Name: Spicy Sauerkraut with Nasturtiums and Ginger
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 5 d 15 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: German
Ingredients: 1 kg cabbage, shredded; 3-4 handfuls nasturtium leaves, chopped; 1 large brown onion diced or 4 spring onions, chopped; 30-40g sea salt (2.5% of the total weight of the vegetables); 2 Tbsp fish sauce or 1 Tbsp miso paste; 4 cloves garlic, finely crushed; 2cm fresh ginger, finely grated; 1 tsp sugar; 2-3 fresh chopped red chillies or 1 Tbsp dried chilli flakes, (add more or less spice depending on your liking)

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A kimchi inspired spicy sauerkraut with nasturtium leaves, chilli, garlic and ginger.

This spicy sauerkraut recipe uses cabbage and nasturtiums mixed with a spicy paste. My nasturtiums always go a bit crazy over summer, self-seeding everywhere and covering my terraces in a green blanket. I use the flower petals in salad and pickle the seed pods but their beautiful green leaves are often missed, and they too are peppery and delicious and so good for you!

They are nature's antibiotic, packed full of vitamin C so it is only fitting that I write up a nasturtium recipe now that it is winter.

This spicy sauerkraut recipe is my take on a kimchi-style sauerkraut. Kimchi is the spicy fermented vegetable dish that's a staple in Korean cuisine. It traditionally uses napa cabbage and Korean radish and it's mixed with gochugara chilli pepper, garlic, ginger and fish sauce or shrimp paste.

nasturtium leaves being cut on a chopping board

There are over 200 kinds of known kimchi as the ingredients change depending on the region, or what's in season. I'm going to add to that number with this version. I barely had any of the traditional ingredients, except for garlic, ginger and fish sauce but I had enough substitutes to make something that tastes delicious and resembles a Kimchi inspired sauerkraut.

Lacto-Fermenting

This spicy sauerkraut is made using a process called lacto-fermentation. This is a process in which lactobacillus bacteria convert sugars and lactose in the vegetables into lactic acid.

The end result is a tangy mix of fermented vegetables that are packed with flavour and probiotics.

Top down view of Nasturtiums kimchi in a glass jar sitting on a white bench

Fermented Nasturtiums and Other Ingredients

The nasturtiums have a radish-like, peppery taste so this made a great substitute for the Korean radish, taste-wise. Obviously, nasturtium leaves don't have the crunchy texture that radish does so the crunch came from the cabbage.

The main flavours in this spiced sauerkraut comes from the fish sauce, chilli, garlic and ginger.

Fish sauce adds amazing flavour but if you are vegan or vegetarian, you can substitute the fish sauce for miso paste.

Fresh red chilli substituted the traditional dried gochugaru chilli. This means my version lacks that brilliant red that traditional kimchi has.

Making Sauerkraut - Fermenting Equipment

You don’t need anything fancy to ferment foods at home, however there are definitely items you could buy to make the fermentation process that much easier.

Equipment:

A fermentation vessel, such as a wide mouth mason jar. The wide mouth means it is easy to pack the vegetables into it and the glass means it’s non corrosive and easy to clean. It also fits these fermenting weights and airlocks.
A weight. Something to hold the produce under the salt-brine. If any vegetables are exposed to oxygen, then there is the chance of mould and bad bacteria growing. I use glass weights, but if you’re after a free option, sterilised river stones (just boil them!) work too.
An airlock. This is optional, but it is super helpful. As the bacteria grow, they release gases which need to be let out of the jar. An airlock lets out the gas but doesn’t let in oxygen. If you don’t have one, the jar will need to be ‘burped’ regularly to release the gas (which is just unscrewing the lid to release the gases).
Unrefined salt - I use a natural sea salt
Water - Filtered water is best to use as chlorine may affect the fermentation process. I personally use my tap water for all my ferments including my sourdough starter and have had no issues with it at all. However, if you feel your water may hinder the process, it might be better to be safe than sorry and use filtered water or tap water that has been boiled and left to cool.

Massaging the Cabbage

The first step is to massage the cabbage, nasturtium and onion with salt. This releases all the juices in the vegetables and will create the brine that they will ferment in.

cabbage, nasturtium and onion mixed together in a glass bowl on a white bench

A bit of heavy-handed massaging can release those juices pretty quickly but placing a weight on top of the vegetables (like a plate with something heavy on it) can do the work for you. Just leave it to sit on the vegetables for 2 hours.

Garlic, chilli, ginger and fish sauce are blitzed into a paste and added to the vegetable mix. Then it's squished down into a clean and sterilised jar. Squish it down as firmly as you can so all the liquid rises to the top.

When you jar your vegetables, they need to stay submerged under the brine. This stops any oxygen touching the vegetables and stops mould or bad bacteria growing on them.

You can use a cabbage leaf or a large nasturtium leaf to help hold the vegetables down in the brine. I'm using a large nasturtium leaf and a glass fermenting weight to hold it down.

Top down view of fermenting kimchi in a glass jar with a large nasturtium leaf on top of the liquid

Once in the jar, add on an airlock or a lid. If you are using a lid, burp the jar daily to release the trapped gases.

Leave your sauerkraut to ferment in a cupboard for 5-10 days, tasting daily it after 5 days until it's to your liking.

Once fermented, store it in the fridge for up to 6 months.

Want more fermenting recipes? Try this fermented chilli sauce or make this easy ACV recipe. This homemade ginger beer is a great recipe to try as well!

Looking for more garden to table inspiration? Check out these homemade picked jalapenos or this green herb dressing to put on your salads!