Wine sauerkraut from the cabbage pot

Ingredients for 80 servings:

• 10 kg white cabbage
• 150 g salt
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp, heaped juniper berries, to taste
• 300 ml white wine or sparkling wine, as desired

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes; Rest period approx. 42 days; Total time approx. 42 days 1 hour 30 minutes

simple, stockpiling

Two people are needed to complete this task. You also need a large knife, a cabbage slicer, a masher (or your hands), and a cabbage pot or cabbage barrel. I have a cabbage pot with a water rim. First, you start by cutting the cabbage heads. Quarter them, remove the outer leaves and the stalk. Then finely grate them and finely chop the smaller pieces with a knife. Now add the cabbage in portions to the pot, add some of the salt and spices, and mash. Water should collect in the pot, which will then run out of the cabbage. Repeat this process until all the cabbage and spices are used up. Add the wine and mix again. Press the cabbage firmly into the pot and weigh it down with the stones. Put the lid on and fill the water rim. Now the fermentation process begins. Let the cabbage pot stand in a cool, shady place in your home for about two weeks. During this time, gases produced during the fermentation process will continually escape. After about two weeks, when the bubbling slows down or even stops, you can transfer the cabbage pot to the cellar (approx. 15-17°C). Let it stand there for another four weeks. During this time, make sure the water rim is always filled. I use boiled water with salt for this. After that, the cabbage is ready and ready to use. With this amount of cabbage, it’s a good idea to transfer it to preserving jars. It’s a fair amount of work, but the reward is truly delicious sauerkraut.