Ukrainian Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut is a delicious, tangy, probiotic fermented product, primarily made of cabbage but can optionally contain other vegetables. Fermented products contain live beneficial microbes making them probiotic. The sauerkraut is safe to eat once it becomes acidic (tangy tasting). If for any reason it is not acidic after fermentation, DO NOT eat it! Additionally, if there is mold on top (the only place mold can grow since it needs oxygen), DO NOT eat it! Kahm yeast is okay and can be skimmed off.

This particular combination was taught to me by my Ukrainian coworker after I failed on a pure cabbage sauerkraut. Halve the recipe if you do not have a crock. Yields about half gallon. You can add other vegetables like onion if you like.

Why this recipe works

We are using the naturally occurring microbes to process our food. In this case, we are setting up a good environment to allow the pre-existing microbes on the cabbage to procreate and process our vegetables. By using salt, we inhibit the growth of bad organisms such as clostridium as well as undesirable organisms such as yeasts, while selecting for lactobacillus and other lactic acid producing bacteria (LABs) which create lactic acid which is "softer" tasting than vinegar (acetic acid).

Ingredients

• 2 cabbages
• 2 large carrots
• 2-3 bay leaves (optional, preserves crunch)
• Non-iodized salt
• Caraway seed (optional, for more German style)
• Kitchen scale
• Jar or crock
• Air lock for jar or jar with flip top (make sure you have headspace if going this route)
• Glass weight (optional)

Method

1. Remove any gross leaves
2. Set one big leaf aside
3. Chop everything up nice and small using a mandolin or sharp knife
4. Weigh the ingredients using your scale in a bowl
5. Add 2-3% salt, mix it into cabbage and carrot mixture
6. Wait ~15 minutes
7. With clean hands, massage the mixture, breaking the cells as best you can, resulting in reduced volume of mixture and a salty liquid
8. Pack it into your jar or crock. Use something to jam it in really well like a wooden dowel or large spoon. Add spices if using
9. Top with your liquid and big leaf, ensuring everything is under the brine. Optionally use a weight to weigh down the leaf, ensuring everything stays under brine
10. Wait 4+ days (I like 3-6 weeks)
11. Put in fridge to drastically slow fermentation. You can switch the product into smaller jars if desired. Leave some headspace especially if it is a younger ferment.

Different Container Variations

For Crock:

• Add water to the seal
• Wait until desired sourness is achieved, topping up water as it evaporates

For Flip Top Jar:

• Burp the jar daily, maybe even twice per day in the beginning while fermentation is active
• Probably don't let this go for too long as the burping introduces oxygen which is bad as it allows other organisms such as molds and yeasts to grow.
• MAKE SURE THERE IS HEADSPACE OR IT WILL EXPLODE

For Jar with Airlock:

• Fill airlock with water if needed
• Wait
• If going a REALLY long time, top up airlock with water to keep the seal.