Ava’s Hot Pink Kraut
Cooking with kids is a great way to get them interested in making healthier choices. My extended family does not always share my enthusiasm for fermented vegetables, so I recruited my niece, Ava, to help me make a version that would please both her palate and her love for the colour pink. I’m not sure her mum was super happy when I handed her my chef’s knife to remove the core, but my niece sure had fun squeezing the cabbage.
Makes 900 grams
675 grams green cabbage 225 grams red cabbage 4 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 2 teaspoons mustard seeds 3 juniper berries
Remove any unattractive or wilted outer leaves from the cabbage, reserving one. Cut out the core and rinse the cabbage. Shred the cabbage into ½ cm wide strips. Place in a large bowl, add the salt, and toss thoroughly for about 30 seconds, or until the cabbage has a sheen of moisture on it. Gently massage and squeeze the cabbage, or let it sit for a bit to make the work easier, until there is a visible puddle of water in the bottom of the bowl and the cabbage pieces stay in a clump when squeezed.
Add the cumin and mustard seeds to the mix and continue tossing and massaging the cabbage. Place the juniper berries into the jar, then pack the mixture into a clean 1 litre jar. First, pack it along the bottom, using the top of your fist or your fingers. Continue packing in this fashion, pressing along the sides and bottom, until it comes to 2 ½ - 4cm below the rim. If you need more space, press down on the cabbage and tilt the jar to pour the cabbage liquid back into the bowl.
Use the reserved cabbage leaf to create a cabbage shelf*. Pour the cabbage liquid from the bowl into the jar to cover the cabbage. Leave 4 - 5cm of headspace at the top of the jar. Weight the cabbage down and cover your jar. Place your jar on a small plate or in a small plastic bag for the duration of fermentation. On the off chance that your jar bubbles over, stains won’t be a concern. Allow to ferment at room temperature for three to four weeks. Check weekly to make sure that the brine level is still above the top of the cabbage. If it isn’t, press down on your weight to get the brine to rise back above. Once you're happy with the acidity, remove the weight, secure the lid, and place the jar in the fridge.