Cortido: Homemade Latin American Sauerkraut

UPDATE: Check out the ¨no-pound¨ method that cuts the time and efforts in half! Makes the kraut even better, I think  :o)

I just recently made a gallon of Cortido this week and I realized that I've mentioned my Latin American Sauerkraut several times, but haven't shared the recipe... My bad.

Let me share a little information before I share the recipe. This delicious spicy condiment is 'perfecto' with Mexican and Latin American food of all types. It is traditionally made with pineapple vinegar but can be prepared with whey and salt. I've made pineapple vinegar with good success (will share later), but didn't really like the 'traditional cortido'. I really like the way I've been making my LAK. I've add a couple things to make it tastier... so here's my version of the recipe. Also, like traditional kraut, cortido improves with age. Yummm!

You can find this recipe in Nourishing Traditions and read here if you are wondering what's so great about lacto-fermented food.

Latin American Sauerkraut (Cortido)

By Marillyn Beard

Makes about 2 quarts

• 1 large green cabbage, cored and shredded
• 1 small red cabbage, cored and shredded
• 1-3 cups carrots, grated
• 2-3 medium onions, finely sliced (I prefer red onions)
• 5 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
• 1 Tbsp. dried oregano (fresh is good too!)
• 1/4- 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1 Tbsp. sea salt
• 4 Tbsp. whey*

In a large bowl mix cabbage with carrots, onions, garlic, oregano, red chile flakes, sea salt and whey. Pound with a wooden pounder (check out my pictures) or a meat hammer for about 10 minutes to release juices. Place in mason jar and press down firmly with the pounder until juices come to the top of the cabbage. The top of the cabbage mixture should be at least 1 inch from the top. Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for about 3 days before transferring to cold storage.

*if you don't have whey... use an additional 1 Tbsp of sea salt. I do not like going this route as the flavor is very different. The whey seems to impart a great flavor that sea salt doesn't give, but some people like this... so try it both ways and see what you like.

NOTE: This might produce more than 2 quarts... I usually get about a gallon out of this recipe. So, if you want a smaller option... get a smaller cabbage and use less carrots and onions, but keep the salt and whey the same.

Honestly, I don't measure anything except the whey and salt. I just grap, chop, shred and grate what I have, throw it all together and pound away. Once you've done it a few times... you'll feel more comfortable to just eyeball everything. That's what I love about making lacto-fermented food, you don't have to measure everything exactly to get great results. Like I said... once you've done it a few times... you'll understand what I mean.

Try this out and let me know how it goes!

Staying Cultured,