Wild Thyme – Homemade Sauerkraut in Mason Jar

Ingredients:

1 medium head of green cabbage

1 1/2 TBSP Kosher salt

1 TBSP caraway seed

1/2 TBSP mustard seed

Instructions:

When fermenting anything its best to clean everything as thoroughly as possible.  Make sure the mason jar and jelly jar are washed and rinsed and all soap residue is removed.

Slice the cabbage. Discard the wilted, limp outer leaves of the cabbage. Cut the cabbage into quarters and trim out the core. Slice each quarter down its length, making 8 wedges. Slice each wedge crosswise into very thin ribbons.

Transfer the cabbage into a big mixing bowl and sprinkle salt all over the top.  Begin working the salt into the cabbge by massing and sqeezing the cabbage with your hands. At first it might not seem like enough salt, but gradually the cabbage will become watery and limp- more like a coleslaw.   This will take about 5-10 minutes.

Add the caraway and mustard seed.

Pack the cabbage into the jar: Grab handfuls of cabbage and pack them into the canning jar.  Every so often, tamp down the cabbage inthe jar with your fist.  Pour any liquid released by the cabbage while you were massaging it into the jar.

Once all the cabbage is packed into the mason jar, slip the smaller jelly jar into the mouth of the jar and weigh it down with clean stones or marbles.  This will help keep the cabbage weighed down and eventually submerged beneath its liquid.

Cover the mought of htem ason jar with a cloth and secure it with a rubber band or twine.  This allows air to flow in and out of the jar but prevents dust or insects from getting into the jar.

Over the next 24 hours press down the cabbage every so often with the jelly jar.

If after 24 hours the liqud has not risen above the cabbage, disslove 1 tsp of salt and 1 cup of water and add enough in to submerge the cabbage .

Ferment the cabbage for 3-10 days ideally at 65 degrees to 75 dgrees (room temp) Check it daily and press it down if the cabbage is floating above the liquid.

While it is fermenting, you may see bubbles coming through the cabbage, and foam on the top. These are all signes of a healthy, happy fermentation process.

Once complete you can keep this in your fridge for several months.