FERMENTATION LENGTH: 1-3 weeks SALT PERCENT: 2%There are many nutritional benefits hidden in red-cabbage sauerkraut. Just like in pigment-rich blueberries, the compounds that give red cabbage its distinctive dark color act as antioxidants. And, red cabbage has one of the highest levels of naturally available vitamin C, more even than oranges.
Course Appetizer, Condiment, Side Dish
Keyword Apple, Beet, Fermented, Paleo, Red Cabbage, Sauerkraut, Vegetarian
Prep Time 30 minutesminutes
Servings 28- 1 ounce (30 grams)
Author Holly Howe
Equipment
Kitchen scale, ideally digital
Cutting board and chef’s knife
Large mixing bowl
1-quart (L) wide-mouth canning jar or similar sized jar
4-ounce (125 ml) canning jar (jelly jar)
Wide-mouth plastic storage cap. You can also use the lid and rim that comes with the jar.
Ingredients
1medium beet, peeled and gratedbaseball size
1tart apple, peeled and finely diced
12-inch (5 cm) piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and finely grated
SET UP. Gather Supplies and Set Up ScalePlace your bowl on the scale. Either zero out the scale or write down the tare of your bowl.
CHOP. Prep Your Vegetables and CabbagePrep your beet, apple, and ginger and place in your bowl. Add sliced cabbage to your bowl until the weight of the flavoring ingredients and cabbage is 1¾ pounds (28 oz or 800 g).
SALT. Create Your BrineSprinkle with 1 tablespoon salt—that’s 16 grams (or 2%) by weight. Thoroughly mix beets, ginger, apple, and cabbage until salt is well dispersed.Let sit at room temperature for 10-20 minutes to allow the salt to pull the water out of the vegetables. Then massage the cabbage with strong hands until it clumps together and a puddle of brine can be seen when tipping bowl to the side. If you're having trouble getting enough brine, read the tips in my post on dry sauerkraut.
PACK. Pack Mixture into JarPack mixture into your jar, pressing cabbage down tightly with your fist to allow the brine to rise. Leave 1½–2 inches (4–5 cm) of space between the top of your cabbage and the top of the jar.
SUBMERGE. Hold Ferment Below BrineTake the cabbage leaf saved in step 2, tear it to just fit inside the jar, and place it on top of the packed mixture. Using your preferred weight to hold the mixture below the brine, screw on lid or airlock lid of choice, following product directions. Label your jar with date and flavor.
FERMENT. Ferment for 2 to 4 WeeksPlace in a shallow bowl on your kitchen counter, out of direct sunlight—ideally between 65 and 72 °F (18–22 °C)—to ferment until texture and tang is to your liking.For what to expect while your batch of sauerkraut is fermenting see: SALTY Cabbage to SOUR Sauerkraut: Fermentation Signs to Monitor
STORE. Store in Refrigerator for Up to 6 MonthsOpen the jar, remove the weight, and clean rim and jar. Firmly screw on storage lid. Add fermentation time to your label and place in your refrigerator.Enjoy a forkful or two of your sauerkraut with your meals. It will continue to ferment – aging like a fine wine – but at a much slower rate than before. If the flavors are too intense, leave the jar for a month or two and then eat it. You will be amazed at how the flavors have shifted. See 19+ Easy Ways to Eat Sauerkraut for more ideas on how to enjoy your homemade jar of powerful probiotics. If successfully fermented, your sauerkraut can be kept preserved in your refrigerator for up to a year... at least!
Notes
Beets have high sugar content. Keep the weight under 25% of the total weight for the recipe to prevent the development of a slimy ferment. For a 1-quart (liter) batch this would be 7 ounces (200 grams).
Beets can be tough to grate. Peel them first to get rid of the “dirt” taste. If you're making an extra-large batch of sauerkraut, you may use a food processor. Otherwise, use your hand grater and glove to avoid staining your hands.
If your hands become stained with beetroot, rub with lemon juice and salt before washing with soap and water.
Adding fruit to a ferment shortens the fermentation time. In this recipe, the extra sugar from the apple gives the bacteria extra sugar to consume, and if left to ferment for too long, your ferment can shift toward the alcohol side.
If your sauerkraut loses its color and turns a bit brown, just scoop off the browned section and enjoy the goodness below.
Try to eat sauerkraut containing beets within 5-6 months of fermentation.