Russian-Style Sauerkraut

Place all ingredients except the cabbage leaf into a large bowl and toss thoroughly with your fingers to combine. Allow to stand for 1 hour.

Transfer the mixture and the liquid into a small ceramic crock and pack it tightly, pressing down to submerge the cabbage in the juice.

Place the reserved cabbage leaf on top of the mixture and weigh everything down with a heavy plate, a clean weight or a jar of water, making sure that the vegetables are fully covered by the liquid. If you don’t have quite enough liquid to cover, add a little water.

Allow the cabbage to ferment at room temperature for five days. If at any point during the fermentation you notice that the cabbage is no longer covered by the liquid, add enough water to submerge.

After five days, transfer the jar of kraut into a cool, dry place. Allow to ferment for another five days to 1 week, or until the balance of salt and acidity is to your liking.

Transfer the finished kraut into a covered glass jar and store it in the refrigerator, where it will keep for up to three months.