– 1 medium cabbage, cored and shredded*
– 2 tsp sea salt**
-4 Tbsp whey or 1 Tbsp kombucha vinegar (starter)
**double the amount of salt if omitting starter
*I like to (carefully) shred my cabbage with a knife, making very thin strips. A food processor could also be used.
In a large bowl, mix cabbage with salt (and whey, if using). Squeeze and press thoroughly with your hands for about 10 minutes to release juices.
When the time has elapsed, the cabbage should look wilted and a bit foamy. Pack into two quart-sized, wide-mouth mason jars and press down firmly with a pounder or meat hammer until juices come to the top of the cabbage. If using kombucha vinegar, add it to the jar now.
⚠️Important: be sure to leave at least 1 inch of headspace at the top of the jar or it may overflow when the fermentation occurs.
Cover tightly and keep at room temperature, out of direct light, and check the ferment daily, pressing it down as needed to keep the cabbage submerged. I like to use fermentation weights atop leaves of cabbage to keep the nascent sauerkraut under liquid.
Sauerkraut can be refrigerated as soon as 3 days after making it. I prefer mine rather sour, and typically let it ferment for more than a week, transferring to the fridge once it’s reached the right level of tanginess.
Variation: add 1T caraway seeds during the “squeezing” phase
Acknowledgement: recipe adapted from an online recipe at thenourishingcook.com (link is now non-functional)