Sea Kale Kraut - Lacto Ferment

Steps

1. 1. Mix all the ingredients together and experiment with what you have available. Once all chopped small and mixed, weight the lot
2. 2. Add 2% of sea salt of the total weight of vegetables.
3. 3. Toss and massage and squash this for about 5 mins depending how much you make
4. 4. You will notice the mix gets wet - this is essential.
5. 5. Place your vegetables into a suitable container / jar. It must be really clean.
6. 6. Push it all down really well. You want the brine to cover the veg. This stops oxygen getting to it which promotes the lactofermentation.
7. 7. To keep the veg below the brine, you can buy specialists crocks with weights - but I just use a sandwhich bag of water to push it down.
8. 8. Cover the container with muslin cloth to stop anything flying or falling into the kraut - but it must be left to breath - do not place a lid on it. Leave at room temperature.
9. 9. In normal conditions, after a day or two you will notice the kraut will begin to smell sweet - sour. You may notice some gas bubbles coming off it - this is carbon dioxide and is exactly what you are creating.
10. 10. After 3 - 10 days depending on every factor and your taste preference - the kraut will be crunchy - well rounded flavoured and salty sour.
11. 11. Place into a container or jar and keep in your fridge to use. It will last indefinatley so long as everything is clean - but will continue to ferment very slowly. So if you leave it in your fridge for say 6 months - expect it to be much more sour than when you first made it. The older it gets the more sour, and the better for you - but this is very much a preference thing. Newbies to lacto-fermented vegetables can find them harsh, and not fermenting for too long maybe a better start point for new-comers to this style of health foods.