Ingredients
Scale
- 1 medium head of cabbage (red or green)
- 1–1 1/2 tbsp kosher salt or 3/4 tbsp sea salt
- optional: caraway seeds or other seasonings
TOOLS
- 2– quart wide mouth mason jar
- one smaller jar that fits inside the larger one (like a jelly jar)
- rocks (dry beans or weights)
- cheesecloth or dish towel
- chef’s knife or mandolin and cutting board
Instructions
- Slice cabbage thinly using either a knife and board or mandolin for extra thin slices. The thinner you slice it the quicker it will ferment. Reserve one good leaf from the cabbage head to use as a cap later.
- Add salt to a bowl with the sliced cabbage and with your hands massage for 5-10 minutes as natural water releases from the cabbage and it becomes limp.
- Add cabbage and liquid to the mason jar and tightly pack it using your hands or a large spoon. Add the cabbage leaf from before on top as a cap.
- In the small jar, add rocks or other weights to it and close. Add this smaller jar to the top of the cabbage and squeeze down.
- Cover the jar with a cheesecloth or dish towel and rubber band.
- Store the jar on your counter at room temperature for 3-10 days as it ferments. For the first 24 hours, press down on the small weighted jar every once in a while (you should see after the first day that the water is covering all the cabbage).
- After the 3rd day, taste the cabbage each day until you like the taste. You should start to see the color change after the 3rd day (red cabbage should turn from purple to pink and green cabbage will turn yellow). If you find any mold, discard the whole batch.
- Once you’re ready and like the taste, remove the small weighted jar and put the mason jar lid on and store in the refrigerator for up to several months.
- Category: Side