Golden kraut: wholesome fare for the coming winter

Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage and cut out the core, then shred the cabbage. I like to shred it reasonably finely. Use your food processor for this if you have one.

Place the shredded cabbage and all of the other ingredients in a large bowl and add the salt, giving it a quick massage through the cabbage. Let it sit for 30-60 minutes, until it starts to sweat. It should become quite wet.

Begin to fill a clean 2-litre jar or crock, taking a handful of cabbage at a time and pressing down very hard using your fist. With each handful you’ll notice a little more liquid seeping out.

Keep going until you have filled the jar to within 2.5cm of the top. For successful fermentation it is crucial to keep the cabbage submerged, so place a weight on it.

Leave to sit for anything from one to six weeks. Taste it every few days to gauge the progress of the fermentation flavour. If you’re fermenting in an airtight jar, you will also need to ‘burp’ the jar every few days to release the build-up of carbon dioxide.

When you’re happy with the flavour and texture, store the jar in the fridge. The times will vary according to room temperature and other factors. After a week the good bacteria are considered established and it’s good to eat, but if you want the maximum probiotics in your sauerkraut, you’ll want to let it ferment for up to six weeks.