LACTO-FERMENTATION RECIPES: SAUERKRAUT, VEGETABLES IN BRINE & KIMCHI - Good Eatings (2024)

Yields a 1,8 liter jar.

INGREDIENTS:

1,2 kg cabbage, shredded

24 grams good quality salt

2,5 medium sized carrots, grated

1 apple, chopped into bite sized pieces

2 inches of a ginger root, finely grated

0,5 inches turmeric root, finely grated

METHOD:

Place your shredded cabbage in a very large or two large mixing bowls and add the salt accordingly. Here you have two options:

1. Mix the cabbage and salt well and let sit for 15-30 minutes until the cabbage has released a lot of liquid, then give it a quick massage to squeeze a little more liquid out.
2. Massage the salt into the cabbage to break it down until the liquid releases from the cabbage. This can take a little while but before you know it you’ll have plenty of liquid released from the vegetable.

When you have massaged the salt into the cabbage and lots of liquid is released you can add the remaining ingredients and mix well. When adding the turmeric and mixing you could use a glove to protect your hand from turning yellow.

Once thoroughly mixed start placing the vegetable mixture into a clean jar with an air tight lid. Press down firmly as you add your vegetables into the jar, getting rid of any air bubbles in between the vegetables. As you press down the liquid should start rising above the vegetables. It’s important that this happens, if by the end of filling up the jar the liquid is not reaching above the surface of the vegetables you’ll want to pour some in from the mixing bowl where there should be some spare.

When the vegetables are about and inch from the top and the liquid is covering them you’ll want to create a “lid” of some sort or use a weight to make sure your vegetables stay submerged in the liquid. There are stone and ceramic weights made specifically for fermentation or you could use some spare outer cabbage leaves which you fold to fit the opening of the jar. Use a couple of leaves to create a tight lid pressed into the liquid to keep the vegetables below the surface. It is okay if the cabbage leaves are not completely submerged, they are not as sensitive to unwanted bacterial or yeast growth as they have less or no cut surface.

Once the vegetables have been weighed down you can close the jar and place it on a saucer. The saucer will protect your surface from any leaking liquid which can get pressed out of the jar by gas building up during fermentation.

You will want to release gases from the jar once a day for the first few days of fermenting. This is easily done simply by opening the jar, be careful of any squirting liquid, and with a clean hand pressing the weight or cabbage leaf down to press any gas out from air pockets in the vegetables. Close your jar again and repeat until your jar seems to be building up less gas. Usually the ferment is more vigorous in the beginning but if you find it’s very active you might want to keep releasing gas for the duration of your ferment.

Keep the jar in room temperature for 7-14 days. After 7 days of fermenting you can try the vegetables. If you like the taste fridge the jar and start eating away. This will slow the fermentation down and here you can keep the sauerkraut for several months, at least two. If you are not quite happy with the flavour and want it more sour leave the jar in room temperature until you are satisfied with the flavour and the fridge it.