Kimkraut - Red Cabbage, Beet, Apple & Ginger
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Prep time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 2.5 pounds
 
Ingredients
  • 3 cups red cabbage (1/4 large head), shredded
  • 2 cups beets (2 large beets), thinly sliced
  • ½ apple, thinly sliced
  • ½ of 6” daikon radish, thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup ginger, minced
  • 3 tsp sea salt
Instructions
  1. Prepare each ingredient as listed above. You should have between 2-3 pounds of shredded and sliced produce.
  2. Place all prepped ingredients in to a large bowl.
  3. Sprinkle with salt.
  4. Use clean hands to squeeze, knead, and pound vegetables (and apple) in order to break cell walls and release water held inside. By breaking the cell walls, the vegetables can brine in their own juices. You'll want to thoroughly bruise the produce.
  5. Once you're finished pounding the produce, place it into a container for fermentation. I like using large 1 gallon ball jars (see photo).
  6. Push the vegetables down under the juices, so all of the vegetables are submerged. Add some distilled water if necessary. Because the juices are salty, the vegetables tend to float, so you will need to push them under the brine with a weight (I use a cabbage leaf with a weight on top). Ensuring all of the vegetables are submerged is the best way to ensure molds and yeasts don't develop in your ferment. However, some vegetables may still rise to the top and become discolored from oxidation or develop a white surface mold — just remove those vegetables and throw them away. Colored molds require more caution and should be either very carefully removed or cause for throwing out the ferment. For further discussion of mold and yeast, please either purchase the Art of Fermentation (link in recipe text) or do additional online research.
  7. Place a cap loosely over the top of the jar, keeping in mind that the fermentation process produces CO2, which will need a way to escape from the jar.
  8. Place the ferment away from direct sunlight and wait. Although there is no exact fermentation time, after 2-3 days, the vegetables will have begun changing flavor, so anytime from 3 days onward to a week or two is likely enough time. Keep in mind that temperature will influence the fermentation time, warmer ambient air will result in a faster ferment. During the summer, my home is around 75 degrees F and I like the flavors in my ferments after about a week. In the winter, when my home is more like 65 degrees F, the fermentation time will be longer. Taste your ferment each day after day 3 to observe how the flavors develop. Once you find the taste enjoyable, I recommend putting it in the refrigerator and close the lid, which will essentially stop the fermentation process. Enjoy!
Recipe by Minimal Wellness at https://minimalwellness.com/kimkraut/