Photo: Rasbak at Dutch Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Fermentation · From Bladwijzer
Sauerkraut with juniper
- Makes: 1 one-litre jar
- Time: 45 min + 3–6 weeks fermenting
- From: Common juniper
Ingredients
- 1 kg white cabbage
- 20 g non-iodised salt
- 6–8 juniper berries, lightly crushed
- 1 bay leaf (optional)
Method
- Remove the outer leaves and the hard core and shred the cabbage finely. Set aside one good outer leaf.
- Mix the cabbage with the salt in a large bowl and knead firmly for 5 to 10 minutes, until plenty of juice is released.
- Mix in the juniper berries and the bay leaf, if using.
- Pack the cabbage firmly, layer by layer, into a clean jar until the juice rises above it. Leave at least 3 cm of headspace.
- Lay the cabbage leaf on top and weigh it down with a glass weight or a bag of brine so that everything stays submerged.
- Leave the jar loosely closed to ferment for a week at room temperature (18–22 °C), then another 2 to 5 weeks somewhere cooler. Press the cabbage down now and then.
- Once it tastes pleasantly sour, close the jar and keep it cool.
Storing: Keeps for several months in the fridge or a cool cellar. Throw it all away if you see coloured mould or it smells rotten.