Sauerkraut

Recipe

1. Slice a head of cabbage and wash it thoroughly in a big bowl.
2. Drain the clean cabbage and sprinkle a tablespoon of salt over the cabbage and let it sit for about 10 to 15 minutes.
3. After that, massage the cabbage so the salt is distributed evenly. The salt will extract the moisture from the cabbage.
4. Transfer the cabbage and the water from the bowl into a jar and cover the jar with a piece of cloth to stop foreign objects from falling into the jar.
5. Don’t seal the jar now because the cabbage would release bubbles as part of the fermentation process. Leave the jar on the counter for at least 7 days. After 7 days, try some cabbage and if you like the way it taste, you can seal the jar and keep it in the fridge.

Sauerkraut Tips

1. You can use any type of cabbage and it will work. Napa cabbage, purple cabbage, chinese cabbage. I usually buy whatever cabbage which is not wrapped in plastic.
2. You can slice the cabbage any way you want.  I generally prefer to slice mine as thinly as possible.
3. Feel free to flavor your sauerkraut any way you like. Put the bay leaf, garlic or any other seasoning in the jar. The possibility is endless.
4. When you wash the cabbage, I usually put the wilted outer leaves in the compost pile and save the leaf right under the outer leaves. I would fold the leaf to ensure that all the other chopped leaves are submerged in the brine. Make sure that all the cabbage is submerged or it will become moldy.
5. Sauerkraut will ferment faster when you leave it on the counter and it will still ferment if you leave it in the fridge but at a slower pace.

Resources

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