Ferment your own red cabbage

Yes, it is! Anyone can do it. Just follow my step by step guide and stick to one crucial rule to make sure your cabbage does not go mouldy. But first thing first!

Fermented cabbage or sauerkraut offers numerous health benefits, including:

• improved digestion,

• a stronger immune system,

• reduced inflammation.

Sauerkraut is rich in beneficial bacteria (probiotics), fiber and antioxidants like vitamins C and E which support gut health nutrient absorption and overall well-being. But first of all it tastes amazing! Both the cabbage and the juice form it! So next time you have some sauerkraut make sure you drink the juice too.

Each time my children have too many sweets or processed foods they tend to ask me for some fermented cabbage, which seems to be a wy of the body asking for good foods to maintain the balance. Sauerkraut is probably the safest food ever. You can offer it even to kids as young as toddler age and they will benefit from it very much.

You will need a large jar. You do not need a lid for that. My jar is of about 1,75 litre.

1 cabbage (around 1,5 kg) and 30 grams of good quality salt. Avoid the cheapest supermarket salt and the fine table salt containing anti-caking agents. The standard ratio of salt is 20 grams per 1 kilogram of cabbage.

Wash and dry your cabbage. Cut it into halves, place the cut side down on chopping board and, using a sharp knife, slice it finely. Make sure the slices are as fine as possible. Alternatively you can use a shredder if you have one. Add each batch of slices to a large bowl and sprinkle with some salt.

Once all the cabbage and salt are in, squeeze and massage the cabbage well until it starts to release juice. It’s super satisfying so continue for about 5-10 minutes until you feel there is no more juice coming out.

Add a handful of cabbage to the jar and press it down with your hand or a wooden spoon (if your hand does not fit in the jar). Repeat the procedure until all the cabbage is in the jar. Press it down firmly and add the remaining juice on top.

Prepare a small jam jar, wash it well, fill it with water and put the lid on.

Place the jam jar on top of the cabbage. Press it down firmly until the juice goes above the level of the cabbage. Now we arrive at the one crucial rule: the cabbage needs to be covered with the juice, otherwise it might go mouldy. In case there is not enough juice (some types of cabbage might be less juicy) dilute 1/2 teaspoon of salt in 1/2 cup of water and add the mixture on top.

More details about how to recognise if our cabbage went mouldy here.

Place your jar in a shallow dish or a plate, in case the juice bubbles up a lot overnight and overflows. If it does, discard the juice from the plate, clean it and the bottom of the jar and put the jar back into the plate.

Remove the jar with water and poke the cabbage with a wooden skewer or a chopstick down to the bottom to make sure the gas is released. Otherwise your cabbage might go bitter. Put the jam jar back on and set your cabbage aside. Repeat the procedure for the next 3 days.

On day 6-7 you can have a little taste of your cabbage. If you like the flavour, the cabbage is good to eat.

Get as much cabbage, as you are going to eat, out with a wooden spoon or tongs, avoid using metal utensils, and place the jam jar with water back. When the level of your cabbage goes significantly down, transfer it to a smaller jar, cover with a lid and keep in the fridge. It will slow the fermentation process down and keep your cabbage good to eat for another 2-3 weeks.

For more fermented foods check out my fermented beetroot juice and white borscht recipes.