Spicy kraut
- 1 head of cabbage, any will do, I prefer Napa
- 2 carrots
- 1 daikon radish or bunch of radishes
- 3 jalapeños or serrano chilis, thai chilies or cayenne peppers
- 1" piece of fresh ginger
- 3 Tbsp of unrefined sea salt
- * optional 1 Tbsp fish sauce
- Shred the cabbage, I like to break out the food processor for this one
- Run the carrots through the food processor or grate them
- Throw the daikon into the processor or grate it by hand
- Chop the chillies of choice and toss them in with the veggies
- Peel and grate 1 inch of fresh ginger and add to the mix
- Cover the mixture with 3 Tbsp of sea salt and begin to mash it in
- Keep mashing until the salt and cabbage juice creates a brine
- * Fish sauce can be added for that Kimchi flavor, I prefer Red Boat
- Start to spoon the mixture into a 1 or 1.5 liter jar and press down firmly
- The brine should come over the top of the cabbage up to the neck of the jar
- Weigh down all floating cabbage with a weight, a plate, or a washed river stone
- Store this in an air tight sealed jar or fermentation crock in a dark cabinet
- Honestly the longer the better, but you can check after 7-9 days if tasty
- Remember to burp the jar for gases that accumulate once a day (open it briefly)
- Once the flavor is sour enough, the jar can be moved to the refrigerator for months
- *The only concern could be a mold growing on top of the brine, remove this immediately