The purple cabbage is such a beautiful plant. I love harvesting it. I search for the stem beneath the leaves and cut the head of cabbage off with "crunch" and feel the 3 pounds of weight in my hands.
I made Sauerkraut for the first time. I needed 5 pounds of cabbage, 3 TBS of salt and a crock (you can make your own with glass jars and a plate). Fermented Sauerkraut (verses cooked sauerkraut) stays crunchy and because of the fermented process the good bacteria called Lactobacilli grows which aids in digestion. A little bit of fermented food a day is very good for you.
I chopped up the cabbage and sprinkled the salt on each small layer of cabbage. The salt helps the cabbage ferment rather than rot. I also pounded each layer tight in the crock to help force the water out of the cabbage.
Then I placed the weight on top and pressed on the weight throughout the day to help force out the water.
This is what it looks like 2 days later. The salt has drawn the moisture from the cabbage. And the fermenting begins! It can take up to 2 weeks more or less depending on how you like it to taste.
Smells so good!
