This was really easy to make, I’ve made several batches, all slightly different but all delicious.
This crunchy, dark-red sauerkraut is one of our favourites. Apart from the wonderful burst of colour it brings to a meal, it has an appealing juicy sweet and sour flavour. What’s more it’s packed with those healthy phytonutrients found in pigmented veg. It can be used with almost any food, including for breakfast.
Ingredients
• 1 litre glass jar with lever arch lid
• 1 small red cabbage (about 1kg), core and outer leaves removed
• 2 medium onions, about 200g
• 4 tsp Maldon sea salt
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp coriander seeds, toasted
• ½ -1 tsp chilli flakes
Method
1. In a large bowl massage the salt into the cabbage and onion and leave to sweat for 1-2 hrs. The natural fluid from the vegetables will collect at the bottom of the bowl. Keep this fluid in the bowl for later.
2. When ready, transfer the salted veg into the jar, cramming it in with clean hands or the end of a wooden rolling pin. Pour in the purple fluid that collected in the bowl. Ram the veg firmly down into the jar. The fluid should rise above the surface.
3. If there is not enough fluid, even after a few hours, you can top up with brine made up of 1 tsp Maldon salt dissolved in 200ml filtered water. The water level should be 0.5-1cm above the veg and about 2.5cm below the top of the jar. Cover with a stone, ceramic or glass object to keep it submerged.
4. Leave the sauerkraut to stand on the countertop out of direct sunlight for 3-14 days depending on the room temperature and how it is tasting. Test regularly for flavour. Then store in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to a few months.
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