Fermented Sour Cabbage Recipe

salt

🥗Healthier: sea salt

💰Cheaper: kosher salt

Sea salt has a more natural flavor.

garlic

🥗Healthier: garlic powder

💰Cheaper: onion powder

Garlic powder is easier to store and use.

chili flakes

🥗Healthier: fresh chili

💰Cheaper: black pepper

Fresh chili provides a different flavor profile.

sugar

🥗Healthier: honey

💰Cheaper: agave syrup

Honey offers a natural sweetness.

Wash your cutting board, knife, and a couple of big bowls with soapy water, rinse them several times, then rinse with boiling hot water.

Put the bowls and glass jars in a 180 degrees Fahrenheit oven for 20 minutes to dry them completely.

Remove the outer layers of the cabbage and discard the end part of the stem.

Cut the cabbage into four even pieces.

Weigh the cabbage; mine is about 3 kilograms in total.

Weigh the salt, aiming for 2 to 3 percent of the total cabbage weight, and use iodine-free salt to avoid darkening the color of the pickles.

Rub the salt into the cabbage, ensuring to get in between every leaf, which will take about 15 minutes.

Once all the salt is applied, place the cabbage in a bowl and cover it with plastic film, letting it sit at room temperature overnight.

The next day, the salt will draw out moisture from the cabbage, making the stem more pliable for jar packing.

Pack the cabbage into 64-ounce mason jars, leaving 2 to 3 inches of empty space from the mouth to avoid overflow during fermentation.

Pour any leftover cabbage juice into the jars, and if the liquid is not enough to cover the cabbage, add a 2 to 3 percent salt solution to cover it.

To speed up the fermentation process, you can add old pickling brine from a previous pickle jar, which contains lactobacilli.

Use a weight to press down the cabbage in the jars.

After two weeks, check the cabbage; it should have turned light yellow and have a nice fermented smell.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary