Ingredients
Cabbage
- 3 kgwhite cabbage, shredded fine
- 60 gcoarse non-iodised salt — 2% of the cabbage weight
- 1 tbspcaraway seed
- 6juniper berries, crushed
Optional
- 1apple, quartered
- 2bay leaves
To serve
- stewed with sausage and beans
- or cold with pumpkin-seed oil
Directions
- Shred the cabbage as finely as you can and weigh it, then take exactly 2% of that weight in salt.
- Toss with the salt, caraway and juniper and leave 30 minutes.
- Work it hard by the handful for ten minutes, squeezing until it collapses to about half its volume and sits in a pool of its own liquid.
- Pack into the crock a handful at a time, pressing each layer down firmly so the brine rises above the cabbage, tucking the apple and bay in as you go.
- Lay whole outer leaves on top, then a plate and a weight, so every shred sits below the liquid.
- Cover loosely and ferment at cool room temperature, 16 to 20°C (61 to 68°F), for four to six weeks. Skim any white film off the surface.
- Taste from week four. When it is sour enough, move it somewhere cold. It keeps for months.
- Serve cold dressed with pumpkin-seed oil, which is the Slovenian way, or stew it slowly with sausage and beans.
Technique
- Two percent by weight, on a scale. Salting by handful is where most failed batches begin.
- Everything below the brine, always.
- Cool and slow. Fermented warm it is ready in ten days and comes out flabby.
Substitutions
- Grated carrot or apple stirred through.
- A splash of brine from a working crock to speed the start.
Variations
- Kisla repa, the soured turnip, is fermented alongside it in the same cellars.
- Stewed with beans and pork into jota, the Karst stew.
History
Autumn household fermentation across Slovenia, stored in cellars beside kisla repa as the winter vegetable supply.
Frequently asked questions
What is Kislo zelje?
Kislo zelje is a fermented & pickled from Slovenia: shredded cabbage soured in barrels, stewed with sausage or beans. Autumn household fermentation across Slovenia, stored in cellars beside kisla repa as the winter vegetable supply.
How long does Kislo zelje take to make?
Kislo zelje takes 40 min plus 4 to 6 weeks fermenting of preparation and no cooking at all. The recipe makes fills a 5-litre crock. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Kislo zelje?
Yes, within limits. Grated carrot or apple stirred through. A splash of brine from a working crock to speed the start.
