Sizzle Outside, Ferment Inside!
Conserve Food the Natural Way
Even with the summer heat, our community farm continues to deliver an abundant harvest — as is typical for this time of year. The fields are full of locally grown vegetables like pointed cabbage (spitskool), kohlrabi, broccoli, zucchini, a variety of salads, endive, onions, garlic, and more.
As you’ve likely noticed, there's often more produce than we can eat in just one week. That’s why this is the perfect moment to start preserving for the colder months ahead.
And what better way to spend a sizzling summer day than by getting hands-on with fermenting your own cabbage? A simple, natural method that keeps the goodness of summer alive all winter long.
Fermenting cabbage is easy, fun, and delicious. Here’s a basic guide to get started:
How to Ferment Pointed Cabbage (Spitskool)
Before you begin, set up your workspace with everything you need:
A sharp chef’s knife
A clean cutting surface
Your favorite spices (this time I used spicy paprika and curry powder)
Two clean sauerkraut (fermentation) pots
What You’ll Need:
2–3 pointed cabbages (spitskool)
Sea salt (about 2% of the, cleaned, cabbage weight)
Spices to taste (e.g. paprika, curry powder, caraway seeds, chili flakes — whatever you like!)
2 clean fermentation jars or pots
A large mixing bowl
Clean hands or gloves
Step-by-Step:
1. Wash & prepare your cabbage
Remove the outer leaves (save a few clean ones for later), then slice the cabbage into thin strips.
2. Weigh & salt
Weigh the cabbage and calculate 2% of that weight in sea salt. Sprinkle the salt evenly over the cabbage. Mix a bit and leave for 10 minutes.
3. Massage the cabbage
Using clean hands, massage the salt into the cabbage for 5–10 minutes. The cabbage will soften and release its liquid — this brine is key!
4. Add spices
Now mix in your chosen spices. This is where the magic happens — spicy paprika and curry powder give a great summer twist.
5. Pack into jars
Tightly pack the cabbage into your jars or fermentation pots. Press down firmly to submerge everything in its own brine. Put the outer leaves on top to keep it under the liquid, if needed, add a weight on top to keep it all under.
6. Let it ferment
Cover loosely (a lid, cloth, or fermentation top) and leave it at room temperature, out of direct sunlight, for 14-21 days. Taste after a few days — when it’s tangy to your liking, move it to a colder place, to your cellar if you have one. (Or a fridge)
7. Store & enjoy
Once fermented, your cabbage will keep in the cellar/fridge for several months. Perfect for winter meals, sandwiches, or as a zingy side dish!
8. Want to store even longer?
If you’d like to keep your fermented cabbage well into winter (or even next year), you can preserve it using jars through the traditional method of wecken (jar sterilization). This involves gently heating filled jars in a water bath to seal them airtight. Once preserved this way, they can be stored in a cool, dark place for many months.
