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Makes: 2 x 1 litre jars
Prep time: 25 mins
Total time:
Recipe photograph by Kris Kirkham
Recipe by Natalie Seldon
Makes: 2 x 1 litre jars
Prep time: 25 mins
Total time:
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Sides Vegetarian Make ahead Vegetables Gluten-free Dairy-free
Nutritional information (tablespoon)
Calories
6Kcal
Fat
0gr
Saturates
0gr
Carbs
1gr
Sugars
1gr
Fibre
1gr
Salt
0.5gr
Natalie Seldon
Natalie is an award-winning food writer, author, cook, and food and prop stylist who's recently published her debut cookbook, The Goodness Of Nuts & Seeds (Kyle Books, £9.99). In her eyes, a home kitchen is a place of creative, enjoyable cooking, which should be simple, fresh and tasty! Visit Natalie's website at Prettyediblestylist.com and follow her @prettyediblestylist.
See more of Natalie Seldon’s recipes
Natalie Seldon
Natalie is an award-winning food writer, author, cook, and food and prop stylist who's recently published her debut cookbook, The Goodness Of Nuts & Seeds (Kyle Books, £9.99). In her eyes, a home kitchen is a place of creative, enjoyable cooking, which should be simple, fresh and tasty! Visit Natalie's website at Prettyediblestylist.com and follow her @prettyediblestylist.
See more of Natalie Seldon’s recipes
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Ingredients
- 2kg white cabbage, cored
- 4 tbsp fine sea salt, plus extra if needed
- 1 tbsp caraway seeds
- 1 tbsp whole black peppercorns
Step by step
Get ahead
Unopened jars keep in the fridge for 2 months. Once opened, eat within 2-3 weeks. Ensure the sauerkraut is submerged in brine.
- Chop the cabbage into chunks then shredfinely in a food processor with the slicing attachment (or you can slice thinly byhand). In a very large non-metallic bowl,mix the cabbage with 2 tablespoons ofsalt, massaging it in well for 2 minutes withclean hands so it softens. Leave to stand 5 for about 15 minutes, massaging the mixtureevery 5 minutes. It will reduce considerably in volume during this time, and some brine will form. Mix in the caraway seeds and whole black peppercorns.
- Pack the spiced salted cabbage into2 sterilised 1-litre jars*, pressing down well (leave 3-4cm space at the top of each jar), then top up the jars with the brine thathas come off the cabbage. Tap the jarson a work surface to ensure any air bubbles are released. Sit the jars in a baking tin,to catch any brine overflow.
- Mix 1 tablespoon of sea salt with 500ml water and mix to dissolve. Pour into 2sandwich bags and seal. Pop one in the topof each jar to weigh down the cabbage andcreate an airtight seal at the top of the jar.You may not need all the saline, dependingon your jars. (The saline in the bag stops the sauerkraut drawing in more water.)
- Over the next 24 hours, remove the saline bag and press down on the cabbage occasionally; as it releases more liquid it will become more compact. The brine should rise up to cover the surface of the cabbage, helping the fermentation process while keeping it preserved, but if it doesn’t, make some extra brine by dissolving 1 teaspoonof salt in 250ml water and use this to top up the jars, replacing the bag of saline on top.
- Transfer to a cool, dark place to fermentfor at least 5 days when it will be readyto eat – but you can leave it to fermentfor 10 days or so. While it’s fermenting,you may see bubbles in the brine, or some foam or white scum may form on top –these are all signs of the fermentation process. Skim off any scum. Mould willonly form if the cabbage is not fully submerged or if it’s in too warm a place,so make sure it is well covered and cool.Use your judgment when fermenting– if it smells mouldy, trust your sensesand discard the sauerkraut.
- Check on the cabbage every day or soafter the initial 5 days and give it a taste. When the flavour and level of acidity isto your liking, remove the saline bags, top up with more brine if needed, seal the jars with sterilised lids and store in the fridge.
