Sauerkraut

steps

1. Remove outer leaves of cabbage. Rinse, quarter, and remove core. Shred cabbage into strips on a mandolin. Avoid over-handling or bruising cabbage, as this will cause it to lose crispness.
2. Transfer a handful of shredded cabbage to sterilized ferment vessel. Top with a portion of the salt and press down firmly. Repeat until all cabbage and salt has been used.
3. Weigh down cabbage with a sterilized glass or jar that fits into the ferment vessel and press down until liquid is released. You may want to top the sterilized glass or jar with a heavy rock or other weight that will keep pressure on the cabbage.
4. Make sure shredded cabbage is fully underneath “brine” (the liquid leaching from the pressurized cabbage and salt) and cover with a towel. Use a rubber band to keep the towel in place (make sure glass/jar and weight remain on top of cabbage to keep it submerged during the ferment).
5. Ferment for at least 5 days. Cabbage will start getting tangy in 1 to 2 weeks. You should taste it along the way, and refrigerate it when it’s fermented to your liking. The sauerkraut gets more sour the longer the ferment goes. (Cebulka prefers fermenting for 3 to 6 weeks.)