Red cabbage ruby sauerkraut with apples - Pickling Part 2

Guide: How-to make ruby sauerkraut with red cabbage, salt, and water. Part II of the pickling with brine series.

Yield: 10 servings

Prep Time:15 minutes

Cook Time:12 days

Lacto-fermented Red Cabbage

What is ruby sauerkraut, you ask?

Ruby sauerkraut is the sweet and sour, crunchy cousin of your standard kraut. This crimson kraut is full of anthocyanin, a potent antioxidant.

It makes for a perfect topping for your salad, bowl or even your vegan burger!

It is easy to make and stores in the refrigerator for at least 6 months.

This post is Part II of a 2 part series; Part I focused on pickling vegetables like carrots, cucumbers, green beans, etc. in brine.

Ingredients

Directions

Brine

  • For every cup of filtered water, add 1 tsp. salt
  • Stir until dissolved
  • Make around 1 cup of brine

Steps

  1. Thoroughly wash all the cutting boards, knives, Mason/Ball Jars and other equipment. I would spend some extra time here
  2. Remove the top layer of the cabbage, rise the head, and shred it either using a mandolin or a knife
  3. Wash the apples and chop them into 1/4” pieces
  4. In a mixing bowl, using your hands, massage the salt (1 tsp.) into the cabbage
  5. Let the mix stand for 10-15 minutes. You will notice, the salt has pulled some water out of the cabbage
  6. Throw in the apples, raisins, and caraway seeds into the bowl and mix
  7. Move the contents into the mason jar along with all the liquid.
  8. Depending on the season or the cabbage, it is possible that there is not enough liquid to cover all the cabbage in the jar. Slowly pour the prepared brine into the jar to cover the cabbage.
  9. Close the jar with your fermenting tool and allow to sit for 10-12 days in 70-85F (20-30C) temperature

The wait

  • First few days, you should see some bubbles as the bacteria feed on the vegetables and produce gases
  • Open the jar every few days. You should smell the sour, vinegary but pleasant aroma. Trust your nose, if it smells rotten, then it has gone bad. Stop. Throw away, and wash the jars - well. Start again. Sorry!
  • In about 10-12 days, the vegetables should be ready. Readiness is a personal preference - lower it stays in, sourer it is going to get

Storage

  • Once the pickles are ready, remove the fermentation tools, and put on the lid
  • Move the pickles in the refrigerator to slow down the fermentation

Use

  • Use as a topping on salads, tacos, vegan bowls etc.
  • Save the liquid and use it with your cocktails as a mixer