Cabbages are in season, so here’s how to make your own sauerkraut

There’s a mighty big range of colourful sauerkrauts (literally translated as sour cabbage in German) on the supermarket shelves these days but if you want to save yourself a pretty penny, you can make a simple version at home. After all, it only has two ingredients, cabbage and salt. Once you have the method sussed, you can start adding in flavourings, such as caraway seeds or peppercorns, maybe some grated carrot for sweetness. Get the basics right first and you’ll have fermented deliciousness on hand to add to toasted sandwiches, or a reuben sandwich, as a side to eggs with a sprinkle of dukkah, or head to nzherald.co.nz/topic/reset for a delicious recipe for pork chops with apples and sauerkraut.

1.5kg cabbage (white or savoy)

50g salt

Discard the coarse outer leaves and stalk from the cabbage. Slice very thinly, rinse thoroughly in cold water and drain well.

Put the cabbage and salt into a very large non-reactive bowl and thoroughly massage the salt through the cabbage with clean hands.

Cover and reserve for 1 hour so that the salt draws the liquid out of the cabbage.

Pack tightly into a very large sterilised jar (or several smaller ones) or other non-reactive container and be careful to pour all the liquid over the top. The container needs to be big enough so there is room at the top to weigh down the cabbage and for all the liquid produced to cover it.

Push the cabbage down very tightly with a sterilised wooden spoon so the liquid covers the cabbage.

Cover with a sterilised small plate that fits over the surface of the cabbage and add a weight on the plate to hold the cabbage under the liquid (a sterilised jam jar filled with water works well). It is very important the cabbage stays under the liquid at all times.

Cover with a piece of clean cotton cloth and a rubber band so the carbon dioxide can escape but no dust or dirt can get in.

Over the next two days, uncover and push down frequently on the cabbage to compress it as much as possible and release more liquid. Recover the container with the cloth after each push-down.

Leave for 2 to 6 weeks in a dark place at between 18-24C. After about 14 days the sauerkraut can be moved somewhere with a colder temperature, 6-10C. It will be fully fermented in 4-6 weeks. Mine was ready to eat in three weeks and although still a little raw it tasted delicious.

Small bubbles will appear as the mixture ferments but if any scum or mould appears, scoop it out immediately with a clean spoon. If you see scum or mould, smell the sauerkraut — funnily enough it should smell sweetly like sauerkraut. If not, (if it smells the least bit sulphurous) you will need to start the process again with new ingredients.

Once done, discard the cloth, cover with an airtight sterilised lid and store in the fridge in its fermentation container. It will last about 2-3 months.

Recipe / Ray McVinnie

Pork chops with apples and sauerkraut. Photo / Tamara West

Use your home-made sauerkraut in Ray McVinnie’s Pork chops with apples and sauerkraut. Find the recipe here.