Jazzed up Sauerkraut
By Diana Earnshaw
I have to say, I am a fan of spicy foods and this to my palate, is delicious! If you prefer, you can just use a larger (red or white) cabbage and maybe a teaspoon of caraway seeds for the original sauerkraut. If you don’t like chillis – just leave them out. The great thing about sauerkraut is that it is pre and pro-biotic!
Ingredients
- 1 organic small solid green or white cabbage, shredded
- 3 organic garlic cloves crushed
- ½ small organic onion thinly sliced
- 3 organic chillis sliced thinly (or more if you want!)
- 1 thinly sliced red pepper (or green – check the rootle box!)
- 1 large organic carrot, grated
- 2 teaspoons organic oregano or other Mediterranean herbs
- 2 teaspoon Celtic sea or Himalayan crystal salt
- A spoonful or two of the whey that occurs with natural yogurt or a couple of teaspoons of the liquid from a previous batch of sauerkraut
- A little spring water
Method
Put everything in a large glass or ceramic bowl. Put your hands in and squish it (kids will love this bit) until lots of the juices have run from the veg. Leave it half an hour then have another go.
Now cover the vegetables entirely with a plate or shallow bowl and weight it down so that they are covered with their own juices. If not completely covered, add a little spring water but only a little – more juice will come from the vegetables eventually.
Cover the whole thing with a towel and leave in a warm place (in the kitchen or maybe an airing cupboard) for about 5 -7 days – until a bit fizzy. Give it a stir daily and try it from time to time. If you see any mould – remove it. If you see a thin white film, this is fine.
Decant into glass jars – Kilner jars are good – pack it in. Refrigerate or leave in a very cool place. (I would suggest standing the jar in a bowl – sometimes they leak!)
This will keep almost indefinitely but I would suggest using within six months. Add to salads or just with cold meat for a really tasty and very nutritious lunch!