This red cabbage kraut jewelled with sweet summer raspberries and a pinch of dried chipotle is delicious on just about everything from tacos to salads to a toasted slice of sour dough bread with a thick layer of tree nut or goat cheese! (See the recipe to make your own macadamia nut goat cheese under Salads, Kale with Hazelnuts, Pear, and Macadamia Goat Cheese in a Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette) A small amount of sauerkraut everyday along with a meal adds a healthy dose of probiotics to your diet. I have a fermentation crock but I will also share with you a simple method for fermenting cabbage that doesn’t involve having a crock. A few litre mason jars and some heavy duty zip lock bags filled with water as a weight will do the trick.
Ingredients:
- 2 medium organic purple cabbages, outer leaves removed
- 5 Tbsp. of salt (unrefined sea salt or pink himalayan salt. I used some beautiful Icelandic sea salt that my son brought back for Iceland!
- 2 tsp. of dried chipotle pepper powder
21/2 cups of fresh or frozen organic raspberries
Cut and core the cabbage and then with a sharp knife cut it into slices. Place the cabbage into a large bowl, one you can really get your hands into! I cut it relatively thin but not too thin as I like a coarser texture to my sauerkraut. I had to include a photo of the purple cabbage goddess!
Add the 5 tbsp. of salt to the sliced cabbage. Massage the cabbage and salt well with clean hands until it begins to soften and some of water from the cabbage begins to pool in the bottom of the bowl. This will take a good 15-20 minutes. Add the chipotle powder and the raspberries to the cabbage and mix well with your hands until combined.
If using a fermentation crock:
With your hands, transfer the mixture to the crock and press down well with your hands to pack it tightly into the bottom of the crock. The liquid from the cabbage should begin to ooze toward the top of the mixture.
Place the weights that come with the crock on top of the cabbage mixture.
The liquid may not initially rise to cover the cabbage but after 8 hours or so the salt in the mixture will encourage the cabbage to release more moisture so that the liquid level rises above the cabbage. If after 8 hours this is not happening, add enough water to cover the cabbage. If the cabbage is not submerged mold will develop. Fill the rim at the top of the crock with water to create a seal and put the lid on. This will allow C02 to escape but no air to get in. Place the crock out of direct sunlight in a spot that is between 15 and 20 degrees C. (55 and 72 degrees F) The sauerkraut will be fully fermented in two weeks although you can still remove small amounts and eat it before the full two weeks if desired.
If you are using a mason jar:
Follow the same procedure as if using a crock by filling your mason jars with the cabbage mixture and then pressing the mixture firmly into the bottom of the jars until the moisture from the cabbage rises to the level of the cabbage. Fill a heavy duty zip lock bag (sandwich size) with water and set it on top of the cabbage filled mason jar. The weight of the water filled bag will keep the cabbage submerged under the liquid. If after 8 hours, the liquid has still no risen to submerge the cabbage, top it up with a little water. It is important to keep the cabbage submerged so that mold doesn’t grow on the exposed cabbage. Place the kraut in a dark place between 15 and 20 degrees C. for 15 days. Check it periodically to make sure that all of the cabbage is submerged in the brine.
After fifteen days:
When the sauerkraut is fully fermented, scoop the kraut out of the crock or mason jars with clean hands into mason jars. Put lids on the jars. At this point it must be stored in the fridge. It will last several months in the fridge.
Trouble shooting:
- If mold develops on the top of your sauerkraut simply scoop it off. A greyish or greenish mold is completely normal however if it is black, pink, or orange make sure you discard it!
- If your sauerkraut is soggy or lacks crunch, you didn’t use enough salt