Ingredients
Scale
1 1/2 lbs. cabbage (green, red or a little of both)
1/2 c carrots, shredded
1” piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1/2 large granny smith apple, diced
1/4 – 1/2 tsp caraway seeds
1/4 – 1/2 tsp dill seeds
Instructions
- Look over your cabbage and remove any outer leaves that look limp or grungy. Reserve 1 clean leaf for later.
- Slice the cabbage head in two. Remove the core and thinly slice each half into shreds.
- Transfer your shredded cabbage to a large mixing bowl and sprinkle with salt; give it a quick stir to distribute the salt and allow it to rest for 15-20 minutes.
- With clean hands, massage the cabbage to encourage the salt to draw out the cabbage juice that will form the brine. If needed, take short breaks to let the salt work on the cabbage more. Keep massaging until the cabbage feels good and juicy.
- Add shredded carrots, apple, ginger and caraway seed, mixing well.
- Tightly pack the shredded cabbage mixture into the quart jar, using a kraut pounder or wooden spoon to press it down below the water line.
- Cut the reserved cabbage leaf into a round that fits the diameter of your jar and place it on top of the packed cabbage.
- Add a fermentation weight to keep the kraut under the water line and cover the jar with a lid (with airlock if using).
- Store jar at room temperature and out of direct sunlight. Remember to ‘burp’ the jar daily if you are not using an airlock.
- After 2-3 days, open the lid and skim off any scum that has formed on the surface.
- After 7 days, you can start tasting your kraut to determine when the flavor has reached a good stopping point. This can happen in as little as a week or as long as 3-4 weeks, depending on the temperature of your home and your taste preferences.
- When the flavor is to your liking, remove the weight and transfer to the refrigerator or cold storage. Serve a few tablespoons with meals as a nutritious (and delicious!) digestive. ♥
Notes
If you want to make plain sauerkraut with only cabbage and salt, increase the amount of cabbage used to ~2 lbs.
