Description
A delicious and tangy homemade fermented beet and cabbage kraut, perfect as a side dish or topping.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 small red cabbage – finely sliced (save a couple whole leaves, for the top)
- 1 cup grated raw beet – do not peel
- ⅛–¼ cup sliced red onion – optional
- calculated amount mineral salt or sea salt (calculated based on weight of vegetables)
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
- 1 garlic clove, sliced
- 1–2 teaspoons grated ginger
Instructions
- Place a medium bowl on a scale and zero out the scale, leaving the bowl there.
- Finely slice and grate cabbage and beets and place in the bowl. Add garlic, onion and or ginger if using.
- Weigh the cabbage, beets (and onion, garlic, and ginger) in grams – careful not to include the bowl weight. Multiply this amount by the calculated salt needed.
- Zero out the scale again, with the filled bowl, and add the calculated salt.
- Massage the cabbage with the salt, let sit on the counter, mixing occasionally for 1 hour, until the cabbage has wilted and released a little water.
- Place cabbage beet mixture and all the juices in a CLEAN mason jar and pack it down with a muddler, or the end of a wooden spoon, leaving 2-3 inches at the top. Place a couple of cabbage leaves over the kraut to help keep it submerged under the liquid along with a fermentation weight.
- If there is not enough liquid to cover, mix one teaspoon sea salt with 1 cup of filtered water, and add just enough of this brine so cabbage-beet mixture is submerged – leaving at least 2-inches space at the top of jar. Remove any seeds or particles that float to the top with a slotted spoon. Anything that is not completely submerged can mold.
- Cover loosely with a lid and place on a pan to catch any liquid.
- Place in a cool dark place (ideally 65-72 degrees F) for 3-5 days. It may take longer to ferment if it is colder. Check it daily to make sure the cabbage is under the brine.
- After 3-4 days, check for activity. When you tap the jar, tiny bubbles should rise to the top, indicating it’s fermenting.
- Once fermented to the desired amount, add the caraway seeds and place it in the fridge. The longer it ferments, the sourer it will taste.
- Once it’s chilled the smell will surprisingly mellow out and it will actually seem edible. Let it chill overnight, discard the cabbage leaf, then give it a taste!
Notes
- Carefully calculate the salt based on the total weight of the cabbage and beets for optimal fermentation.
- Always keep the mixture submerged in brine to prevent mold.
- Fermentation times may vary based on room temperature.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Fermentation
- Cuisine: Vegan
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 cup
- Calories: 30
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: per calculated amount
- Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 7g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 0mg