WHITEFISH – “Life is too short to be miserable.”
It’s simple advice, and an old adage that Gelena Akimova-Lystne took to heart a few years ago when she grew tired of her job as an X-ray technician. Instead of looking for work in a similar field, she ditched her career and turned to some old family recipes.
Earlier this year, Akimova-Lystne started Mother Goosey’s Sauerkraut in Whitefish and since then jars of the sour treat have been flying off grocery store shelves.
Sauerkraut is thinly cut, fermented cabbage that has a long shelf life. Because of the cabbage’s natural bacteria, sauerkraut has a unique sour taste. The fermented condiment is especially popular in Eastern Europe and Germany, and is perhaps best known as the sidekick to a classic Bavarian sausage. Its German ties are so strong that during World War I, sauerkraut producers temporarily renamed their product “Liberty Cabbage” because they worried patriotic shopers wouldn’t buy it (It appears to have been a legitimate concern because a year into America’s involvement in the war, New York warehouses were stuck with more than 400 tons of sauerkraut).
While traditional German sauerkraut is usually made up exclusively of cabbage, outside of that country it also features ingredients like carrots, peppers and even apples. That’s the type of kraut Akimova-Lystne grew up eating in Russia, and those items are prominent in the recipes handed down from her grandmother.
Sauerkraut, Akimova-Lystne said, has been a staple in her diets all of her life and she uses it on sandwiches and salads. She continued to make it after she left Russia and moved to England and later the United States.
A few years ago, Akimova-Lystne was talking to a friend, who also happens to be a nutritionist, about the health benefits of sauerkraut. When consumed cold, sauerkraut is a rich source of healthy bacteria and Vitamin C. In fact, on long sea voyages, sauerkraut was historically brought along to ensure the crew didn’t get scurvy, which results from a Vitamin C deficiency.
Realizing her friend was on to something – and ready for a career change – Akimova-Lystne decided to give it a shot and start selling sauerkraut. Last year she filed the paperwork to start a business and in February she produced her first retail batch.
Akimova-Lystne said what makes her sauerkraut stand out is how she handles the product and its organic ingredients, most of which she tries to source locally when in season.
“Making sauerkraut is a lot like making wine,” she said. “You can get a good recipe online or in a cookbook, but the difference between good sauerkraut and great sauerkraut is all in how you handle it, the quality of the cabbage you use and how long you let it ferment.”
Mother Goosey’s is currently selling three types of sauerkraut, including traditional, apple and red bell pepper. For now, Akimova-Lystne is making sauerkraut in a leased restaurant kitchen at night, but she eventually hopes to open up a small facility somewhere in the Whitefish area. Having her own kitchen and storage space would also help her increase production. Currently, she’s selling about 40 cases a month.
“It’s really taken off recently and people love it, so that makes me really happy,” she said.
Mother Goosey’s Sauerkraut is currently available at stores throughout the Flathead Valley, including Super 1 Foods. Akimova-Lystne hopes to expand her company’s reach in the coming years, but she has no illusions of becoming a sauerkraut kingpin.
“I don’t want to make a huge amount of money doing this,” she said. “I just want to produce a good product that can help people and make them happy.”
For more information visit www.mothergooseys.org.