If pickling destroys Vitamin C, how is Sauerkraut rich in Vitamin C?

If pickling destroys Vitamin C, how is Sauerkraut rich in Vitamin C? - Slice of grapefruit on green surface

My understanding is that pickling destroys Vitamin C. However, apparently Sauerkraut is very rich in Vitamin C and is used by the German Navy to offset scurvy. What am I missing here?

Because early sailors suffered from scurvy and I must assume they brought preserved fruits and vegetables with them but that wasn't enough (or maybe they didn't? But if they did not I do not know why unless Europeans did not know about pickling but that seems unlikely). What is it about Sauerkraut that is different?

EDIT: Question has been extended to Why weren't pickled fruits and vegetables part of (European) rations during the Age of Sail?



Best Answer

Vitamin C is destroyed by heat and light. If you use a preservation method that relies on heating the sauerkraut at any stage (hot pickling liquid, water bath or pressure canning the jars) then some vitamin C is destroyed. Exactly how much depends on the process: not all vitamin C is lost immediately so different processes will have different amounts of vitamin C left. And if you use a preservation method that doesn't rely on heat like lacto-fermentation, no vitamin C is lost to heat (some may be lost to light, depending on how you store it).




Pictures about "If pickling destroys Vitamin C, how is Sauerkraut rich in Vitamin C?"

If pickling destroys Vitamin C, how is Sauerkraut rich in Vitamin C? - Composition of sliced bright tropical fruits
If pickling destroys Vitamin C, how is Sauerkraut rich in Vitamin C? - Orange pieces with glass of juice
If pickling destroys Vitamin C, how is Sauerkraut rich in Vitamin C? - Halves of whole oranges for healthy tropical meal





The 4 Things about VITAMIN C That Are Quite SHOCKING!




Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: SHVETS production, Any Lane, Charlotte May, Any Lane