Andermanische Sauerkraut

This is my own recipe, and I've just made it, so we'll see how it turns out in a couple of weeks.

Ingredients

All quantities are approximate - adjust to suit your taste.

• 2 kg firm white cabbages, red cabbages, or a mixture of the two - I used sweethearts this time.
• 2 small to medium red onions.
• 50g salt - weigh the cabbage once trimmed and cored, and use 25g per kg of cabbage.
• 1 tbs freshly ground black or mixed peppers.
• 1 tbs whole peppercorns.
• 1 tbs caraway seed.
• 1 tbs grated ginger.
• 2 tsp ground chilli.
• 1 tbs dried bird's eye chillis.
• 1/2 tbs star anise, broken up.

Directions

Quarter the cabbages, and cut out the cores, setting them aside to nibble whilst you're working.

Take a large bowl - perhaps a washing-up bowl - clean it thoroughly, and sterilise it with boiling water.

Take a jar or crock large enough to take all the kraut, and sterilise it.

Put the spices and caraway seed in a bowl and mix them well.

Finely slice the cabbage and onions, and mix them well in the bowl, sprinkling the salt and spices bit by bit as you go.

When well mixed, pack into the crock or jar, cover with cling film, and weight if needed.

Put in a cool, dark, place for a day, and look to see how much juice has been produced. If necessary, make some 2.5% brine (5 g salt to 200 ml water) and top up the crock until the cabbage is covered.

After a day or so, you might want to move the developing kraut to a fridge, and monitor progress.

Fermenting kraut produces carbon dioxide, so don't forget to either leave the lids slightly loose if using jars, or "burp" them regularly to let out the gas.