Ingredients:
1 organic purple cabbage
2 tblsps Himalayan pink salt or Celtic sea salt
1-2 tblsps juniper berries
2 tblsps caraway seeds
Method:
1. Remove outer leaves of cabbage, reserving 1-2 for packing the jar, and roughly slice (you may like to remove the thick inner core also)
2. Place chopped cabbage and salt into a large bowl and begin to squeeze and work the cabbage to extract the juices. This will take roughly 10-15 minutes
3. Once a decent amount of juice has been extracted and the cabbage has softened, add in the juniper berries and caraway seeds and stir through
4. Add kraut mixture to a sterilised glass jar and pack down firmly, ensuring there is at least 1-2 inches of liquid covering the cabbage*. To ensure no cabbage floats up, you can use one the leaves you have reserved to cover, tuck in, and pack the cabbage down firmly. I usually use a shot glass on top of this before I put the lid on as it helps to hold everything down
5. Store jar out of direct sunlight and somewhere warm for around 2 weeks. This may differ slightly depending on the time of year and temperature etc. In the cooler months you can wrap your jars in an old blanket or sleeping bag to keep warmth in
*You need to make sure nothing is touching the surface, as this will allow oxygen and possible microbes to penetrate through to the cabbage and cause the ferment to go bad
I gained some excellent knowledge and skills attending a local fermentation workshop held by the beautiful Scarlett and Dan from Cultured Baby. Head over to their website for awesome ferment recipes, or to get in touch about attending a workshop for yourself!