Fermenting sounds like advanced kitchen science, but sauerkraut, one of the oldest examples, needs only two ingredients: cabbage and salt. The natural bacteria already on the cabbage do everything else. It is a gentle introduction to fermentation and almost foolproof if you follow a couple of rules.
How it works
Salt pulls liquid out of the shredded cabbage, creating a brine. In that salty, oxygen-free environment, beneficial bacteria thrive and convert the cabbage's sugars into lactic acid. That acid is what gives sauerkraut its tang and also what preserves it and keeps harmful microbes out.
The method
- Shred the cabbage finely and weigh it, then add about two percent of its weight in salt.
- Massage the salt in until the cabbage goes limp and releases its liquid.
- Pack it tightly into a jar so the brine rises above the cabbage.
Keep it submerged
The one rule that matters most: the cabbage must stay under the brine. Anything poking above the liquid can grow mold. Use a weight or a small bag of brine to hold it down. Leave it at room temperature and taste it every few days. In one to three weeks it reaches the tang you like, and then it goes in the fridge to slow the fermentation down.