebuds are exposed even once, it can make a huge difference in the future in terms of their ‘acquired taste' for fermented foods.

Remember that you are the leader of health and nutrition in your family. It is up to you.

POWERFUL WILD PROBIOTICS THAT BUILD MICROBIOMES

Teaching fermentation to children is a fascinating experiment where you can give them control in the process. They can own it. They can care for it. They can name it. There is so much potential to get them engaged in this ancient form of food preservation that is filled with powerful probiotics that benefit their growing bodies and developing microbiomes.

MAKING SAUERKRAUT IS SIMPLE

Watch my video with my nephew and buddy, Forrester. Obviously, he is not all that interested in vegetables. I don't try to convince him to eat anything he doesn't want to and don't criticize his choices or taste preferences.

I'm more interested in getting him to participate with the food preparation piece so he can use new kitchen utensils, advance his motor skills, and learn how to do something new.

GATHER UP YOUR SAUERKRAUT SUPPLIES AND GET STARTED!

This is such a great skillset for children to have. I hope you get a chance to use this simple tutorial to get started making more fermented foods in your household.

Join us in the Fermentationist Certification Program to uplevel your own learning and expand to all 12 functional ferments while learning all about gut ecology and the probiotic profiles of each of the ferments. It's fascinating.