Content

• Ingredients
• To step
• Tips
• Warnings
• Necessities

The distinct taste of sauerkraut comes from the lactic acid in the white cabbage. This is formed when the natural sugars in the cabbage ferment. It's pretty easy to do the fermentation process at home, so get some cabbage and give it a try!

Ingredients

• A cabbage (as fresh as possible)
• salt
  • The added iodine in regular table salt does not work well with the microorganisms in the cabbage. So try to use sea salt or canning salt, which has no iodine or anti-lumping agent added.

To step

1. Eat and enjoy! If you don't eat it all at once, you can keep the rest in the fridge so the fermentation process can't continue.

Tips

• It is important that the cabbage is fresh. Fresh cabbage gives off more moisture when it is salted. If the cabbage was harvested a while ago, you probably need to add extra water.
• Uncooked sauerkraut is very high in vitamin C, and it was the main source of vitamin C during the winter months of the Middle Ages in Europe.
• You can also add some other vegetables if you want. Some people like to add apple or carrot.
• Organic cabbage works best because the pesticides on common cabbage can stunt the growth of the natural microorganisms that cause the fermentation process.
• If you like Hungarian / Bácskai (Vojvodina) sauerkraut, add caraway seeds, whole black peppercorns and bay leaf.

Warnings

• If mold grows on the sauerkraut, don't worry. Just take it away. You can scrape it off with a spoon and simply throw it away.
• If the fungus seems to extend beyond the surface of the fermenting sauerkraut, you may need to start over with new cabbage. It could mean that your sauerkraut was exposed to too much air during the fermentation process, and the wrong bacteria ended up in the fermentation pot.

Necessities

• A sharp knife
• A glass or ceramic jar
• A plate that fits exactly in the pot
• A clean object that serves as a weight