It cannot be sour enough for me. Now you may think I'm a giant sourpuss. That's not such a bad thing. I really enjoy sour flavours. There are so many kinds. Lime, lemon, but also vinegars, pickles, and sauerkraut.
And today, I have just the recipe. Not a dish with sauerkraut, but how to make sauerkraut yourself. It’s easy, but don't expect to eat your homemade sauerkraut with this evening’s meal. The cabbage needs time to ferment to ensure that tart sour taste.
Sauerkraut can be enjoyed in many ways. I remember having a party holiday in Portugal, about twenty years ago, where we ended the night out with a hot dog with loads of toppings. Naturally, I was the one who wanted all the toppings and had a pile of sauerkraut, sauce, fried onions, carrot, etc. heaped on my hot dog. Restricting my food choices has never been my forte.
This fresh fermented vegetable is also great in a Reuben sandwich with pastrami or in a casserole. I add spices that I really love, cloves and cardamom. Vary in this to your heart's content, to make your own sauerkraut feast.
Preparation
- Sprinkle the cabbage with sea salt and knead by hand. Really get in there and give it a good workout. Continue until the cabbage loses a lot of moisture (capture and keep this for later use), is soft and has shrunk. It should resemble sauerkraut from the supermarket.
- Leave for 15 minutes.
- Roast the spices in a dry frying pan and add to the cabbage. Knead well again and then spoon into the preserving jar.
- Pour in the released juice covering the cabbage completely.
- Seal the preserving jar and place in a dark place with constant temperature for at least two weeks.
- After those two weeks, your sauerkraut is ready to eat.
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