sauerkraut

2kg finely shredded white cabbage
65g Maldon or similar quality sea salt
10-15g caraway seeds
5g whole white pepper

Put the cabbage and salt into a large bowl and toss over. Set a timer for an hour and toss over again and set a timer for two hours.

When the timer goes add the caraway and pepper, mix through and then pack into a fermenter, weight and check every three to four days, pressing the cabbage under the liquid.

Store at 14°C to 20°C takes approximately 5-6 weeks

Pictured left my exquisite  fermenter a gift from my friends Diana Hetzel and Henry Martin. A treasured work of art click on the image to visit the web site.

click here for more information about fermenters

Top left the shredded cabbage and salt before tossing over…bottom left  packing the cabbage into the fermenter …and top right weighting the cabbage under.

about fermentors

Beautiful fermentors have been handed down for generations in cultures where fermenting has been a traditional art since the earliest culinary recordings. China, Japan and Korea have some exquisite museum samples.

However, as irresistible as old and new fermenters and crocks are you can ferment in just about anything. Large Chinese grocers who also sell cooking equipment will most definitely have the inexpensive dark brown pottery fermenters, but a large glass jar with a loose lid and a few well washed river stones to weight can work equally as well.

Although op shops are now closed indefinitely, if they ever open again you may be lucky enough to still find an old 60s bread crock. Also in these times when arts and crafts are so in disarray you might like to commission a potter/ceramicist to make you one.

posted May 6, 2020