Kicking goals and a recipe for chili fennel sauerkraut: journey to wellness
Kicking goals and a recipe for chili fennel sauerkraut: journey to wellness
Sauerkraut is so easy to make. This recipe has a great flavor kick which is wonderful with poached eggs.
Servings
Prep time
Cook time
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 whole white cabbage
- 2 carrots
- 2 green apples
- 1 tbsp good quality sea salt
- 2 tsp fennel seeds
- 2 tsp chili flakes
Method
- Pull a few outer leaves of the cabbage and set aside, you will use these as a lid later on. Shred the remaining cabbage as fine as possible on a mandolin. Place in large clean bowl. Julienne the apples and carrots and add to the bowl. Add the salt and with clean hands start squeezing the cabbage in big handfuls. You need to do this for several minutes to break down the structure of the cabbage and release the juices.
- Once the cabbage has significantly reduced in volume and you have a good amount of brine add the fennel and chili and mix quickly with your hands. You are now ready to pack the sauerkraut in to the sterilized jars. I find this process much easier with my hands. Alternatively use a spoon to fill the jars. Tamp the mixture down with a wooden spoon to remove all air pockets after each handful. Make sure the brine is sitting on top of the cabbage mixture. Fill the jar leaving a 2 cm gap at the top. Take one of your cabbage leaves, tear and fold the leaf until you have a good shape that can operate as a lid. You want this piece of cabbage pushing all of the mixture down allowing the brine to sit on top. It is important to leave a 2 cm gap at the top of the jar as the cabbage will expand during the ferment process.
- You can also place a thin layer of olive oil at this stage which will allow the co2 gasses to escape while preventing the oxygen from getting in. Sauerkraut is an anaerobic process. Oxygen will rot the cabbage instead of fermenting it.
- For the first few days of the ferment you can open the lid and tamp the mixture down just to check that the mixture is sitting under the brine.
- Leave at least 4 weeks before opening. Refrigerate once opened.
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