Old-World sauerkraut drives new business

Sooner or later, everything old is new again.

These words ring true for Whitefish entrepreneur Gelena Akimova-Lystne. Her new business is based on a family sauerkraut recipe that spans multiple generations.

Akimova-Lystne recently launched Mother Goosey’s Sauerkraut, and already she’s looking to expand as orders come in faster than she can fill them.

She says the demand for her all-natural and organic sauerkraut comes in part from a recent surge in interest in “superfoods” and probiotics.

“Sauerkraut and fermented foods have existed for thousands of years, but we chose to forget it,” Akimova-Lystne said. “Now, all of a sudden it’s discovered again and people are saying ‘Oh my gosh, it’s so good for you.’”

Originally from Russia, Akimova-Lystne says sauerkraut was always a staple of her diet growing up. The recipe she uses today is the same one used by her mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.

“I’m from the Old World,” she said. “Sauerkraut was in my family for generations. When I came to this country 18 years ago I could not find anything, so I started making it myself.”

Mother Goosey’s version of sauerkraut is much different than the vinegar and sugar-based products typically found on store shelves.

“There should not be vinegar in sauerkraut, ever,” she said. “Absolutely not — no vinegar and no sugar.”

Vinegar kills the probiotics that make sauerkraut a superfood, she said.

Akimova-Lystne uses only organic vegetables and no pasteurization or flash heating.

“My sauerkraut is totally, naturally fermented vegetables in its own juice.”

“Everything matters — quality of the ingredients you are using, temperature, time of fermentation and how you handled the process.”

She describes her sauerkraut as “crispy and crunchy” almost like a coleslaw.

Mother Goosey’s comes in three styles. Traditional with cabbage and carrots, another with apples added, and a third with red bell pepper, parsley and bay leaves.

Akimova-Lystne’s favorite way to eat sauerkraut is as a salad with bit of green onion, fresh dill, and cold-pressed olive oil drizzled on top.

“It is a meal by itself,” she said.

Mother Goosey’s products are stocked on shelves at grocery stores across the valley. It is a featured topping at both the Burly’s gourmet hot dog stand at City Beach and at the Saucy Dogs food truck.

Akimova-Lystne currently rents time at a commercial kitchen in Kalispell to do her cooking, but she’s looking for a space of her own to ramp up production and expand the distribution.

Entrepreneurship is a new career path for Akimova-Lystne.

“I’ve always worked for someone else,” she said.

She left Russia in 1989 and moved to England where she pursued a career in engineering for 10 years. Seeking a change of pace, she picked up scuba diving and worked as an instructor on the Red Sea for a few years. She calls those years some of the best of her life.

“I rediscovered myself and learned that money is not everything,” she said. “You have to have happiness, too.”

In 1998 she moved to the Flathead and worked at Kalispell Regional Healthcare until a few years ago.

She says that while business ownership is an intimidating venture, it’s important to overcome her fear.

“I always felt in my heart that I should not be afraid,” she said. “Fear clouds judgment and you chain yourself down with fear. If you want to be free, you can’t have fear.”

She says the success of Mother Goosey’s is somewhat surprising to her.

“I didn’t have any expectations,” she said. “I just wanted to do my best.”

Visit online at www.mothergooseys.org.