Sauerkraut — The Gateway Ferment

If there’s one fermented food every beginner should start with, it’s this one. Amish families have made it for generations with just two ingredients.

Ingredients

• 1 medium head organic cabbage (about 2 lbs / 900g), outer leaves removed but one saved
• 1 tablespoon non-iodized sea salt (about 18g)

Method

1. Slice the cabbage thin and toss with salt. Massage firmly with your hands about 5 minutes until it releases its own brine.
2. Pack tightly into a wide-mouth quart mason jar, pressing down so brine rises above the cabbage.
3. Tuck the reserved leaf on top as a natural weight, then cap loosely.
4. Set on the counter away from direct sun for 3 to 7 days, burping the jar once a day.

One head of cabbage costs about a dollar fifty. A jar of organic sauerkraut at the store runs six to eight dollars.

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