Pickled cabbage in English. I was very surprised to read that sauerkraut has the same properties as yoghurt when I was looking for a recipe to try.

Good to know! Since it wasn’t mentioned before,  Sauerkraut (sauer = sour, kraut = vegetables) as the name suggest has it’s links to Germany. I normally associate sauerkraut to sausage or relish on a hot dog, which I do like if the sausage is good.

Another thing that you might not be aware of is that cabbage belongs to the cruciferous family and has been used traditionally by breastfeeding mothers as a means to stop lactating as well as to ease sore nipples or breast pain .

Back to why I wanted to make sauerkraut, short fermenting period, to serve with roast beef for this weekend. I bought a small head of cabbage which is about 900g (2 lbs). Half for sauerkraut and the other half, time & memory willing, for spring rolls.

Ingredients: 

1 small head of cabbage (about 1 lb or 450g)

2 teaspoon salt

handful of caraway seeds (optional)

Method:

• Cut cabbage into quarters after discarding limp & yellowing outer leaves.
• Remove the core (center) of the cabbage.
• Cut cabbage quarters in half then slice finely.
• Place sliced cabbage into a bowl (not metal!!) and add in the salt.
• Using your CLEAN hands, toss the salt & cabbage till it is well mixed.
• Add in caraway seeds and mix well.
• Cover with cloth and let the salt release the moisture from the cabbage, about 10 minutes or so.
• Place the cabbage into a clean mason jar or glass jar or container.
• Put a weight on top of the cabbage, a small sauce bowl with clean weights (pebbles, stones) will do.
• Cover with the cloth and keep in a cool place for a minimum of 3-days.
• Drain off excess liquids and store in the fridge. Eat and enjoy at will.

I now have to wait for 3-days before I can see and taste the sauerkraut. Follow the link and store in the fridge for better results.

This is what I ended up using – a clean 720ml pasta sauce bottle, glass stones in a plastic bag to weight the top of the cabbage, a washcloth secured with rubber band.

Ok, today is Day 6 of having made the sauerkraut to serve with the roast my husband made for his pre-birthday dinner with some friends. Guess what happened? I forgot to take it out of the fridge. This is not the first time I have forgotten to serve a side and it probably wouldn’t be the last.

Tasted like coleslaw with a very strong smell! Very crunchy and picklish without the overbite of vinegar. Overall a good sauerkraut.