[simonj]

I will be making Zuurkool from the garden soon.

This type of preservation is something you find right across Europe, and it has various names. In Alsace and Lorraine in France it is generally called Choucroute. In Germany Sauerkraut, in Holland it's Zuurkool.

You will find Polish Kiszona kapusta and its varients all over Eastern Europe.

Even in Asia this type of preservation is popular, perhaps the most well known being Korean Kimchi.

Recipes for Zuurkool will come later, the first thing we need to do is prepare the equipment.

The first step is the invention - with the very kind assistance and advice from homebrewwest.ie, born of the neccessity of the basic requirement for an anaerobic chamber - or as I would call it, an airtight bucket with an airlock.

Details on this can be seen at my Garden Blog, link in signature.
This saves a fortune on importing a Harsch crock or equivalent.

It is not only cabbage you can ferment in the chamber, it can be used for other veg like turnip, gherkins etc.
It can also be used for curing meat as well as fermenting mash to make into beer or spirits.

[simonj]

Just cracked open the fermenter last night and jarred the Kapusta that I made.
Kapusta is the red cabbage Ukrainian version of preserved cabbage.

Really happy with how it turned out, texture and taste fantastic - but I would add a few extra juniper berries next time.

It is just fantastic on hotdogs and with smoked or strong flavoured meats and cheeses'.

Jarred and waterbathed as usual, so it should keep easily for 12 months.

I must say it is so much better than the vinegar soaked mush they sell in supermarkets as Saurkraut.

Next batch through the fermenter will be a simple Dutch Zuurkool using the Bloemendaalse cabbage I grew from seed.
Looking forward to that as it was the plan from the start.