DIRECTIONS

• Wash all containers and tools really well in hot soapy water, rinse with hot water, and allow to air dry.
• Preparing the veggies:
  • Wash the cabbage really well in cold running water, remove and discard any discolored outer leaves, slice in half, remove the thick stem core, slice very thin using either a mandolin or chef knife, place in a large stainless steel bowl.
  • Wash and scrub the carrots and beets very well, remove the leaf stem and any root, peel, run through a mandolin with the thinnest “julienne” tool if available or julienne with a chef’s knife, add to the cabbage in the stainless steel bowl.
• Add the salt, mix well with tongs (or with very clean or gloved hands).
• Cover with plastic wrap, press the plastic wrap onto the top of the veggie mixture; press firmly to remove as much air from the mixture, cover the bowl with a clean cloth hand towel.

Fermentation:

Note:  The following steps should be done at room temps between 60F and 70F, so a cool, dark place like a cupboard is preferable.  Any lower and the fermentation slows to a crawl, stops altogether, or never begins.  Any higher and the fermentation speeds up, not giving enough time to develop the sour or tangy flavor common to lacto-fermented foods.

• Day 1 through 3:
  • Twice a day remove the plastic wrap, turn the mixture over several times with tongs, cover with plastic wrap once again, press down firmly to remove any air, place a heavy plate or saucer on top of the plastic wrap, cover the bowl with the hand towel.
• Day 4:
  • Remove the mixture from the bowl and place in a smaller but taller and more narrow container like a stainless steel soup/stock pot, bain marie, or gallon glass jar, pour any liquid from the bowl into the new container with the mixture.
  • Press the mixture down with a potato masher or gloved hands, pour enough distilled water to reach the top of the mixture, cover with plastic wrap once again, press down firmly to remove any air, place a heavy plate or saucer on top of the plastic wrap, cover the bowl with a lid or a hand towel.
• Day 5-7:
  • Inspect the mixture once a day to make sure that the brine is still at the top level of the mixture.  If not add more distilled water.
• Day 8 to ?:  (We stop ours on day 10)
  • The mixture should begin developing the sour flavor we love in sauerkraut.  At this point, you may begin tasting the sauerkraut, continue the fermentation until you reach the level of sourness you prefer.
  • When you have reached the flavor you prefer use tongs to remove the mixture and place it in plastic or glass storage containers, lightly pressing it down as you pack the storage containers.
  • Pour the brine into the storage containers to just cover the kraut mixture, cover with a lid, store in the fridge for up to six months.