Ingredients

2 kg green or red cabbage

1 medium sliced onion

Approximately 30-40gr salt (1.5-2% salt by weight)

1 carrot for plug

1-3 tspn caraway, dill, or fennel seeds (flavour to taste)

2 x 1 ltr jars, plus an additional ½ ltr jar if necessary

Instructions

1. Remove outer leaves of cabbage (wash if necessary) and keep for later.

2. Remove the cabbage core and finely slice the cabbage.

3. Combine the cabbage and onions in a large bowl. Add the caraway, dill or fennel seeds.

4. Sprinkle with half the salt.

5. Massage and squeeze the mixture for about 5-10 minutes, until it drips like a wet sponge when squeezed between your hands. The goal here is to ‘bruise’ the cabbage so that it releases juices as a brine.

6. Taste test as you proceed and use the additional salt to taste.

7. Place the mixture, handful by handful, into the jar. Push down after each addition to remove air pockets and force the liquid to rise, raising the juices. It should cover the cabbage entirely. If not add more brine to cover (1 ½ - 2% brine).

8. Fill up to the shoulder, leaving 3-5cm for the brine to rise.

9. Place a clean folded outer cabbage leaf & a piece of carrot on top as a plug to hold the mixture under the brine juices. See notes below for alternatives*.

10. Seal the jar and label with date.

11. Ferment on bench top out of direct sunlight for 7-14 days before removing the plug and transferring to the fridge for another 2-4 weeks, where it will continue to ferment at a slower rate.

12. Consume

*In warmer weather an alternate type of plug may be required: small shot glass, glass or ceramic disk, boiled river rock or a snap lock bag filled with brine.