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Scape Kraut

Kristen K Shockey & Christopher Shockey

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

Instructions
 

Cabbage & Veggie Prep

  • remove the coarse outer leaves
  • rinse a few unblemished ones and set them aside
  • rinse the rest of the cabbage in cool water
  • 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

Storage

  • ladle the kraut into smaller jars and tamp down
  • pour in any brine that's left
  • tighten the lids, then store in the refrigerator
  • this kraut will keep, refrigerated, for 1 year

Notes

Adapted from Fermented Vegetables