Sauerkraut
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Sauerkraut is a great way to make the most of a seasonal ingredient. It’s a super easy salt fermentation. This lacto-fermentation method is a controlled process that allows good bacteria to multiply, converting sugar into lactic acid, a natural preservative. A great probiotic food that’s good for your gut. Cabbage and other leafy vegetables are commonly used, however any fruit or vegetable can be thinly sliced/grated and fermented. We found this method and info via Eating for Pleasure, People & Planet by Tom Hunt.
The general rule is to use 3% sea salt - so if you have 100g of leafy vegetables, you would add 3g of salt.
You will need large bowl, sterilised jar with lid, parchment paper.
Method
Finely slice or grate your chosen vegetables/fruits using a knife, mandolin or grater and place in a bowl. Weigh to know how much salt to add. Sprinkle over the correct amount of salt (3% of weight) and mix thoroughly through with your hands, massaging the salt into the vegetables until juices begin to run.
Pack the vegetables and all of the briny liquid into a sterilised jar, pushing down firmly. When the jar is full to the brim, squash down the vegetables again ensuring that they are completely submerged in the liquid. If you need you can always add a drop of filtered water and a pinch of salt to bring the level up above the surface of the vegetables. Use a scrunched up bit of parchment paper to hold the vegetables down and secure the lid on top. Set aside to ferment at room temperature for a minimum of 4 days. By this time you should see bubbles in your jar and if you taste some of the liquid it should be slightly acidic.
At this point you can either continue to ferment the sauerkraut at room temperature or you can transfer to the fridge for a milder taste. Will keep for months!
Favourite combinations
Spring Foraged Kraut
Use a mix of easy to forage spring greens such as Wild Garlic, Dandelion, Sorrel, Alexanders, Three Cornered Leek, Black Mustard, Pennywort, Garlic Mustard. We like to add in a bit of cabbage to the mix as well to beef it out a bit.
Zero Waste Tips
Sauerkraut is a great fermentation method for preserving seasonal produce or any excess you may have growing in the garden or accumulating in the fridge!
Refill your sea salt to avoid single use plastic packaging.