Fermented Cabbage with Caraway and Juniper

What you need

• 1 kg (2 1/4 lb) white cabbage, 1 firm head
• 20 g (4 tsp) salt, non-iodised, 2% of the shredded cabbage weight
• 1 tsp caraway seeds
• 2 tsp juniper berries
• 2 bay leaves

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Peel off 2 clean outer leaves of the cabbage and set them aside.

2. 2

   Quarter the cabbage, cut out the hard core and shred it very thinly, about 2 mm.

3. 3

   Weigh the shredded cabbage and weigh out 20 g of salt for every 1 kg.

4. 4

   Put the cabbage in a large bowl, scatter the salt over it and squeeze and knead it hard with both hands until it softens and starts to give off liquid, 5-10 min.

5. 5

   Leave it for 30 min, then squeeze again. A good pool of brine should collect in the bowl.

6. 6

   Mix in the caraway seeds and juniper berries.

7. 7

   Pack the cabbage into a clean glass jar or ceramic crock a handful at a time, pressing each layer down hard with a fist. Tuck the bay leaves in between the layers.

8. 8

   Pour in all the brine from the bowl. The cabbage should sit under the liquid, with 3-5 cm (1-2 in) of space left at the top.

9. 9

   Lay the reserved leaves over the surface and put a weight on top to keep everything submerged.

10. 10

    Cover loosely and stand the jar on a plate in a cool, dark spot at about 20 °C (68 °F).

11. 11

    For the first week, press the cabbage down daily and let out any built-up gas. Skim off any thin white film. If the cabbage pokes above the liquid, top up with water mixed with salt at 20 g per litre.

12. 12

    After 3 weeks, taste. When it is pleasantly sour and the shreds are translucent, close the jar and move it to the fridge.

13. 13

    Throw the batch away if it grows fuzzy coloured mould or smells rotten rather than sour.

Imported from tasteofartisan.com. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.