Home Made Sauerkraut

First remove the outer cabbage leaves and set aside. You will use these at the end to weigh down the sauerkraut.

Chop your cabbage and grate the carrot, beetroot and apple. You can do this by hand or using a food processor or thermomix. If doing it in a food processor be careful to not cut it too fine as it can go soggy.

Add to a large bowl and sprinkle over the salt. Mix through with your hands to distribute it (you don’t need to massage it just yet).

Leave to rest – this allows time for the salt to draw water out of the cabbage and will make massaging much easier. Leave for a minimum 10 minutes.

Massage everything with your hands, squeezing out the liquid as you go until you have a good amount pooling at the bottom of the bowl.

Pack the vegetables tightly into a clean wide mouthed glass jar – I like the ball mason brand but any old jar with a wide mouth will do. Leave about an inch or two space at the top of your jar to allow room for the cabbage to expand.

Push the vegetables down tightly until they are all submerged under the liquid. Roll up your cabbage leaves from earlier and place on top to help weigh it down. You can also add a fermentation weight or shot glass to help.

Leave to ferment at room temperature out of direct sunlight for 2 -4 weeks or until taste is to your liking. I like to put it on a plate or a tray to catch any spills.The warmer the temperature the faster it will ferment and the longer you leave it to ferment the softer and tangier your kraut will be. There is no right or wrong time to leave it – the end result is dependent on your taste buds.

Place in the fridge when the taste is to your liking. Once open it’s best consumed in a month but unopened it will last 3 months in the fridge.