How is sauer-susu made?

How is sauer-susu made is a question that will only cross your mind if you have a glut of chaote squash growing your garden. Can you preserve the fruit?

Susu is the South African name for the Central American fruit known as chaote.

I have only made sauer-susu once before; it was a great success. So why this week am I going to teach two friends how to do it? What authority do I have? Very little is the candid answer.

But I have fermented sauerkraut and many other probiotics dozens of times; they are all equally easy but right now I have an abundance of susus growing and no cabbages.

This hour-long session with friends gives me purpose, joy and enables me to connect with two people I would like to get know better. Isn't that what life is about after all?

So what do you need to make sauer-susu?

There are two basic ingredients when making sauer-susu; a chaote squash vine growing in your garden and a ton of salt. That may give you pause to consider. Are you concerned with your sodium levels? Modern science suggests we ought to be.

• Chaote squash
  

But the salt wars between the researchers continue with some brimstone but mainly smoke; it's not simple. There is a group that believes that it has far more to do with the K/Na ratio; and it is easier and more effective to up the potassium than cut back on the sodium.

• Salt versus potassium blood pressure debate
  

And then there is another group of scientists arguing that hypertension is really all about insulin resistance; it's the refined carbs and sugar that are killing us.

My own opinion is that all three are probably correct. According to Netmeds susu is "rich in folate, magnesium and potassium." That's all good; and it has a low GI of about 50. But the salt is significant.

• Salt high blood pressure
  

So how is sauer-susu made? You will need a chopping board, a grater and a large bowl; and a kitchen scale. The skin produces a sticky liquid that is difficult to get off of surfaces; put it straight into the compost bin.

You will also need a wide-necked glass fermenting jar. I would begin with a smallish bottle but so successful was the first brew that I am going this time straight to a large 4 litre container.

Mild flavour

Susu has a very mild pleasant flavour but it is overpowered by the salt; so today we are going to make a kimchi of sorts. We'll be adding some green onion leaves, ginger and turmeric. As you can see I love to experiment, enriching our food with known beneficial flavoursome spices; carrots, peppers and garlic too if you like.

Remember this is a probiotic you are making; so you don't want to kill the lactobacillus bugs that will ferment your sauer-susu. Use unchlorinated spring or boiled rainwater.

• How to grow turmeric

Sprinkle any leftover grated susu onto your salads; it adds a delicious sweet flavour. Those who despise this fruit need to think again; the bounty of nature.

Sauer-susu is a probiotic

The healthy gut contains an astonishing 2kg of friendly bugs with an extremely wide diversity; pathogens have difficulty getting a foothold. These bacteria, viruses and yeast cells are very important for our wellness; amongst many functions they maintain and control our immunity.

How is sauer-susu made? An hour's work will provide you with deliciously preserved food, a free broad spectrum probiotic and a happy tum; worth every second spent.

There are for example specific receptors for vitamin D molecules that slow cellular aging. Butyrate helps reduce inflammation in the body; we simply cannot be healthy without a prolific and diverse community of bugs living in the gut. Homemade probiotics support this unknown world that lives deep within our bodies.

Kefir is an even simpler probiotic to make.

• Probiotic benefits
  

Many foods can be fermented to make probiotics; the classic of course is sauerkraut made from cabbage.

Susu and the angry tum

It is purely anecdotal but it would seem that the common and oft-despised susu also has other healing properties particularly in relation to gastritis; it is able to sooth the angry stomach.

Rich in fibre it is a great aid for those suffering from chronic constipation; only 5% of those on the typical supermarket diet are getting the recommended dietary allowance. So diseases of the large bowel abound.

• The happy tum
  

How is sauer-susu made?

This column on how sauer-susu is made is for those besotted with fermenting their own probiotics at home. It is also a veg so easy to grow that one can call it free food; that is not small beer in a starving world. At Our Green Home we enjoy a "chaote squash" almost every day for five months in the year; it's a staple.

• A susu a day keeps hunger at bay

According to Statistics SA almost a quarter of South Africans went to bed hungry every night in 2024. Those who grow their own food need never starve; often they will have more than they know what to do with.

We find it difficult even to give away our surplus susus; yet it is a much loved staple in Our Green Kitchen. You do have to learn how to spice it up though.

That juice

Chaote fruit has a very large amount of juice; a lot more than cabbage. You will not have to add much extra saline solution, if any. So what do you do with the liquid that remains with you're done enjoying your sauer-susu?

I confess I have been tipping it down the drain; from the sauer-kraut too. One of my guests protested, "but it's so rich in nutrients." She is right but there is an awful amount of salt too; you can't really use it in a sauce.

And then the penny dropped; could I use the left over salty liquid when cooking our grits? It would no longer be a probiotic of course; the heat would kill the bacteria. But all those magnificent nutrients left behind by both the susu and the bugs could be utilised in the porridge.

That's something to try when next I cook our maizemeal porridge; a true wholegrain it's another of our staples. The swapping of ideas and insights is one of the joys of meeting with others.

How is sauer-susu made? Just grate a few chaote squash gourds, add salt and wait for it to ferment. It's such fun watch it bubbling away; so easy.

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