26. October 2023

Red Sauerkraut

Hey :) we are back with something fermented (for a website with the name ferment in it, it’s not as much as expected, right?). This time, we are doing a super simple ferment, but to this day one of my all time favourites. Living in Germany you kinda grow up with Sauerkraut, but nobody ever served me Sauerkraut made of red cabbage. It’s way more sweet, has a more interesting and flavour profile and can be adjusted to your need. I often make spicy one, adding some chilies and red onions to make it even more red.

I add it on everything.. pasta dishes, salads, charcuterie-boards, tacos.. literally everything. I prefer eating it cold but its also pretty nice as a hot ingredients.

Ingredient	Amount	Example	Step
Red cabbage	100%	500g	Use a mandoline or a sharp knife and cut them into small slices - as thin as possible.
Salt	2%	10g	Add them to the cabbage. Now comes the annoying part: you have to press the liquid out of the cabbage. Press them with you hands (I recommend using gloves if you don’t want to look like you killed someone afterwards) till some liquid forms at the bottom of the bowl.
			But everything in a glas and press it tightly so that the liquid it completely covering the cabbage. This is important to prevent mold forming on the surface. You can add some weights on top of it to prevent the cabbage from floating.
			Now the hard part. You have to wait. Depending on your room temperature it should take around 5 to 7 days till the small lacto-bacterias have eaten enough of the sugars and created a sour brine, which makes this dish food save for weeks or even months. Taste the cabbage, if its sour and tangy, its done. Keep it in your fridge to prevent further fermentation and eat it on everything!