I recently picked up a copy of the Noma Guide to Fermentation book by the brilliant Rene Redzepi and David Zilber, a well-deserved cornerstone in contemporary culinary culture. Noma in Denmark is one of those high end fine dining establishments that I wouldn’t be able to afford to visit, but the book was a great way to become re-inspired to experiment with simple home fermentation in my own kitchen.

Not only does fermented food brighten up daily meals with some extraordinary flavour profiles, but it also provides some incredible benefits for the gut microbiome and digestion, some of the most foundational aspects of creating health. Consuming fermented foods such as kimchi, olives, capers, sauerkraut, kefir, kvass, or just about anything pickled can reduce or eliminate the need for digestive aids like bitters, and work to increase the population of healthy flora throughout your intestines and inner terrain. There’s a reason traditional food repertoires always included some kind of fermented condiment somewhere in there—and when it’s homemade from scratch, you get to avoid all the nasty preservatives, additives, MSG, industrial table salts and manufactured colours that actually hinder the gut microbiome’s integrity.

Sauerkraut is one of the easiest ways to dive into the fascinating and often complex world of fermentation. At its most simple, all you need is a head of cabbage, some sea salt, and a large sealable glass Mason jar, but with this recipe I decided to infuse it with some extra benefits from a variety of root vegetables. Every year I make a large jar of this and enjoy at least a spoonful a day as a condiment on most days. It lasts quite a long time.

To be honest, kimchi is probably my favourite fermented food of all time, but I haven’t been able to find a way to do it justice with traditional, clean ingredients. In the meantime, this superkraut covers all the bases when it comes to homemade ferments in my current repertoire.

Ingredients

• 1 medium-large organic green cabbage, quartered, cored, and finely sliced (save a flexible outer leaf or two for covering the final mixture when it ferments)

• 2 medium organic red beets, shredded

• 6 medium organic carrots, shredded

• 1 small wild burdock root, shredded (optional)

• 1 organic fennel bulb, finely sliced (optional)

• 1 organic apple, grated (optional)

• 1 tsp wild dulse flakes

• 1/4 cup wild nettle seeds (or other wild, unsprayed herb growing in your bioregion) OR caraway seeds

• 2 knobs fresh organic turmeric root, finely grated

• 1 knob fresh organic ginger root, finely grated

• 1 tbsp sea salt *note: you’ll want to use the equivalent of at least 2% of the sauerkraut’s volume for a successful ferment. 1 tbsp works for a 1 L mason jar.

• 1/4 cup old organic sauerkraut juice or beet kvass to increase probiotic strains and speed up fermentation (optional, but very recommended)

Instructions

1. Sterilise your mason jar(s) and working bowl your preferred way. I like to pour a bit of hot, boiled filtered water into each clean jar, rinsing out the inner surface for a few seconds, and emptying the jars.

2. To the bowl, add the cabbage, beets, carrots, burdock if using, fennel if using, apple if using, dulse flakes, nettle seeds, turmeric, and ginger. Season everything liberally with the sea salt. Pour in the old sauerkraut juice. Massage the vegetables for a good 5 minutes or until a small amount of liquid collects at the bottom of the bowl. Use gloves if you prefer to avoid staining.

3. Pack the vegetable mixture with the liquid into 1 or 2 large glass Mason jars with tight-fitting lids. Press down with your hands or a spatula so that the vegetables become submerged in their own liquid. Leave at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) head space at the top of the jar. Press a cabbage leaf onto the surface of the mixture in each jar, and press down to secure the mixture. Secure the lid on each jar.

4. Make a note to check the jars in 3 weeks. The sauerkraut should taste lightly sour and tangy, and should have some texture when you bite into it. You’ll know it’s done when it’s got a bit of a good stank to it.

5. Since the liquid in this can stain, I like to open the lids slowly over the kitchen sink once they’re done fermenting to prevent the juice from spraying everywhere due to the pent-up gases. Once the vegetables are fermented to your preference, remove the cabbage leaf covers, and store the jars in the refrigerator indefinitely (6-12 months).

Tips

• Sauerkraut, like other lacto-fermented foods, is typically used as a condiment. Serve a spoonful alongside your favourite meals for a daily probiotic punch. 

• Once fermentation is complete, transfer the jar to the refrigerator to use as needed. This will slow the fermentation process and make it more sour (tastier) over time.

• Beets can make your pee turn red, so don’t be alarmed when this happens.

• Kahm yeast (a thin white film) may develop on the top surface during the fermentation process, but it’s harmless. Simply scrape it off. If it’s mould or starts to smell funky though, discard it and start over from scratch. 

• Use generous sea salt, you’ll want to use the equivalent of at least 2% of the sauerkraut’s volume. I find 1 tbsp in a large 1 L jar works for me. Table salt has additives that mess everything up, so don’t go there!

• Unfiltered tap water also interferes with the fermentation process. Don’t go there.

This superkraut recipe can be found in my upcoming book, The Vital Life Cookbook.