4/8/2018 – Weight after cleaning two green cabbages from HEB, and with chopped core, was 2,687 gm. Cut it up small by hand. This was the first time to include the chopped core. Mixed in the following that is about 25% more than used in earlier ferments as there is about 25% more cabbage.
- 44 juniper berries
- Caraway seeds, 8 gm
- Brown mustard seeds, 9 gms
- Yellow mustard seeds, 19 grams – That is all we had so had to use some brown and 2 extra gms fell into the bowl so left it in. Like the last ferment, I would like to have used only yellow so the brown tint would not have cast dark places in the jar.
- 38 gm of canning salt that was 1.4% salt for 2,687+8+13+13 total weight
Ground the caraway seeds and mustard seeds into small pieces and mixed with the salt into the chopped cabbage. Pounded it down with the meat mallet and at 2:15 PM left it for about 3 hours.
About 5 PM there was only a little brine so packed it into two 1/2 gallon mason jars. There was a comfortable amount of headroom (~1.5″ to the cabbage with the glass weight) in both. Mixed 1.4% salt water and topped each jar. Capped with the fermenter lids then put in the guest bathroom.
During the initial ferment, the kraut rose up to the bottom of the lid. For two days, shook to release the gas bubbles and all was good.
4/21/2018 – Tasted it 13 days and the salt level was fine but the thinner leaves were limp and there were not many crunchy pieces like with the white cabbage. The juniper berries are floating around at the top but did not notice their taste. Will try a side by side test with the white once this gets another week older.
