Ingredients:

• 2 Cups Purple Wombok Sliced
• 2 Cups White Wombok Sliced
• 2 Sliced Shallots
• 1 Grated Zucchini
• 1 Grated Carrot
• 1 Tablespoon Coriander Seeds
• 1 Tablespoon Dill Finely Chopped
• ¼ Cup Lemon Juice
• 1 Tablespoon Salt

Method:

Step 1

Remove the outer leaves of the Wombok that might be dirty and cut into quarters. Slice into thin strips (you can use a food processor for this if you want). Slice and grate the remaining ingredients and transfer to a large container or a bowl and sprinkle with salt.

Toss through and leave for about 5 minutes so it starts releasing its juices (the salt draws them out). In the meantime, wash a medium-large glass jar and its lid with soapy water, rinse with hot water and let it dry on a towel. There is no need to sterilise it any further than that.

Step 2

Add about a third cup of filtered water and toss through. Start squeezing and mixing with your hands. Squeeze hard to get as much juice out as possible and after a few minutes it will become lightly bruised and softened, with a decent amount of salty brine.

Step 3

Start packing the jar we prepared earlier. Press the ingredients down with your fingers and then also with a spoon or a wooden stick. As you get closer to the top, use your fingers to really compact it in the jar, allowing the brine to float to the top. The idea is to eliminate as many air bubbles inside the jar as possible. You want to leave about a centimetre of space at the top for the liquid.

Finally, pour in the remaining brine/juice to cover completely as that will protect it from oxygen and external bacteria.

If you have anything leftover, you can pan fry it with some onions for a yummy side dish.

Step 4

Cover the jar with a lid and set aside somewhere warm. The fermentation process can take anywhere from 5 days to 1 week depending on how warm or cold the air in the room is. We recommend that you ferment the sauerkraut for at least 7 days and that’s how we like it as it’s tangy but not too sour while still retaining its crunch. The longer you leave the jar out of the fridge, the more sour and softer it will become.

Now, there are a couple of things you need to do while it is fermenting. After about 24 hours, the pressure in the jar will build up as the bubbles will form during the fermentation. It’s important to gently open the lid and let some of that air/pressure out and also to check that everything is still covered with liquid.

Press it down with your fingers to let the juices float back to the top or add a little more water and a sprinkle of salt. Repeat this process daily.

After 7 days of fermenting move the jar to the fridge for another 14 days after which you can start enjoying it daily. The sauerkraut will keep fermenting in the fridge but at a MUCH slower rate, it will keep for at least 1 month, although you shouldn’t have any left by then.

You can add a little sauerkraut to your eggs in the morning or as a side with your dinner or lunch. Delicious!

Want More Recipes?

You can get this recipe and more from the Living Valley Cookbook.