Sauerkraut Recipe

Over 2 million sailors are estimated to have died from scurvy, vitamin C deficiency, between 1500-1800.

It was only when captains started taking thousands of kilos of sauerkraut to sea that they saved their men! Captain Cook took 3,000 kgs of sauerkraut to sea and not one of his sailors is reported to have died of scurvy in three years under his captaincy from 1768!

Sauerkraut, fermented cabbage, is one of the easiest and cheapest fermented foods to make. If you’re a newbie to making ferments, start here!

Sauerkraut contains significantly higher levels of Vitamin C than raw cabbage, and is jam-packed with probiotics, to support your unique gut microbiome, digestion, immunity and metabolic health!

Sauerkraut is a staple I recommend we have in our fridge. No need to buy it when you can make it with just 2 ingredients; cabbage and salt, and can be made within 15 minutes (then left to ferment) for about $3!

Serves 10

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: None

Fermentation time: 7-10 days

Ingredients:

• 1 green or purple cabbage (about 2 kgs)

• 2 tablespoons sea salt/Himalayan salt

• optional - 1 teaspoon of caraway seeds

Method:

1. Remove the outside leaves of the cabbage and the core of the cabbage.

2. Finely slice the cabbage. You want it really thin!

3. Put the cabbage and salt in a bowl.

4. Get your hands dirty – start massaging the salt into the cabbage. You want to do this quite vigorously for at least 5 mins. You’ll notice the cabbage starts to wilt and you’ll see liquid that’s released from the cabbage (this is its own brine!). Sprinkle in the caraway seeds and mix to combine with the cabbage.

5. Press the cabbage into a sterilised jar and really push it down. You want the cabbage submerged in all of its juice!

6. Cover the jar with a cheesecloth or breathable fabric. Secure it with a plastic band

Note: the cabbage must be submerged in it’s own juice. If the top cabbage pieces are floating you can use one or two of the discarded outer cabbage leaves and place it over the shredded cabbage to hold it down. You can also add in a small object to weigh it down.

7. Allow it to ferment for 7-10 days. I store it in the pantry - you want somewhere cool and dark. The longer you leave it to ferment the more sour it becomes. When you like the flavour, you can transfer it to the fridge. Keep it in a jar with the lid on and it’ll last for months and months!