How to Make Kraut Variations?

You may go for all kinds of other vegetables like carrots, red radishes, cauliflowers, or leeks, just to name a few. The image (a) below shows an eggplant, basil leaves, a carrot, and three garlic cloves as my key ingredients.

Be creative about the ways you prepare them, as long as they can fit into the jar, such as chopping, slicing, shredding, and slicing (b and c), followed by mixing all prepared ingredients together (d).

The method of making kraut variations is the same as the way to make sauerkraut: after vegetables are prepared, you will add salt according to the salting rule discussed earlier (e); you will then squeeze the salted vegetables with hands and fingers or let the mixture sit for about 30 minutes to form the brine (f).

Next, you stuff the jar with colorful veggies of your own choice (g and h), topped with a follower which can be one or two small pieces of cabbage leaves (i and j). Add a lid without sealing the jar too tight and make sure you leave one to two inches of space between the top of the brine and the lid (k).

If necessary, add a sticky note or label with dates on it on a visible spot to differentiate the bottles of ferments you are making. At last, place a bowl at the bottom to hold the brine in case it leaks out.

**You may click on any image above to enlarge it.**

What Is Inside That White Bowl?

What the white bowl carries in the first image (a) are black tea leaves. They are rich in tannins and, when fermented along with other vegetables, can enhance the crispness of the fermented vegetables.