Curtido is a Salvadorian ferment, similar to sauerkraut. It tastes like a milder sauerkraut so it can be a great option for those who don’t like the cabbage flavor of sauerkraut. The basis is still cabbage but you add onions, some kind of hot pepper, and carrots.
As with all ferments, you want to get a similar size of all your ingredients so it ferments easily.
This ferment can be eaten alone but I usually add it on the side of salads or add it as a bright and fresh topping for a soup.
Ingredients
- 1 Large Cabbage
- 1 onion
- 1 cup grated carrots
- Fresh Jalapeno
- Dried Oregano, preferably Mexican
- 2% Salt, based on weight
- Scale
Directions
Shred the cabbage and onions.
Place a bowl on top of your scale. Weigh your bowl in grams + write it down because your scale will turn out . Add cabbage, carrots, and onions.
Subtract the weight of your bowl from the mixture, then add 2% of the weight of your mixture in salt. For example, if your mixture is 1000 grams, add 20 grams of salt. My mixture required 37 grams or 2 tbsp + 1 tsp of salt.
Mix the ingredients with the salt.
Let it sit for ten minutes.
Massage the mixture together until the juices start to run.
Add the mixture to jars using a funnel. Press the mixture as you fill but do not smash the vegetables. The mixture should come to the shoulder of the jar.
If the brine does not cover the vegetables, add filtered water until it does.
Use a knife to remove air bubbles.
Tuck in a cabbage leaf on the top to keep the mixture under the water level. Multiple cabbage leaves may need to be used.
Add a couple of dashes of salt on top of the cabbage leave to keep the brine extra salty. This will prevent any mold growth.
Clean the rims of the jars inside and out with a clean top. Dry and top with metal lids and rings. The rims, lids, and rings need to be dry to prevent molding.
Place in your kitchen, out of direct sunlight, for around a month. Similar to sauerkraut, it improves with age!