Homemade Fermented Cabbage – Sauerkraut

👨‍🍳 Method

1. 1
   Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage, setting one whole leaf aside.
2. 2
   Slice the cabbage very thinly, 2–3 mm.

   KnifeCutting board
3. 3
   Put the cabbage in a large bowl, sprinkle the salt over it and knead by hand for 5–10 minutes, until the cabbage softens and releases liquid.

   Bowl

   💡Salt at 2–2.5% of the cabbage's weight: less than that and the good bacteria don't thrive and the cabbage may spoil; more and it's too salty and ferments less.
4. 4
   Add the nigella seeds and cumin and mix.
5. 5
   Pack the cabbage tightly into a clean jar, with the liquid it released, until it is completely covered by liquid.

   Jar

   💡All the cabbage must be under the liquid: oxygen is the enemy of fermentation, and a piece sticking out above it can spoil the whole jar.
6. 6
   Place the reserved cabbage leaf on top, so the cabbage stays under the liquid.
7. 7
   Cover with a cloth, not a tight lid, and leave at room temperature, away from the sun, 3–7 days, until the cabbage is as sour as you like.
8. 8
   Move to the fridge, and keep for up to a month.

   Refrigerator