We crammed so many plants into our garden this year. Sometimes, it is a bit of an adventure to climb in and harvest the veggies! That is why we have plans to have two gardens next year, one for the tomatoes, cabbages, peppers, etc., and one for the corn and all the squashes.

Today, we picked the first cabbage, and it was huge! In the video below, I show you how I make simple lacto-fermented kraut. I love using lacto-fermentation to preserve veggies because there is no cooking, no processing in a canner, just putting the veggies in a jar and waiting a few days. Well, there may be a little more than that, but it is a very simple process.

To give you a recap, here’s the recipe for simple kraut.

Simple kraut

• shredded cabbage
• quart mason jar
• 1 Tablespoon salt
• filtered water to top off jar

Put a small amount of cabbage in the jar at a time, and pound it with a wooden spoon or similar tool. Sprinkle salt in with the cabbage as you go. Keep pounding and adding more cabbage until the cabbage releases juices and you fill the jar. Remember that you can fit a lot of cabbage in a quart jar. Then top off the jar with a little filtered water to make sure the cabbage is submerged and leave a little headspace. Lid it and label it. Leave it on your counter for about a week. You will need to unscrew the lid every day or so to let off the gases that will begin to form. The cabbage will noticeably change color and develop a tart, kraut taste to let you know it’s done. Then, store it in the fridge and use it as a condiment for all sorts of foods.