Make Cabbage Juice
If you suffer from stomach ulcers, consider adding cabbage juice to your diet. Cabbage juice contains L-glutamine and gefarnate, both of which protect the mucous-membrane lining of your stomach. Cabbage juice is also fermented to create probiotics that further help your digestive health.
Contents
Ingredients
- 3 cups (675 g) chopped green cabbage
- 1 3/4 cups (435 ml) water
Steps
- Boil the water in a small pot for 30 minutes. To be the most beneficial, the water you use should be free of chlorine and other additives. Boiling will rid the water of most undesirable elements, but you can also run your water through a filter or leave it sitting out at room temperature for 24 hours.
- Note that you do not need to do this if using distilled water. You only need to purify your water if it comes from your tap or well.
- Put the chopped cabbage and the water into a blender. Use a large blender so the blender is only about 2/3 full. If you fill the blender to the top, the ingredients may not blend thoroughly enough.
- Blend the cabbage and water together at low speed. Stop when the water is green-tinted, with noticeable chunks of cabbage still floating around. This should only take one or two minutes.
- Blend the mixture on high for 10 seconds. Do not allow the mixture to blend at high speed for much longer than that. There should still be a few small pieces of cabbage floating around in the juice. You do not want to create a paste or a puree.
- Pour the mixture into a 1-quart (1 liter) jar. Make sure there is at least 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) between the surface of the cabbage mixture and the rim of the jar. The liquid will likely expand as it sits, so it needs room.
- Tightly seal the jar with plastic wrap. If the jar you use has a lid, that will also work well. For an even tighter seal, stretch plastic wrap over the mouth of the jar and screw the cap onto the jar over the wrap.
- Allow the cabbage mixture to sit undisturbed at room temperature. Avoid allowing the temperature to drop much below 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius) or to rise above 78 degrees Fahrenheit (25.6 degrees Celsius). The ideal temperature is about 72 degrees Fahrenheit (22. 2 degrees Celsius).
- Let the cabbage mixture sit for 3 full days or 72 hours. The juice is fermenting, growing cultures that will help your digestive health.
- Place a mesh strainer over a clean, empty jar. Use a strainer with relatively small gaps, if possible, to separate as much of the mixture's liquid from the mixture's solid parts as possible. Make sure the strainer you use is also smaller than the mouth of the jar to avoid any overlap or spillage.
- Pour the pulpy liquid through the strainer and into the second jar. Strain the liquid slowly to avoid accidentally spilling the juice or causing the strainer to get clogged with pulp.
- Cap the jar. Store your cabbage juice inside the refrigerator until ready to use and serve it chilled.
- Repeat this process when your original supply gets low, reserving 1/2 cup (125 milliliters) of your original batch. This 1/2 cup (125 milliliters) should be added to your new batch before the fermentation process.
- Allow your new batch to sit at room temperature for 24 hours before straining. By adding cultured juice from a previous batch, you sped up the time it took for your new batch to ferment.
Tips
- Use red cabbage to create a liquid or juice that can be used to measure the pH of other substances. Cut and boil the cabbage in water for 30 minutes. Strain the liquid and use immediately. Do not ferment it.
- Only use fresh green cabbages for fermented cabbage juice. Green cabbages offer the most benefit. Spring and summer cabbages are especially nutritious.
- Drink 1/2 cup (125 milliliters) of cabbage juice each day, two to three times a day. Dilute it by mixing it into 1/2 cup (125 milliliters) of water before you drink it. You may need to work your way up slowly to this amount, however, since exposing your digestive system to fermented juice too quickly can cause an upset. Begin with one or two tablespoons added to water or broth, and gradually increase the dosage as the days pass.
- If you want to sweeten the juice it add a fresh carrot during the process.
Warnings
- Talk to your doctor before adding cabbage juice to your diet, especially if you have a thyroid condition. As a cruciferous vegetable, cabbage has the potential to displace iodine, especially when raw, and this displacement can have a negative effect on the thyroid.
Things You'll Need
- Small sauce pot
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Blender
- Two 1-quart (1-liter) jars
- Jar lids
- Plastic wrap
- Mesh strainer
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