Easiest Red Cabbage Sauerkraut

Cabbage is incredibly good for you, especially in its raw fermented state. Red cabbage contains more dark pigments than green cabbage and therefore higher antioxidants. Antioxidants helps to heal damaged cells, these damaged cells can lead to diseases like cancer. Therefore, it makes so much more sense to try to source organic ingredients when eating anything raw to reduce any pesticides used.

This is a good recipe to make if you are new to fermentation. It takes a few weeks, but it’s easy, delicious and makes a versatile topping. You don’t have to have a pottery crock to make this recipe. Makes 1 litre

Its lovely with rye bread in an open egg sandwich (or pastrami) with wholegrain mustard.

3l jar with a large opening and a large rolling pin to push the cabbage down

• 1 organic red cabbage
• 1 tablespoon good salt
• 1 organic apple
• 1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed juniper berries (opt)
• 1 tablespoon caraway seeds

1. Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage then cut in half and slice thinly.
2. Put in a bowl and toss with salt. Leave for 1 hour until the cabbage starts to release liquid.
3. Peel, core, and grate the apple and stir through the cabbage with the chili flakes, juniper berries, and caraway seeds.
4. With a rolling pin or any long implement, push down and compress the mixture until the liquid starts to surface, covering the cabbage.
5. Put something heavy on the top of the cabbage, maybe a smaller jar that fits inside the bigger one. Don’t worry if you don’t have anything, just from time to time keep on pushing the cabbage down, compressing it.
6. Over the next hour or two, keep on compressing the cabbage so we get as much liquid covering the cabbage, about 5/10cm.
7. With a spatula scrape the inside of the jar to clean the jar of any cabbage bits.
8. Cover your jar with a clean tea towel, or a kitchen paper secured over the rim with kitchen string and leave in a warm, dark place for 2 weeks.
9. Fermentation should start in about 10-15days.
10. Once you have the desired tangy taste, you can spoon into sterilised jars and seal and store for up to 4 months. Once opened, keep refrigerated and eat within 3 weeks.

See here on how to sterilise jars

Recipe: The Modern Preserver