@zoe Nutrition posted an online foolproof guide to how to ferment foods by @kenjcooks in mid December 2023. This simple guide made fermenting much more straightforward than many other recipes I have read.
So I thought I'd turn my red cabbage coleslaw into a sauerkraut. Two+ weeks on, this sauerkraut is nothing like coleslaw, but tangy & crisp, and goes well with smoked mackerel, avocado, cottage cheese...
Makes a pickle jar
1 large carrot
Thinly slice the cabbage and onion, and peel and grate the carrot.
Weigh all the prepared vegetables into a mixing bowl, and add 2% salt. So if your vegetables conveniently weigh 500g, add 10g of salt.
Scrunch the salt into the vegetables with your hands for several minutes until the cells start to breakdown, the cabbage starts to go slightly limp, and liquid starts to be drawn out of the vegetables.
Pack the vegetables firmly into a clean jar and pouring over the liquid from from the mixing bowl. In order to ferment and not rot, the vegetables need to be covered in brine so no air and bacteria can get to them.
Use a pickle weight, smaller water filled jar, or large cabbage leaf to push the vegetables into the brine (you may need to add a little water to achieve this). Put the lid on the jar and push to the side on the kitchen counter.
In a few days bubbles will start to appear on the surface of the liquid. Burp the jars daily, or leave the lid on loosely.
Different vegetables ferment at different rates, and slower in cooler climates. Zoe Nutrition recommend waiting at least 2 weeks before starting to eat your sauerkraut. Two weeks in, my coleslaw sauerkraut is crunchy and tangy almost as if it's been preserved in a mild vinegar.
After 2 weeks, sauerkraut can be put into the fridge to slow down the fermentation. However, if you like the tanginess you can always leave it out at room temperature. Mine is living out on the kitchen counter, and almost finished after nearly 3 weeks after starting it.
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