Thinly slice the cabbage and with each addition sprinkle salt in a large mixing bowl and massage with love. (This gives an even distribution of salt) Massage the cabbage until all water from the vegetable is released. This will take a good amount of massaging (maybe 10 minutes), so put on some good tunes and massage away or meditate in silence!
The cabbage will first begin to soften, then it will release moisture, and the moisture will begin to fizz. Massage until the cabbage is (mostly) submerged in its own liquid. Mix in any additions. Let sit to draw out all moisture. Transfer to a clean crock or jar, making sure to pack down the cabbage as you go. Pour in excess liquid.
The cabbage should be completely submerged! Pack tight with fist, pestle, stomper or rolling pin.
If using a Fido type jar you want to weigh the cabbage down as to keep it completely submerged during the entire fermentation process. You can use the outside leaves of cabbage, a special glass dunker (weight). Seal Fido jar and place on a deep saucer in a dry area of your home, away from direct UV light and sunlight, cover with a dark cotton cloth. Taste to see when soured to your liking. Once the fermenting fairies have performed (4 – 6 weeks for classic kraut .. depending on environment ie temperature), simply bottle if using a crock or place fido in the fridge and use wisely and judiciously.
The finished product has turned from green cabbage to a soft light yellow to beige fermenty-goodness.
Plenty of variations: The flesh of the mature green papaya makes pleasant bitter sauerkraut. Add grated carrot, horseradish and small amount of spice. For therapeutic purposes the skin may be left on and add any seeds if they are white (the black seed, will over-power the taste – makes a great pepper substitute – dried and add to pepper grinder). The skin is reputed to have the same beneficial effects as the leaves.
RED KRAUT 1 red organic cabbage, thinly sliced 1 tablespoon ginger and turmeric, chopped 1 tablespoon juniper berries, whole Approx. 2 tablespoons fine Himalayan salt Prepare as above.
APPLE KRAUT Massage ¼ of red cabbage to each ½ of green cabbage with fine Himalayan salt. Add diced apple, turmeric and ginger. Over to the fermenting fairies in oxygen free jar like a Fido, out of direct light. Taste test at 14 days. Refrigerate.
As this contains fruit it will have a quicker fermentation time than the wings of our plane – cabbage, fine Himalayan salt and maybe a dash of caraway (classic/traditional kraut).
Turmeric powder and fresh fennel is a fave in our fermenting lair
Fermentation can make the juice in the jars overflow, so set your jars in a glass pan — metal will corrode.
• Spoon a little kraut over fresh made salads.
• Make an open Reuben style sandwich with sourdough rye and top with avocado, cured ocean trout, cucumber ribbon, smashed eggs or chicken and top with sauerkraut salad.
Apple Kraut Salad – nice teamed with pork. Add a few spoonfuls of apple kraut to bowl. Mix through fresh ingredients – sliced capsicum (red, yellow and green) sliced shallot and grated carrot. Dress with orange juice and a dash of raw honey. Add chopped fresh herbs.
PURPLE / RED KRAUT Organic spice can be added at the start of the kraut ferment process, if you desire, like caraway and juniper berries or turmeric powder. (Recipe above) • Purple kraut teams well with fresh diced pineapple, coconut and soaked walnuts or almonds and sprouts and fresh herbs.
• Kale and Purple Kraut Salad – 2 cups chopped kale massaged with extra Virgin Olive Oil, mix in 1 cup fresh greens + 1 ½ cups cooked / sprouted quinoa + 1 cup purple kraut. Then add a smashed ripe avocado and top with 3 diced tomatoes.
Magda’s Salad 500 g spiced purple sauerkraut l red salad onion l head radicchio 250 g strawberries 1 yellow capsicum 4 tablespoons chopped pre-soaked walnuts
Dressing 1 cup kefir 3-4 tablespoons coconut vinegar 2 tablespoons raw honey Lemon balm for garnish
1. Peel onion, halved and thinly sliced
2. Wash radicchio, pat dry and cut into strips.
3. Wash strawberries, and cut in half.
4. Cut capsicum into fine strips.
5. Mix sauce ingredients and mix with the salad
6. Garnish with lemon balm
It is spicy, sweet and sour and looks beautiful too, especially made with your own purple kraut.
300g sauerkraut 1 salad onion 2 apples 2 medium carrots Ground black pepper Dash of raw honey 3-4 tablespoons olive oil / orange juice Chop Onion finely, grate apples and carrots. Mix all put aside for minimum of 20 minutes and enjoy.
Magda says you would traditionally have it for dinner with some meat and mashed potatoes.
Sauerkraut is often eaten with meat, or in Russia it is combined with sautéed onions and potatoes.
More ideas to serve World Class Kraut
• Kraut combinations make a lovely condiment or side salad to eat with each meal, including world class breakfast of eggs, ethical meats and kraut. You can create countless varieties of world class salads that begin with fresh homemade sauerkraut as a base.
• Mixed in salad, eat kraut by itself, kraut on a sandwich in place of lettuce. All day breakfast … eggs poached in broth with steamed fresh garden greens serve with avocado, fresh herbs and sprouts and kraut salad.
• Kraut tastes and looks great in Nori and lettuce rolls. Add to avocado, guacamole or beetroot hummus, it’s simply magical.
• Sprout and kraut salad with nut/seed dressing for a light summer dinner.
• Shredded cucumber and spiral zucchini or beetroot are particularly good to add to kraut on hot summer days and massage through avocado.
• Vine-ripened tomatoes add more sweetness and natural juice.
• For added sweetness to the “sauer”, add chunks of fresh fruit like mangoes, apples, grapes, and bananas. Try raw honey and orange juice dressing in place of olive oil.
• For more protein, add a soft boiled egg or a handful of soaked raw walnuts, pecans, or cashews.
• And to bring everything together, definitely look at trying a wide variety of salad dressings, fresh herbs and in season produce … Unrefined extra virgin olive oil, cold-pressed nut oils and vinegar or citrus juice with raw local honey can make a super simple dressing, but you can also add onion, shallot leek, fermented garlic / ginger/ horseradish, herbs and goodies like home made tahini, egg yolks, buttermilk, miso or homemade kefir and yoghurt. Whisk these together and store in the fridge or on the kitchen counter if simple vinaigrette.
• Make a mayonnaise with olive oil, vinegar or lemon juice, egg yolks and a pinch of salt or preserved citrus rind.
• Add kraut to sandwiches (traditional corn beef Reuben) or use as a flavouring agent in dressings and soups.
• The Vegetarian Reuben; tempeh, sauerkraut, cheese if desired and special sauce on sourdough rye, with a dill pickle on the side.
• Add a scoop of sauerkraut to a quinoa bowl with fresh chopped parsley, tomato and salad onion or with steamed veggies for a zesty zing.
• Add Kraut to Vegetable Rice Paper or coconut Wraps or Sushi.
• Add small amount of kraut to pets and chickens food.
Coconut / Rice paper rolls
Place carrot straws, cucumber, capsicum, shallot on a lettuce leaf with kraut in the middle Lemon Myrtle Aioli, cooked chicken slithers (if desired) and then wrap in coconut or rice paper. It also can be served with Lemon Myrtle Chilli Sauce / Lemon Pickles.
• Try it in and on everything!
Kraut Cucumber Sushi The perfect entertainer starter or pop into a lunch or picnic box: Kraut in cucumber sushi, drizzled with Pesto Vinaigrette / Wild Pesto / Warrigal Greens and Lemon Aspen Pesto Vinaigrette and Pomegranate Relish
1. Cut ends off cucumber
2. Scoop out cucumber seeds
3. Fill cucumber with sauerkraut
4. Slice filled cucumber
Raw Sauerkraut Brownies
1/2 cup sauerkraut 2 cups soaked nuts (walnuts) or coconut butter for nut-free 10 fresh soft pre-soaked pitted dates 2 tablespoons coconut butter or your choice cacao butter or coconut oil Dash of vanilla powder and chia seeds 1-2 tablespoons cacao powder Whizz nuts until roughly chopped. Add sauerkraut and cacao. Process until combined. Add dates and coconut butter and process until all combined. Press into a 15 cm square tray lined with baking paper. Set in the freezer until firm. Cut into small delicate portions.
Garnish if desired or serve with coconut yoghurt and berry chia tibi. Makes 28 delicate bite sized serves.
Add hemp seeds, if desired Garnish kraut brownies by using the same soaked nut, dried or fresh fruits such as goji, raspberry, cherry or strawberry, fresh herb or fermented citrus rind to decorate.
Can also press into moulds or roll into yum balls with coconut. Or top with Frosting.
Frosting
•Handful cashews (will need soaking) •Handful dates (will need soaking)
•Dash of vanilla powder •Desiccated coconut to dress
1. Soak the cashews and dates for at least 2 hours to make them soft enough to blend. This is a minimum soak time. You can leave them for a lot longer if you prefer. Once soaked, drain thoroughly, add a dash of vanilla and blend until you achieve a thick cream.
2. Spread frosting evenly and thickly to coat the cake.
3. Serve or sprinkle with desiccated or flaked Kvass coconut and garnish with walnuts or edible flowers etc.
And suddenly, sauer is sweet!