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Prep TimeFerments in 4 weeks
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Cook TimeN/A
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Portions10
Ingredients
Directions
You can choose to let your sauerkraut ferment in either a crock or jars – you’ll need to sterilise these in advance. You’ll need a crock with weights or a collection of jars that will hold around three litres of sauerkraut. If using jars, you’ll also need weights; these could be any small item such as a tiny jar that fits between your kraut and the lid to hold the kraut down. Your weights will need to be sterilised too. I prefer to use a crock.
Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage and core before weighing — reserve whole, thick, outer leaves to use as ‘leaders’ later
In a very large bowl or wide bucket (this is going to get messy), sprinkle the salt over the finely sliced cabbage and beetroot. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Then get your (clean) hands in and start massaging and mashing with your hands and fists. You can also use a blunt tool to pound the cabbage too. The idea is that you are breaking the cell walls down to let the juices out. Keep on massaging and pounding until you can squeeze a handful of cabbage and beetroot and the juices pour out of your hands, not a trickle, it has to be a lot. This will take longer than you think. If you think you’ve done it, keep going a little longer. It needs to be really juicy.
When the cabbage and beet are sitting in lots of juice, you can add the carrot, ginger and coriander seeds. Combine it all together with your hands until everything is mixed through evenly.
Now you can stuff the mixture into your crock or jars. Pack it down very tightly using your fist or a blunt tool or spoon. Juice should rise up and cover the mix as you’re packing it in. Once you’ve packed all of the kraut in, cover it with your reserved cabbage leaves or ‘leaders’. Add your weights to hold it all down. Pop on the lids. If you’re using a crock add water to the moat around the top.
Now the waiting starts. Leave the kraut for 2-4 weeks, out of direct sunlight, testing it at 2 weeks and beyond for the right taste and texture for you. In cooler temperatures, it may take longer. You should notice bubbles forming within the first 24 hrs. If you’re using jars you’ll need to ‘burp’ your jar each day by opening the lid for a second to let the gas escape; particularly in the first week or so. If you’re using a crock the water moat will take care of this for you, just keep it topped up with water.
In 2-4 weeks' time, when you’re satisfied with the taste and texture of your kraut, you can pack it into jars if you’ve used a crock, or if you fermented your kraut in jars you’re already good to go. Pop the jars in the fridge to slow down the fermenting process and enjoy the kraut regularly for the next 6 months or so, if it lasts that long!
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