D is for Dinner: a recipe for lacto-fermented sauerkraut

Jen Coorsh makes sauerkraut at Juniper Farm in La Pêche. She is Alan Neal's guest on the CBC Radio One show All in a Day for D is for Dinner, a weekly food segment that airs every Wednesday afternoon.

Here is Coorsh's recipe for lacto-fermented sauerkraut.

Lacto-fermented Sauerkraut

Makes one large jar (2L) of sauerkraut.

What you'll need:

• 2 large, green cabbages, any variety (approx. 4 ½ lbs of cabbage).
• 2 tbsp. sea salt (iodine not preferable).
• ½ tbsp. any seasonings desired: caraway, fennel, juniper, dill, etc. (dried, seed form preferable) .
• A large, wide-mouthed jar.
• A weight (small plate, another jar filled with water, clean rock) to fit inside jar to keep cabbage submerged in brine for fermentation.

Preparation instructions:

1. Cut cabbages into quarters, removing the core.
2. Shred cabbages by hand or by food processor, thin or thick (depending on preference).
3. Put cabbage into large bowl and add salt, seasonings.
4. Integrate salt and let sit for 15 minutes, letting the cabbage 'sweat,' allowing the salt to draw out the moisture in the cabbage.
5. Knead the cabbage similarly to bread, noticing the brine you are producing for your kraut.
6. Once you are satisfied with the amount of brine, pack cabbage into clean jar while sure that all the cabbage is covered in brine.
7. Put weight in jar and cover with cloth (cheese cloth or towel is fine), set jar in a cool, dark spot.
8. Check on your kraut every couple of days as it ferments. Taste it, notice how sour it is becoming. If you like the flavour after two weeks, simply put a lid on it and refrigerate  (drastically slowing down the fermentation process). You can also let it sit for longer, up to a month and a half, for a more sour taste.

Further reading:

According to Coorsh, Sandor Katz's “Wild Fermentation” is an excellent and accessible book for beginning fermenters.