[1] How to make a better Reuben sandwich: use the best sauerkraut and a great recipe like this one (photo © Marion’s Kitchen).

[2] Sauerkraut with beef, burgers, hot dogs, salmon, and sandwiches (photos #1 to #4 © Cleveland Kraut).

[3] Beet Red Cleveland Kraut, made with red cabbage, beets, and cabbage. Try it with hot dogs, meat dishes, and salads paired with goat cheese.

[4] Green cabbage, green bell peppers, jalapeños, leeks, red chiles, sriracha, and seasonings make Gnar Gnar a match with egg dishes, rice, salads, and tacos.

[5] This “spirited” kraut combines fresh garlic and dill with barrel-aged whiskey, which adds a subtle sweetness to each batch. Pair it with chicken, salads, and sandwiches.

[6] Did you say sauerkraut cake? “People might need some coaxing to try it,” said someone who made the recipe, “but once they do, they will love it.” Here’s the recipe (photo © Taste Of Home).

Sauerkraut is one of our colleague Laura’s favorite foods. Her family has made it for generations and love it so much, they eat it from the jar.

We created a sauerkraut dinner menu for her—6 courses selected from these 40 sauerkraut recipes—using our Top Pick Of The Week:

Cleveland Kraut sauerkraut, a terrific line of flavored krauts: raw, unpasteurized and lacto-fermented.

By the way, the third week in October is National Kraut Sandwich Week. So put some kraut on your sandwich. It doesn’t have to be a Reuben.

Think burgers, ham sandwiches, hot dogs (yes, they’re a sandwich), sausage heroes, and the others we’ve suggested below.
 
 
CLEVELAND KRAUT FLAVORS

If you like plain sauerkraut—which is all that most of us have had—you’ll likely be thrilled with Cleveland Kraut’s flavored krauts. All start with green cabbage (except for Beet Red, which uses red cabbage), then deftly add seasonings.

Flavors—each deliciously flavorful and crunchy—include:

 
 
WHY SAUERKRAUT IS GOOD FOR YOU

Sauerkraut is one of a group of fermented foods that is full of natural probiotics, nutrients, and flavor*.

Here’s a review of the nutrition and health benefits.

Fermented foods such as sauerkraut and kefir offer many health benefits. They restore gut health, support our immune system and help us to better absorb nutrients.

Whether it’s sauerkraut in Germany, kimchi in Asia (especially Korea), cortido (or curtido) in Central America, or choucroute in France, fermented cabbage is consumed wherever cabbage is grown.

All you need to ferment it is salt. At the correct level of salinity and at the proper temperature, cabbage will ferment into sauerkraut.

The addition of vinegar is looked upon with contempt by makers of “true” sauerkraut, who declare that it’s used only by those who don’t take the time to go through a full fermentation process and want a cheap and quick way to achieve acidity.

Several different bacteria are at work during this process. The most often cited probiotic bacterium associated with sauerkraut is Lactobacillus plantarum.

With supermarket sauerkraut, note: Many commercial fermented cabbage products have been pasteurized. The heat destroys the friendly bacteria as well as the harmful ones. For probiotic benefits, seek out raw/unpasteurized kraut.

Another benefit: Unlike pasteurized kraut, raw kraut is crunchy.

If you want to make your own sauerkraut, here’s how.

Whether you buy it or make it, save the liquid—it’s a great tenderizer in a marinade, and good in a vinaigrette.
 
 
WAYS TO USE SAUERKRAUT

Whether you make it or buy it, use it beyond hot dogs with:

 
 
WHERE TO BUY CLEVELAND KRAUT

Ready to dig in?

Shop online at ClevelandKraut.com, or if you’re in the Cleveland area, check out the store locator.

*Here’s more on yogurt, kefir, buttermilk, brined olives and other foods that are probiotic.

†The company named this spicy flavor Gnar Gnar for gnarly, a word the Urban Dictionary defines as “beyond radical, beyond extreme.” Cleveland Kraut calls it Cleveland’s answer to kimchi.