Zero-Waste sauerkraut

(You can use any combination of vegetables, herbs, and spices. This is just what I had around)

  • 1/2 cauliflower, leaves and all

  • 1 carrot

  • Small handful of breakfast radishes

  • 2 spring onions

  • 1/2 red chilli

  • 2 garlic cloves, grated

  • 1cm fresh ginger, grated

  • 1/2 tsp ground turmeric

  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin

  • Small handful of herbs (parsley, tarragon, chervil, nasturtium, mint, anything kicking around)

  • Salt 

  1. Roughly chop all the vegetables into bite-sized pieces, trying to keep them a fairly even size.

  2. Place a large bowl on the scales and zero them. Add all the chopped vegetables, garlic, ginger, spices, and herbs and make a note of the weight.

  3. Add salt equal to 2% of the total weight.
    For example:

    500g vegetables = 10g salt

    750g vegetables = 15g salt

  4. Massage and squeeze everything together with clean hands for several minutes until the vegetables begin releasing liquid and softening slightly.

  5. Pack the mixture tightly into a clean Kilner jar or fermentation jar, pressing it down firmly to remove air pockets. The vegetables should be submerged beneath the liquid.

  6. If there is not enough natural liquid to fully cover the vegetables, top up with a 2% salt brine (20g salt per litre of water).

  7. Seal the jar and leave it on your kitchen counter (ideally on a tray or plate to catch any overflowing liquid) for 2 weeks. If you want a stronger, more sour taste, leave it for longer.

  8. Then store in the fridge and enjoy over the next year or so!