Making what Astrid Cameron Kent calls “OG sauerkraut” and its variations, including OG kimchi, is simple and fun. “We can ferment or culture or coddle anything we love to eat,” she says, whether vegetables and fruit (sour or pickled) or flour and water (bread). “Fermenting will bring out the best,” says Cameron Kent, so start with the freshest produce — ideally local, in season and organic — and make sure everything is impeccably clean, including counters, jars, utensils, ingredients and your hands. And think of the process as a form of meditation, says Cameron Kent. Be in a happy state of mind, take your time and play your favourite music “to create this amazing, health-provoking, magical fuel food.” —B.S.
OG Sauerkraut
Remove outermost leaves of a white or purple cabbage and save to use as breathable lids during fermentation. Slice remaining cabbage into medium-to-long strips and place in a bowl. Add salt (about 1 tablespoon per medium-sized head of cabbage or ½ teaspoon per 1-litre jar). Pound for at least 10 minutes, using a wooden mallet or your hands, to release juices. Add caraway or fennel seeds (about 1 teaspoon per cabbage; optional). Transfer into glass jars. Press on cabbage until juices come to the top and cover cabbage, leaving about 1 inch of space below the rim. Cover jars with reserved cabbage leaves or dishcloths and place in a dish to catch any overflow during fermentation. Set somewhere with consistent low light and a temperature of 18 to 22°C for stable fermentation. Taste after three days. For a sourer flavour, leave another day or two. Once the cabbage is fermented, replace breathable lids with jar lids. Tighten lids and store jars in refrigerator or dark, cold storage. Enjoy throughout the year — “The longer it’s stored, the better it gets,” says Cameron Kent.
OG Kimchi
Follow the same instructions as for OG sauerkraut, but use napa cabbage and add about ½ cup total of carrots and daikon and 1 teaspoon total of ginger, garlic and chili to the pounded-cabbage mixture. Pound again, then press into jars and let ferment. Chili, ginger and garlic slow fermentation, so place kimchi in a slightly warmer spot to quicken the process, or let it sit longer.