Sauces, conserves & preserves
Basic Sauerkraut
Fermentation can seem a bit intimidating, but it's all about making sure that you get the ratio of salt right; enough to prohibit harmful bacteria, while giving the lactic acid room to thrive and impart its distinctive savoury taste.
Cook's notes
Fermentation can seem a bit intimidating, but it's all about making sure that you get the ratio of salt right; enough to prohibit harmful bacteria, while giving the lactic acid room to thrive and impart its distinctive savoury taste.
Ingredients
- 1 cabbage
- fine sea salt (approx. 20-30g)
- 2 x ½ litre clean clip-top jars
- large mixing bowl
- scales
Method
-
Step 1
Weigh your mixing bowls and note the weight - you’ll need it for a calculation later.
-
Step 2
Remove 2 of the large outer leaves from the cabbage and keep them to one side. Quarter the cabbage and cut away any tough central core with V-shaped cuts. Shred the cabbage as finely as you can and place it in the mixing bowl.
-
Step 3
Now weigh the bowlful and subtract the weight of the bowl from the total, to give you the true weight of cabbage.
-
Step 4
You need to add 2% salt, or 2g for every 100g of mix, into the bowl. The easiest way to do this is to take the weight in grams and divide by 100. Now times that by 2, and that should be the amount of salt you need. Add the correct amount of salt to the bowl.
-
Step 5
Get your clean hands in and give it a good mix and massage for a few minutes, working the salt into the cabbage as best you can. Leave to sit for 30 mins to give the salt time to draw liquid from the mix.
-
Step 6
Now divide the mix between the clip-top jars, cramming it in as tightly as you can and adding any liquid too. Place a cabbage leaf on top to help keep the mix submerged. The liquid should cover the mix completely. If there is not enough liquid, make a 2% brine (2g salt mixed into every 100g/ml of water) and add enough to cover.
-
Step 7
Close the jars and keep at room temperature in a dark corner for a week, opening once a day to “burp” - it releases any pressure building up inside. A pop as you open the lid is a clear indication of fermentation, alongside a sour/pickled smell. You may see discolouration on the cabbage leaves, but excessive mould or an unpleasant smell indicate that things haven’t gone well, and the batch should be discarded. It is a good idea to keep the jars on a tray or in a tub to catch any liquid that escapes from the jars during fermentation. They should have a distinct pickled taste and be ready to transfer to the fridge after a week. Remove and discard the cabbage leaves once ready. The sauerkrauts will store in the fridge and be usable for a month or so and may need the occasional burp. You can decant them into smaller sterile jars if you want to share your achievements.