Sauerkraut is basically sour cabbage and goes great with most vegetables, especially carrots, cauliflower and fennel. Cabbage is from the brassica or cruciferous family. Red cabbage has much more antioxidants than white cabbage, but both are considered superfoods and a great source of vitamin C. They are anti-inflammatory and anti-cancerous and should be a regular feature in your diet.
Consistency
Store purchased sauerkraut is usually very finely shred, however I prefer a mix which I feel improves the texture and taste. I go for 25% finely shred and 75% a few millimetres thicker. Likewise, carrots 50/50 between grated and julienne. Produce like fennel and celery I always finely shred. In the end it is all about personal taste and preference - you must experiment and choose what works best for you.
Resting
After adding salt, massage for a few minutes then leave to rest. The rest period does vary but I always leave for 30 mins and check how much juices have been released. Often I leave for 1 – 2hrs before the second massage. Add the seasoning or spices after the initial soaking or osmosis process.
