A salty tang

My batch of sauerkraut is now three days old. Yesterday it was still just a container of salty cabbage soaking in its own juices. Today it has a distinctly sour flavour and aroma. Small bubbles appear on the surface. It looks like it is beginning to ferment nicely.

Sauerkraut, sourdough, and fresh cheese

Last night I made fresh cheese. I poured the whey into a jar and put it in the fridge. Today I mixed it with a bit of flour and some sourdough starter. The acid in the whey is supposed to contribute to a very tender whole grain bread, so I'll be putting some cracked wheat in this loaf.

I started a batch of sauerkraut, too. About one part red cabbage to two parts green. The mixture in the crock was pleasing to the eye, purple, white and green. I used my fist to bruise it, punching it down into the crock to encourage it to release its water. The salt will also draw the water out, making a brine in which the cabbage will ferment. It's already getting juicy in the crock. Every so often I press down on the jar I'm using to weigh down the terra cotta dish that covers the cabbage. It makes a squelching sound, and a little bit of liquid comes up over the dish.

In a few days I'll spread the cheese on slices of sourdough. In a few weeks I'll be putting the sauerkraut into jars.