How to Ferment Cabbage: A Step-by-Step Guide

📜 Ingredients (for 10 kg of cabbage):

White cabbage — 10 kg
Carrots — 300–500 g
Salt — 200–250 g (non-iodized, preferably rock or sea salt)

Optional: caraway seeds, bay leaf, cranberries, or apples (Antonivka variety), dill (dried or with seed heads)

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Preparation:

Prepare the vegetables:
- Shred the cabbage finely using a knife or cabbage slicer.
- Grate the carrots coarsely or cut into thin strips.
Mix with salt:
- In a large bowl, mix cabbage, carrots, and salt.
- Massage well with your hands to release juice from the cabbage.
- (You may add some caraway seeds or cranberries — typical in some villages of central Naddniprianshchyna.)
Packing into a barrel or jar:
- Tightly pack the mixture in layers into a clean wooden barrel, glass jar, or clay pot.
- Press down firmly with each layer to remove air and bring out more juice.
- Cover with whole cabbage leaves and place a weight (a plate with a heavy object) on top.
Fermentation:
- Leave in a warm place (18–22°C / 64–72°F) for 3–5 days.
- Pierce the cabbage daily with a wooden stick or skewer to release gases (otherwise, the cabbage might turn bitter).
- When fermentation stops (no more bubbles appear), move it to a cold place (cellar or refrigerator).

🫙 Storage:

Store in a cool place — it keeps well through the winter. Before serving, it can be dressed with sunflower oil, onion, cranberries, or sliced apples.

💡 Fun Fact:

In Naddniprianshchyna (Ukraine), people often fermented cabbage with Antonivka apples, which added a pleasant tartness and aroma. They sometimes added dill stems or horseradish for flavor and better preservation.