Sauerkraut

• 1 head cabbage – white or purple
• 1/3 cup filtered water
• Koshering salt (non-iodised): 4–5 teaspoons for every 1 kg of cabbage
• Glass jar
• Fermentation weights

1. Remove the outer leaves from the cabbage and cut in half.
2. Remove the core and finely shred the cabbage (the finer the better).
3. Place in a non-metallic container and mix the salt through the cabbage.
4. Leave to stand for 5 minutes so that the cabbage begins to sweat.
5. Add the water and mix through.
6. Start squeezing and mixing the cabbage with your hands. Squeeze hard to get as much juice out of the cabbage as possible — you will notice the cabbage softening as you go. This produces a decent amount of salty brine.
7. Stuff the cabbage into the jar, compressing it with your hands or with a wooden spoon as you add it in batches so that no air bubbles remain.
8. Finally, pour over the remaining brine and ensure the cabbage is completely covered. (If you have any cabbage remaining, add it to a stir-fry.)
9. Place a fermentation weight on top of the cabbage — otherwise, you can weigh it down with a zip bag filled with water.

• Cover the jar with the lid and set aside somewhere warm. The fermentation process can take anything between a week and a month depending on the ambient temperature.
• After 24 hours, pressure will build up in your jar, so it is important to “burp” your jar: Open the lid to let out any air pressure.
• Also check if your cabbage is still covered with liquid — press down with a wooden spoon to let the juices move back to the top.
• Follow this schedule to “burp” and compress your jar:
  • Day 1 (24 hours later): 1st release
  • Day 2 (12 hours later): 2nd release
  • Day 2 (12 hours later): 3rd release
  • Day 3: Check the liquid — there should no longer be any pressure building up

If you’d like more of Hoogland’s healthy, flavourful recipes in your home, our Hoogland Recipe Book is available for purchase. To order, click here.