Sauerkraut has been making news lately for its probiotic qualities, and now a New Paltz company has turned the European staple into a gourmet side dish. Superkrauts come in 17 flavors, each ready to accompany any meal as an “instant probiotic salad,” says founder Moni Schifler.

Using only glass fermentation vessels, the company handcrafts its sauerkraut in small batches. All ingredients are 100 percent organic and local. Superkrauts uses pink Himalayan salt, which is the most mineral-rich salt available, Shifler says. To keep their probiotics alive, the sauerkrauts are unpasteurized and free of vinegars or preservatives. When refrigerated, they keep for one year.

“Superkrauts’ rich enzymes help balance your gut to power up your digestion,” Schifler notes. “The gut’s microbiome flora love a diet that includes live probiotics, which are easy to digest. We guarantee that these are the best-tasting krauts our customers have ever had.”

On the strength of its sauerkraut sales, Superkrauts has launched a new product line, SuperTonics, pure raw sauerkraut juice with live active probiotic cultures, enzymes, electrolytes and minerals. The tonics can be diluted in water to restore electrolyte balance during a workout, taken as a shot to boost the gut and immune system, or mixed into a smoothie to introduce live probiotic cultures.

SuperTonics have already gotten a positive reception, Schifler says. “We received the Cleanest Energy Beverage 2017 award for our sports tonic by Vegan Health and Fitness magazine.”

For more info, visit RawSuperkrauts.com. Products are available online and at local health food stores.