The Hungry Canary

From handwritten recipe sheet · Fermentation method

Homemade Sauerkraut

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Ingredients

  • 1 head cabbage, shredded
  • 1–1½ tsp salt (original notebook amount; see salt-by-weight note)
  • Water, only as needed to keep the cabbage submerged; use a properly salted brine if adding water

Directions

  1. Remove outer leaves, wash the cabbage, and shred it.
  2. In a large bowl, toss cabbage with salt and massage for 5–10 minutes until it releases liquid.
  3. Pack tightly into a fermentation jar or crock, weigh down, and keep all cabbage fully submerged beneath the brine. If the liquid is insufficient, add appropriately salted brine rather than plain water.
  4. Cover with a fermentation lid or other suitable venting system so gases can escape while contaminants stay out.
  5. The original note says to ferment for 5–10 days at room temperature. Timing varies with temperature and acidity; do not rely on time or taste alone to establish safety.
  6. Check the fermentation and refrigerate when properly fermented. Keep submerged and refrigerated.

Eight optional variations from the handwritten page

  • 1–2 tsp grated ginger
  • 1 tsp turmeric and a pinch of black pepper
  • 2–3 sliced garlic cloves and 1–2 tsp dill weed
  • 1–2 tsp grated ginger and 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1–2 tsp caraway seeds and 1–2 tsp dill weed
  • 1 tsp turmeric, a pinch of black pepper, and 1–2 tsp ginger
  • 1 tsp each thyme, rosemary and parsley (wording slightly unclear)
  • 1–2 tsp grated ginger and 1 tsp ground coriander

Salt and fermentation safety

The notebook lists 1–1½ teaspoons of salt for one head of cabbage, plus water if not submerged. Because cabbage heads vary in weight, that may be too little salt. For a dependable starting point, weigh the prepared cabbage and use approximately 2% salt by weight (20 grams salt per 1 kilogram cabbage). Avoid diluting the brine with plain water. Use clean equipment, keep the cabbage fully under brine, and follow a validated vegetable-fermentation method with appropriate acidity and temperature controls. Discard fermentation if mold, sliminess, or other signs of spoilage develop. The handwritten “5–10 days” is preserved as the author’s timing, not a universal guarantee of completion.