Estonian Sauerkraut

Ingredients

• 5 kg white cabbage (remove the rootstock and cut in thin slices)
• 2 carrots
• caraway seed
• 80 g salt
• 10 g brown sugar

Procedures

1. Use a stainless steel bucket, a large glass pot or a glazed, lead free pot you also need a cloth mesh or thin cotton cloth, a weight for example a can filled with water or a carefully cleaned rock (boil it).
2. Start with a layer of cabbage, about 2 cm thick.
3. Sprinkle some of the salt/sugar and press with the bottom of a bottle so that the cabbage waters.
4. Sprinkle some caraway and put some thin slices of carrot and a new layer of cabbage.
5. Keep doing until all the cabbage is pressed and covered in its own water.
6. Cover the cabbage with the mesh and poke it down along the edges (use a clean tool, ex.
7. Spoon handle) so that no of the cabbage can come to the surface.
8. Put a clean plate on top; be careful not to get any air in between the cabbage and the plate!! 7.
9. Put the weight on the plate so that the plate and the cabbage is completely covered by the liquid.
10. Cover the container with a clean towel and let it stand in room temperature until it starts the ferment, about three days.
11. After that put it somewhere cool like the bottom of the fridge.
12. When you start to take from the sauerkraut you should swap towel or at least remember what side was downwards and put it the same way.
13. The inner walls of the bucket are wiped with paper without getting possible coating into the liquid.
14. Wash weight, plate and cloth with hot water no detergent.
15. Remove the sauerkraut with some tool packs it smooth and cover it with cloth, plate and weight and cover it with a towel.
16. When you move the bucket avoid quick movements to avoid air contact.
17. If there is mould on the surface, remove it without letting it down into the liquid.
18. Use: if you make a lot it's perfectly fine, freeze it and use it later.