Scape Kraut

Kristen K Shockey & Christopher Shockey

Scape Kraut

Ingredients
  

  • 6 lbs green cabbage
  • 1/2 lb garlic scapes thinly sliced
  • 1 c grated carrots
  • 1 small fresh turmeric root finely grated
  • 1 t ground coriander
  • 1 t red chile flakes
  • 2 T unrefined sea salt

Method
 

Cabbage & Veggie Prep
  1. remove the coarse outer leaves
  2. rinse a few unblemished ones and set them aside
  3. rinse the rest of the cabbage in cool water
  4. with a stainless steel knife, quarter and core the cabbage
  5. thinly slice with the same knife or a mandoline, then transfer the cabbage to a large bowl
  6. add the scapes, carrot, turmeric, and spices to the shredded cabbage
Salting
  1. Add 1 T of the salt and massage into the veggies with your hands
  2. Taste some of the cabbage - if it tastes salty, without it being overwhelming, then it doesn't need anymore; add more if it doesn't taste pleasantly salty yet
  3. As you massage it, the cabbage will soon look wet & limp, and liquid will begin to pool
  4. If you don't see much brine in the bowl, and you have put in good effort in massaging it, then let it stand, covered, for 45 minutes, then massage again
Fermenting
  1. Transfer the cabbage mix to a crock or 2-qt jar, a few handfuls at a time, pressing down on the cabbage with your fist or a tamper to work out the air pockets. You should see some brine on top of the cabbage when you press
  2. Leave 4" of headspace for a crock, or 2-3" for a jar
  3. Top the cabbage mix with one or two of the reserved outer cabbage leaves
  4. If using a crock, top the leaves with a plate that fits the opening of the container and covers as much of the veggies as possible; weight it down with a sealed, water-filled jar if it didn't come with weights
  5. set it aside on a baking sheet to ferment, somewhere nearby, out of direct sunlight, and cool, for 4-14 days
  6. check daily to make sure the cabbage is submerged, pressing down as needed
Tasting
  1. you can start to test taste on day 4
  2. you will know it's ready when it's pleasingly sour and pickle-y tasting, without the strong acidity of vinegar; the cabbage has softened a bit, but retains some crunch; and the cabbage is more yellow than green and slightly translucent
Storage
  1. ladle the kraut into smaller jars and tamp down
  2. pour in any brine that's left
  3. tighten the lids, then store in the refrigerator
  4. this kraut will keep, refrigerated, for 1 year

Notes

Adapted from Fermented Vegetables

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