Homemade Sauerkraut

Start fermenting with this easy sauerkraut recipe flavoured with caraway, bay, beetroot and apple.

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Prep Time: 15

Fermentation Period: 7

Total Time: 7 15

Servings:500 ml Jar

Equipment

1 500 ml sterilised jar with lid
1 large non-reactive bowl

Ingredients

500 (approx) g cabbage (½ red and ½ white) finely sliced - ideally with a mandolin
200 (max) g grated beetroot, carrot or apple - or combination of all three the general rule of thumb is 75% cabbage and 25% 'other'
non-iodised salts like sea salt, Himalayan pink salt or kosher salt I prefer Himalayan pink salt - whatever you use it must be free from iodine or anti-caking agents, which will interfere with the fermentation process
1 tsp caraway seeds
2 bay leaves

Instructions

Weigh the bowl you are using to salt the cabbage and vegetables.
You don't need to wash the cabbage (unless there are a lot of bugs; remove any tough outer leaves and the inner core. The best method is to cut it in half, cut out the core, then halve again into quarters. It's much easier to slice this way. Finely slice the cabbage (green and /or red) - reserving a good outer leaf to cover the sauerkraut later. If using, grate carrots or beets over the cabbage bowl to avoid wasting valuable liquid.
Weigh your bowl of cabbage and vegetables. Subtract the weight of the bowl from the weight of the vegetables to get the exact weight of the vegetables.
For 500g of vegetables, multiply by 0.02 (2% salt ratio).
500 x 0.02 = 10. (See notes below for table of measurements).
Therefore, you need 10 grams of salt. Conveniently, two teaspoons!
Sprinkle the salt over the cabbage and massage the leaves for 5 minutes. Add the remaining vegetables, massage again, and mix well. Set aside. Leave for up to an hour or until you have a small pool of liquid under the cabbage.
Fill your jar with the cabbage mixture and any liquid. Tamp down as you fill the jar to ensure there are no air pockets. You want it to be nice and compact with the liquid covering the cabbage. Leave a generous 3 cm gap at the top of the jar. Clean any bits on the jar's side and around the jar's top with a clean cloth or paper towel. You don't want any stray bits of cabbage to contaminate the lid or remain out of the salty liquid.
Cover the mixture with the saved cabbage leaf and then weigh this down with fermentation weights, a sterilised stone or a small zip-lock bag filled with water.
Loosely screw on the lid to avoid needing to burb the jar. If you are using specialist equipment, follow the manufacturer's instructions.
Remember: firmly tamp down, avoid air pockets, and use a weight to submerge the cabbage in the liquid. Loosely tighten the lid to allow gases to escape. Set jars on a saucer to collect any escaping liquid from super-active ferments.
If you don't have enough liquid to cover the cabbage, you'll need to recheck it in 24 hours. The cabbage cannot ferment and will spoil unless immersed. If there is still insufficient liquid to cover the cabbage, add a sprinkle of non-chlorinated water, tamp down, recover (with cabbage leaf), weigh down, and loosely screw on the lid. See notes for adding water.
It should be ready in around 7-10 days. Taste it, and when you are happy, remove the weight and cabbage leaf, secure the lid and move it to the fridge. It will be soft, but the cabbage will still have a bite and a delicious sour flavour.
Always use a clean spoon or fork when removing from the jar so it does not get contaminated. Sauerkraut lasts for easily 2 weeks plus in the fridge.

Notes

Salt Table

150g Vegetables 0.02 x 250 - 5g (1 tsp)

500g Vegetables 0.02 x 500 = 10g (2 tsp)

750g Vegetables 0,02 x 750 = 15g (3 tsp)

1000g Vegetables 0.02 x 1000 = 20g (4 tsp)

1500g Vegetables 0.02 x 1500 = 30 (6 tsp)

Adding More Water During Fermentation

There are conflicting views on this, but from what I have read, the argument that we should not add more water wins. The secret, fresh ingredients will leach water resulting in successful sauerkraut. However, adding a little grated carrot or beetroot also provides that extra valuable liquid.

Flavour Ideas

A few combinations to spark your imagination: fresh, finely grated turmeric and ginger; freshly grated or sliced ginger; whole or sliced garlic; garlic and chilli; caraway seeds and bay; juniper and bay; juniper and caraway; sliced or grated horseradish with garlic or fennel seeds and anise. Start with about one teaspoon of each spice per kilogram.

Resources: jo-webster.com, makesauerkraut.com, fermentationrecipes.com,