Make basic two-ingredient sauerkraut

Shred 1 medium head of cabbage thinly. Toss with 1 tablespoon fine sea salt (about 2% of the cabbage weight). Massage and squeeze the cabbage with your hands for 5-10 minutes until it releases enough liquid to submerge itself. Pack tightly into a clean jar, press down until brine covers the cabbage, and weigh it down. Cover loosely and ferment at room temperature 1-4 weeks.

Why It Works

Salt draws water out of the cabbage through osmosis, creating a brine. The anaerobic, salty environment favors beneficial lactobacillus bacteria while suppressing harmful organisms. Time does all the work.

Tips

• Use 2% salt by weight (weigh the cabbage first) for the most reliable results
• Keep cabbage submerged — a small jar filled with water placed on top works as a weight
• Taste after 1 week: tangy and crunchy is usually ready; sour and soft means it fermented longer
• Keeps for months refrigerated once you like the flavor