Ludwig van Sauerkraut

The Old World Dutch were among the earliest to bring back spices from Asia. You can sense the cook’s pinches and dabs of rare spices evolved into a traditional Dutch blend known as Speculaas. I modified my Ludwig van Beets by substituting cabbage for beets to create Ludwig van Sauerkraut. I fashioned this warm and sweet blend to enhance red cabbage any time of year. You will need to prepare Speculaas Spice before fermentation.

This recipe makes 1 quart.

– Recipe by Bill Hettig

Speculaas Spice Recipe -After roasting anise & coriander place all in spice grinder or mortar and grind finely.

• 1 teaspoon of anise seed, dry roast in a heavy skillet.
• 1 teaspoon of coriander seeds, dry roast in heavy skillet.
• 2 teaspoons of nutmeg, whole nutmeg and freshly grated is best.
• 2 tablespoons of cinnamon powder.
• 2 teaspoons of ground cloves.
• 2 teaspoons of peppercorns, fresh ground is best.

Ingredients for Ludwig van Sauerkraut:

• 2½ pounds of finely shredded red cabbage.
• 1 tablespoon of Speculaas Spice blend.
• 1 tablespoon of Celtic Sea Salt or other premium brand for the brine.

Directions for Ludwig van Sauerkraut:

1. Prepare cabbage and place in a large bowl.
2. Add 1 tablespoon of the Speculaas Spice and 1 tablespoon of your salt to the bowl.  Now message the cabbage for 10-15 minutes.  This will squeeze the juices out of the cabbage.  These juices mix with the salt and spice to produce your brine.
3. After a generous brine has formed, load a clean 1 quart jar with the mixture, tamping and submerging the mixture after each addition. When well-packed with 2 inches of space remaining at the top, pour in any additional brine left in bowl. Gently wiggle jar to release any air bubbles trapped in veggies.
4. Use some sort of weighty object to hold the cabbage under the brine solution. Be sure to place the jar in your sink as you do this as there is sure to be spillage. We sell our brine overflow cup as a weight here: Brine “Catch” Cup – Wide Mouth
5. Remove the cup and wipe any debris on the lip of the cup and the jar, then put the cup back in. Install a Lid Gasket inside a Wide Mouth Fermenter Lid. Tighten the lid on until its snug.
6. Add tap water to a ClearView Airlock to the max line. Now gently insert the airlock into the hole of the fermenter lid until snug. Make sure not to push too deeply into the lid. As the fermentation happens, the water should move back and forth, and bubbles should move through the airlock, this is correct and indicates a tight seal.
7. Write down the date you began fermentation on the lid using a Lid Marking Pen.  After 4 days, check to see if the Ludwig van Sauerkraut is sour enough for you.  If it is not, just add a day and re-check.

Enjoy your Ludwig van Sauerkraut! For even better and more delectable recipes, check out our Fermentation Recipe Booklet, where you will find many recipes, tips and tricks to brine pickling, and so much more!