Cabbage and beetroot sauerkraut

This is our daily addiction, and the one thing we crave when away from home! It has just the right balance of crunchiness and softness, saltiness and sweetness, and the seeds and capers make for a beautiful texture. We add it to everything: breakfast, lunch and dinner. It provides every meal with colour and vibrancy, and, what’s more, it’s amazing for your health.

Makes about 1.5 kg (3 lb 5 oz)

Use

½ red cabbage, chopped

½ white cabbage, chopped

4 beetroot (beets), peeled and grated

2 fennel bulbs (remove tough outer layer), chopped

4 dill sprigs, chopped

4 tablespoons fine sea salt

⅓ cup (60 g/2¼ oz) baby capers, rinsed

1 tablespoon caraway seeds

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Do

1	In a large bowl, mix the cabbage, beetroot, fennel, dill and salt. Use your hands to firmly massage the mixture for 5–10 minutes or until the vegetable juices start to collect in the bottom of the bowl.
2	Add the capers and seeds to the mixture and stir well, again with your hands.
3	Place the mixture into two large sterilised jars and press it down into each jar so that it is as compact as it can be. Leave a 5 cm (2 in) gap at the top of each jar. The juices should rise and cover the mixture.
4	Place a lid on each jar and let the jars sit at room temperature for 2–3 weeks or until the sauerkraut tastes tangy and somewhat sour.
5	Store the sauerkraut in the fridge for up to 12 weeks. Serve it with salads, sandwiches, scrambled eggs and just about anything else to add some gut-healing deliciousness to your meal.

Feel free to experiment with other vegies from the garden, as long as they are firm and robust enough to retain their shape and texture throughout the fermentation process. Just be sure to keep the same ratio of vegetable to salt to ensure the process is a success.