Curtido Salvadoreño

Instructions

• Because you determine the salt at the end based on the weight of all the other ingredients, first weigh a large bowl in which you will later process the ingredients and write down the weight.
• As with any kraut, start with the white cabbage. Cut off the outer 2-3 leaves and set aside. Then quarter the cabbage and cut the quarters into fine strips. The stalk is omitted in the process. A vegetable slicer is a very good purchase if you like to make sauerkraut, because it can be done faster and easier with the slicer than with a knife. The finer you cut the strips, the softer the cabbage will be and the faster and easier you can knead enough brine.
• If the white cabbage is larger, you may not need the entire head. I can see in the bowl when I've reached the right amount, but in the beginning it's a good idea to weigh in between. You can't fit more than about 600 grams, along with the other vegetables, in a 1-liter jar. If you have more, just use a bigger jar, or make something else with the fresh cabbage.
• Coarsely grate the carrots on the grater, roughly chop the garlic cloves and cut the onion into fine rings, then dissect them a few times. The chili is cut into fine strips, the juice from the lime half is squeezed.
• Mix everything together in the bowl and weigh. From the weight subtract the previously determined weight of the bowl. Take 2% from the result - this is how much salt is sprinkled on the vegetables in the bowl. If this is difficult, why not take my salt ratio calculator to the rescue.
• Use osmosis instead of effort when kneading cabbage
• After salting, you can let the vegetables sit for a while. The osmosis causes some liquid to form and makes the subsequent kneading of the brine easier. Afterwards, knead or mash the cabbage with your hands or a masher until the cell walls of the cabbage burst and a lot of liquid comes out. In total, you need enough brine (that's the name of the salty liquid) to cover the cabbage well in the jar.
• Put the vegetables in a suitable vessel and cover them with the outer cabbage leaves prepared earlier. To do this, trim them a bit. The goal is to create a protective barrier so that the fine shreds of vegetables do not drift over the brine. A weight or another barrier is a good idea to prevent bouyancy.
• The brine should end about 2-3 cm below the edge of the jar. Then there is neither spilling, nor is there too much air to favor mold. The first week is best to place in the dark between 18 ° and 24 ° C, after a week a little cooler, between 16 ° and 20 ° C. 
• I always let curtido ferment for at least 8 weeks. Then the flavors are well developed, the acidity is balanced and the characteristic carbonic phase is over.