Penny Allen’s Ballymaloe Basic Sauerkraut
At its most basic sauerkraut is chopped or shredded cabbage that is salted and fermented in its own juice. It has existed for thousands of years and sailors carried it on ships to ward off scurvy because of its high Vitamin C content.
COOKING TIME
10
MINUTES
Ingredients
800g (1 3/4lb) of cabbage OR 600g (1 1/4lbs) of cabbage plus
200g (7oz) of mixture of any of the following: grated carrot, turnip, celeriac, onion
3 level teaspoons sea salt
1 x 1 litre Kilner jar or similar
Small jar to act as a weight inside the lid of the 1 litre jar
Method
Wash the cabbage if it’s muddy. Take off any damaged outside leaves. Quarter the cabbage, core it and then finely shred each quarter.
Mix the cabbage and the rest of the ingredients together in a large bowl. Using your hands, scrunch cabbage and other vegetables with the salt until you begin to feel the juices being released. Continue for a few minutes. Pack a little at a time you’re your Kilner jar and press down hard using your fist - this packs the kraut tight and helps force more water out of the vegetables. Fill the Jar about 80% full to leave room for liquid that will come out of the vegetables as it starts to ferment.
Place a clean weight on top of cabbage (a small jar works well). This weight is to keep the vegetables submerged under the brine. This is the most important thing to get your ferment off to the right start. (Under the brine, all will be fine!)
Sit the jar on a plate just in case some brine escapes while it is fermenting. Place on a countertop to ferment at room temperature for at least 3 weeks and up to 6 weeks. As you eat the kraut make sure the remainder is well covered in brine by pushing the vegetables under the brine and sealing well. It will keep for months, the flavour develops and matures over time. Once you have opened it, it’s best to keep it in the fridge where it will last for months.
