Fermented Cabbage

Hello,

Fermenting is pretty trendy in high – end restaurants these days, but in fact it is not a novelty, it’s been used as a method of preserving food long before there were restaurant trends or refrigerators.

How does it work? Pretty simple, actually. Generally speaking, during fermentation, microorganisms (bacteria, yeast or fungi) break down organic compounds – such as sugars and starch – and convert them into alcohol or acids. Starches and sugars in vegetables are converted to lactic acid which acts as a natural preservative.

Sauerkraut (German for sour cabbage) is actually a thing here, you can buy it in the supermarket, I especially like to eat it during the winter when tomatoes and peppers available are rather tasteless. We eat it as it is, out of the box, its tangy taste takes any sandwich to the next level, but it is also nice to accompany meat dishes instead of a salad. What is more, we also eat it cooked, in stew-like dishes cooked with meat and spices.

How does this project fit into the theme of the challenge? Consuming fermented food (not only cabbage) is definitely good for you. It is low in calories, but contains many nutrients, such as vitamin C, K, B6, iron, folate and potassium. The breakdown of sugar and starch results in natural, beneficial bacteria, that first of all predigest the cabbage which makes it easier for you to digest, and also when consuming fermented cabbage, these good bacteria (probiotics) travel down to your gut which is great for your digestive system and your health overall.

As far as I know, there are two methods of making sauerkraut, you either give the dry shredded cabbage a massage with salt, the other to use brine. Today I will guide you through the latter, with a very straightforward recipe that anyone can reproduce at home, no special equipment needed.

Tips:

1. The jar used shall be thoroughly washed.
2. Make sure that everything you use is impeccably clean (including your hands).
3. Use a jar with a screw cap that sits tight but is not completely sealed, because there will be pretty heavy gas formation in the first days and thereby liquid may escape (and shall have the opportunity to escape) from the jar.
4. Use fresh, firm cabbage.
5. Make sure that the cabbage is completely submereged in brine. We need to create an anaerobic environment for lactic acid to form, It is advisable to weigh down the cabbage to avoid any unwanted phenomena like mold.
6. Be patient. Cabbage shall be left sitting on the counter for 5-10 days at 22-25 Celsius, then transfered into the fridge. Taste after 5 days. It should be slightly sour, if you are happy with the taste, put it in the fridge, if not, leave it for a little longer and taste again. It will eventually get more mature in the fridge, but at a slower pace.It may be kept in the fridge for at least two months.

Ingredients (for a 3 liters volume jar):

• 1700 – 1900 g white cabbage head (measured before cleaning)
• 30 g salt
• 1.5 liters water
• 3 large or 5-7 small bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
• 2 teaspoons caraway seeds
• 1 teaspoon mixed pepper
• 1 celery stick (as ferment weight)

Note: feel free to adapt spices to your taste

Equipment:

• cutting board
• mandoline or sharp knife
• small saucepan
• mason jar with a screw lid
• container

Start off by making a 2% brine. Pour 1.5 liters of water into a saucepan, add 30 g salt, and bring it to boil.

Let it cool completely.

Dump the spices into the bottom of the jar.

Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage, cut it into quarters.

Get rid of the hard core.

Shred cabbage finely with a sharp knife or using a mandoline. You may also use a food processor for this purpose, it certainly makes life easier. We like it really thin: about 1 - 2 mm.

Take the jar and place in one handful of cabbage, then press the cabbage down with your fist as hard as you can. Repeat the process until the cabbage is packed up until the shoulder of the jar.

Now we need to weigh the cabbage so that it will remain underneath the brine. I prefer to use a celery stick for this purpose as it is quite flexible to be tucked under the neck of the jar.

Estimate the size of the celery stick needed.

Cut one, check if you guessed right. Try to place it under the neck of the jar so that it holds the cabbage down. Adjust the size if necessary.

You may have to cut 2 or 3 pieces altogether. Place them into the jar as shown in the photos.

Pour as much brine into the jar as you need to cover everything in it. Secure the lid.

As mentioned earlier, some of the liquid will escape, therefore I suggest to place the whole thing into a container / bowl,

Let it sit on the kitchen counter at room temperature,

The time it takes to get ready strongly depends on the room temperature: the warmer it is, the faster, but as I mentioned earlier, it is not possible to define one specific point when the ferment is ready, some people like it more sour than the others.

In the next 5 days, loosen the lid once a day so that gases may escape (but do not remove it). Occassionally, not only gases but also liquid bursts as in the video. When you can smell a pleasantly sour smell, start tasting the liquid and transfer the jar into the fridge when it is sour enough for you, (Taste should change from salty to sour.)

You will notice that the crystal clear brine will have turned opaque.

I also inserted a video I took prior to placing the jar into the fridge after 7 days sitting on the counter, you can see the color change of the liquid and also that there is still significant bubbling going on.

Enjoy the taste and all the benefits :-)