Colourful Homemade Sauerkraut

Ingredients:

  • 500g Red cabbage (1/2 of a red cabbage)
  • 500g Hispi pointed cabbage ( 1 large Hispi cabbage).
  • 2-3 Carrots
  • 30g Salt ( 2 ½ tablespoons salt).
  • 1 Teaspoon peppercorns.

*Note: Add 15g of salt for every 500g of cabbage.


*Cabbage ferments best in a warm dark space for a minimum of two weeks.

Sauerkraut fermented foods, Gut health
Fermentation Container Sauerkraut

Method:

  • Thoroughly wash your hands, a large mixing bowl, as well as a glass container and anything else that will be used while preparing the sauerkraut. I normally use 1 Hispi pointed cabbage, and ½ of a large red cabbage as well as 2-3 carrots. However, many different varieties of cabbage are used to make sauerkraut.
  • Wash and set aside two healthy top leaves from either cabbage (these will be used later on).
  • Use a food processor to shred the cabbage into thin strips. This can also be done using a knife. Weigh the shredded cabbage before placing into the mixing bowl, there is 500g of cabbage to every 15g of slat. Place the shredded cabbage into the large bowl.
  • If adding carrots, shred 2-3 organic carrots then add to the cabbage.
  • Add the salt message into the cabbage and carrot mixture for 5-7 minutes. Let the cabbage sit for a few minutes then repeat this process until the cabbage has been largely reduced in volume.  There should be a significant amount of brine produced by the cabbage.
  • Add in the peppercorns.
Sauerkraut fermented
  • Place the cabbage mixture into a large glass container. Add the two large cabbage leaves on top of the cabbage mixture pressing down on the cabbage removing all air bubbles. The brine should cover the entire  mixture and large cabbage leaves. ( If the brine does not completely cover the cabbage mixture that signifies that it requires more messaging).
  • Weigh down the  large cabbage leaves with a plate, glass, or another form of weight that fits into your container.
  • This weight will also cause the level of the brine to rise helping to cover the cabbage. Place the lid on the glass container ( or cover using cling film).  Leave cabbage mixture in a cool dark place (20° C / 68° F) for a least a week.  Best flavours result from letting cabbage ferment for two or more weeks.
  • The longer the cabbage mixture ferments the more potent and sour the flavour will be.  Once a desired flavour is reached, store in sterilised containers and keep in fridge for up to 3 months.