In this time of health uncertainty, it is good to find some health-promoting foods to boost your immune system. What better way than probiotics, the natural way? Rather than using vinegar to "pickle" your cabbage into sauerkraut, we're going to do it the old-fashioned way - the way the Vikings did it (ish) and used it to increase their Vitamin C intake - allowing them to sail long voyages across the north Atlantic to Newfoundland... centuries before Columbus did it.

This is my entry for this week's Hive account@foodfightfriday challenge.

Lactofermented Sauerkraut

Start with a head of cabbage - it doesn't matter what kind, though there are more nutrients in red cabbage or savoy cabbage than your typical green cabbage.

You also need sea salt and caraway seeds (or whatever herb you might prefer.) Per quart of finished sauerkraut, you're going to want at least 1 Tablespoon of salt if you have starter liquid or 2 Tablespoons if you don't. More is okay, less is not as this salt is going to keep your cabbage from going bad while waiting for the good bacteria to colonize...

1. Chop up the cabbage

Skip the white core, and chop up everything else into salad-sized pieces. It doesn't have to be perfect.

2. Pound the cabbage

I learned a few years ago that a really easy way to pound cabbage is in small batches in my KitchenAid mixer. My wrists were weakened from a repetitive strain injury years ago, so the mixer is a real lifesaver here.

I put a small batch (1/5 to 1/4 of this cabbage) into the mixer and sprinkle a teaspoon or two of sea salt over it. I also sprinkle a pinch of caraway seeds in it.

Then I use the paddle on my mixer for 3-4 minutes or so - until it starts getting juicy.

(You can do this by hand with a meat tenderizing type of mallet.)

As you can see, the cabbage has released its juices, which are going to be used to preserve and lactoferment the cabbage.

3. Jarring and more pounding...

Here, I'm using a jam funnel to guide my shredded cabbage into a jar. As I'm doing this, I'm using my wooden rolling pin to pound the cabbage into the jar. We pack it in and release more juices at the same time. This large cabbage filled a large quart (ish) canister jar plus another old pasta sauce jar.

As you're not going to be sealing it (as in canning), you can reuse almost any jar that has a lid. Experiment and see what works for you.

Keep pounding the cabbage down until the juices are level (or better) than the cabbage. The vegetables have to be completely immersed by the liquid or they will mold.

I did add a little bit of brine (salt water) to the top when the cabbage didn't seem to be giving me enough liquid. This is where to add any extra salt if you think you're below 2 Tablespoons per quart.

This narrow-mouthed jar did a good job in keeping the cabbage from floating...

However, my pretty kilner jar that I picked up at an estate sale had floating pieces all around... not okay. I discovered that some of my plastic lids for my canning jars would fit inside this jar perfectly, so I put it in, upside down and filled it with more brine to keep it submerged as well.

4. Let it ferment...

I sealed the two jars and left them pretty much where they were for a few days. I had to "burp" them every day to release the pressure the fermentation caused. It's recommended to keep a cloth handy as it fizzed quite a bit to begin with - and red cabbage stains!

When the fizzing settled down, I moved the jars to my cooler storage area to keep going.
If your place is too warm, then move it to the fridge instead. I don't have extra fridge space, so a lower cupboard has to do for the time being. I look forward to being able to have a root cellar where I can keep my fermented goods, but for now...

5. Enjoy

Taste the cabbage every couple of days until you like the level of tangyness and the cabbage is nice and soft to eat.

Eat a couple of bites daily to build your immune system and balance your gut flora, as well as improve digestion. It goes well with many cooked dishes. My picture shows it with my recent recipes of Baked Garlic Lemon Shrimp, Low-Carb Baked Catfish Nuggets, Snow Crab and Tartar Sauce.

6. Precautions

Fermentation is only an exact science if your situation is perfect (not the typical home kitchen.)

In reality, things can happen.

A light white film on your sauerkraut is okay, but actual mold is not.
Your sauerkraut should never be slimy or foul-smelling. This is a sign that bad bacteria have taken over and it's time to throw it out.

Typical errors:

pieces floating in the brine
vegetables not completely immersed in the liquid
house is too warm for too long
using fresh, chlorinated water from the tap in the brine (use dechlorinated water)

Recipe Cards

Feel free to print and save these for home use.

Note: All photos are mine - Nikon 7200.

Two of my kitchen witches. One hung in my grandmother's kitchen as long as I can remember, so I have mine - adding a certain magickal spice to my cooking, presumably...
My grandmother's now lives in my mother's kitchen.

Previous recipes in Lori's Cookbook

Holidays (Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc.)

Cranana-Chumpkin Bread
Cranberry-Berry Sauce (canning too)
Cranberry Juice Drink
Cranberry Swirl Cheesecake
Crustless Pumpkin Pie
Drop Sugar Cookies - Christmas, Valentines, whatever you like!
Gravlax (Swedish Marinated Salmon)

Breakfasts

Basic French Toast
Buttermilk Pancakes - including low-carb and grain-free options.

Breads

Baking Powder Biscuits
Cranana-Chumpkin Bread
Nearly No Carb Keto Bread - demo only, follow the link to the recipe. (grain free)
No-Knead Bread
Fathead Dough - a grain free substitute for many bread situations!

Sweet Snacks

Almond Flour Snickerdoodles
Brownies with Chocolate Ganache - made into a great birthday cake!
Drop Sugar Cookies
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sauces & Dips

Spaghetti Sauce
Basic Salsa
Garlic-Herb Butter
Guacamole Salsa
Creamy Guacamole
Avocado Salsa
Tartar Sauce

Food as Medicine

Egg Drop Soup

Desserts

Cranberry Swirl Cheesecake
Crustless Pumpkin Pie
Dobos Torte
Peach Cornmeal Cobbler
Peach Crisp
Tapioca Pudding

DIY Ingredients

Buttermilk

Canning

Rebel Canning - a general guide about what I do, and why I don't always follow USDA guidelines.
Cranberry-Berry Sauce
Cranberry Juice Drink
Meatballs and Spaghetti Sauce
Rice Pudding

Lori Svensen
author/designer at A'mara Books
photographer/graphic artist for Viking Visual
(Buy my work at RedBubble, TeePublic, PicFair and DeviantArt.)
verified author on Goodreads
(Buy my books at Books2Read and at LBRY)
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Lactofermented Sauerkraut - Lori's Cookbook