5 x 1 Litre (or 1 Quart approx) flip top jars plus 1 smaller flip top jar (for the carrot tops - this is optional)
1 satchet Body Ecology Veggie Starter Culture (or add extra 1 tbsp salt)
1 whole large cabbage approx 2kg (approx 4.4lbs)
2kg carrots (approx 4.4lbs)
2 green apples
Juice of one lime or lemon
1-2 tsp salt or 2-3 tbsp salt if not using a culture starter
filtered water approx 500ml to 1 litre (half to 1 quart) left at room temperature
Instructions
Take out the Culture starter satchet and allow to come to room temperature
Wash all the jars, rubber seals in hot soapy water and rinse really well (soap residue is not good, so make sure to rinse really well)
Set the jars in a dish rack or on a clean fresh tea towel to air dry
Remove the outer leaves of the whole cabbage, you will need about 10 leaves plus 2 more if fermenting the leftover carrot bits (if the leaves are small, remove 15 outer leaves plus 2 more for the small jar)
Wash them very carefully, especially at the base to remove any dirt etc
Sit them on a clean fresh tea towel to air dry
Chop or shred the cabbage using a food processor or a knife depending on your preference. I like to hand slice them by cutting the cabbage into 8 wedges and then thinly slicing them
Add the cabbage to a very large mixing bowl
Peel and grate the carrots using a mandolin, grater or food processor. I like my carrots thicker so I use a mandolin - careful not to cut yourself!
Add the left over carrot bits to the smaller flip top jar (if using), you can also ferment these chunks of leftover carrots otherwise save them for some carrot soup! no waste!
Add the carrot to the cabbage
Grate the green apple and add to the mixing bowl
Then add the lime juice and salt to the veggies
In a glass jug, add the 500ml of room temperature filtered water with the starter culture and stir to dissolve, set aside
Using your hands, mix and massage the veggies until the juices start to come out (I do this for about 10 mins)
Add the water & culture starter mixture to the veggies and mix it further
Divide the veggies into the 5 jars and pack them down firmly with your hands or potato masher
Include the juices / brine and ensure that it just covers the veggies (the veggies will be pushed down by the cabbage leaves which will bring the juices up further, careful not to overfill as it will result in some leakage during fermentation)
There will most likely be some juices / brine leftover which you can use to ferment the leftover carrot pieces
Leave about an inch from the top of the jar
Roll 2 clean outer leaves place onto the top of the veggies (if the leaves are small, use 3) for each jar
This should firmly pack down the veggies under the brine
They should now look like this
Close the lids and store them at room temperature out of direct sunlight
If you are fermenting the left over carrot pieces, pour the remaining juice/brine into the jar so the carrots are covered. Top it up if needed with some filtered water and a tsp of salt, then cover it up with 2 rolled cabbage leaves
They should be ready in 5 days if you used a starter culture, if not, wait 7-10 days
Once opened, store in the fridge
The unopened jars can remain at room temperature for many months
Hope you enjoy!
Recipe by Intuitive Food Design at https://intuitivefooddesign.com/food_recipe/fermented-cabbage-carrot-pickled-sauerkraut/