Simple Homemade Sauerkraut

Makes 6 – 8 x 500ml jars

Ingredients:

-       2 red or white cabbages (roughly 3kg total)

-       2 tablespoons fine Celtic or Himalayan salt

-       2 tablespoons Caraway seeds

-       1 teaspoon juniper berries

Additional add ins:

-       1 inch of ginger root, grated

-       1 inch of turmeric root, grated

-       2 raw beetroots, grated

-       2 carrots, grated

-       1 tablespoon of fennel seeds

Method:

1.    First sterilize your glass jars. I hand wash mine in hot soapy water & then pop them in the oven at 100 degrees for 15 minutes.

I boil the lids at the same time. Leave jars & lids to cool completely & make sure they’re dry before using them.

2.    Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage & put them to the side (you will use them later). Cut out the tough cores & finely shred the cabbages with a knife.

3.    Place all ingredients into a large bowl. Use a pestle or wooden pounder to pound the ingredients to release the juices from the vegetables. This takes about 15 minutes of hard (but rewarding!) work.

4.    Spoon the mixture into your jars, packing it down as tightly as you can. Leave two inches of space at the mouth of the jar, as the mixture will expand/bubble/fizz & you don’t want kraut juice all over your lovely kitchen top. Place your discarded cabbage leaves at the top & push the mixture down so that the liquid is covering the sauerkraut by about an inch.

5.    Wipe down the glass with a clean cloth, and seal your jars. I recommend leaving them somewhere you can see them, to ferment at room temperature.

6.    Pop/burp your jars daily to release the build-up of gas. Taste it after 3 days, and then pop into the fridge when you’re delighted with the flavour. I like to leave mine for 5 – 7 days to get them particularly zingy. They will last in the fridge for up to 6 months (getting better over time, in my humble opinion).

The classic sauerkraut is great to start with, with a robust & traditional flavour. I always go back to this basic recipe. However if you’ve made it before & want to try something different, add 1 – 2 additional ingredients to keep life interesting. Enjoy!