with a stainless steel knife, quarter and core the cabbage
thinly slice with the same knife or a mandoline, then transfer the cabbage to a large bowl
add the scapes, carrot, turmeric, and spices to the shredded cabbage
Salting
Add 1 T of the salt and massage into the veggies with your hands
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
As you massage it, the cabbage will soon look wet & limp, and liquid will begin to pool
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
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
Leave 4" of headspace for a crock, or 2-3" for a jar
Top the cabbage mix with one or two of the reserved outer cabbage leaves
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
set it aside on a baking sheet to ferment, somewhere nearby, out of direct sunlight, and cool, for 4-14 days
check daily to make sure the cabbage is submerged, pressing down as needed
Tasting
you can start to test taste on day 4
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