How to Brine European Cabbage (10 Steps)

In Europe, cabbage usually means sauerkraut, and ask any European grandmother how much salt she uses in their sauerkraut, and she'll likely give you a coy smile or a shrug of the shoulders and show you a cupped palm. Sauerkraut is a world food, but in Europe, it probably originated with the Celts around 4 B.C.E. You find many regional variations of lacto-fermented cabbage, but European sauerkraut brines in a 2.25 percent salt solution. European cabbage varieties range from the loose-headed Romanos to the crumpled-leaved Savoys, but the best type for brining are large-headed varieties that weigh between 6 and 15 pounds.

Things You'll Need

Hard-headed white cabbage, between 6 and 15 pounds each
Kitchen knife
Box grater (optional)
Nonreactive mixing bowl, such as plastic, glass or stainless-steel
Noniodized salt, such as pickling, canning or kosher

Bowl
Plates
Plastic wrap
Glass jars or sealable food-storage containers

Instructions

Weigh the cabbage when you buy it and make a note of its weight. The weight helps you calculate how much salt to add.
Peel off the coarse outer layers of the cabbage along with any yellowed, wrinkled or damaged leaves. Rinse the cabbage under cool running water while rubbing your fingers vigorously over the heads to clean. Drain the cabbage.
Slice the cabbage into quarters and cut out the cores. Slice the cabbage into 1/16- to 1/8-inch-wide slices using a kitchen knife or the medium-hole side of a box grater.
Portion the salt into a bowl. You need about 6 tablespoons of noniodized salt for every 10 pounds of cabbage.
Add about 1/4 of the shredded cabbage in a nonreactive mixing bowl. Nonreactive materials include stainless steel, plastic, glass and enameled ceramic.
Sprinkle salt over the cabbage evenly and cover it with another layer of cabbage. Continue alternating between a layer of cabbage and an even sprinkling of salt until you exhaust both.
Punch down the cabbage to crush it, using a similar motion as when you're punching down bread dough. When the cabbage releases enough water to cover itself, place a clean plate on it to weigh it down. If one plate doesn't keep the cabbage submerged, add more as needed.
Wrap the bowl of cabbage with plastic wrap and place it in an area with a temperature ranging from 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
Ferment the cabbage for about three or four days and taste it. Continue fermenting to increase the tartness, if desired, or transfer it to the refrigerator.
Scoop the cabbage from the bowl and transfer it into glass jars or food-storage containers.

Previous:Standard English Breakfast

Next: How to Cook Knockwurst & Sauerkraut