Sauerkraut is a fermented food full of probiotics which feed the gut flora, a small amount of fermented food everyday will help keep you healthy. Making sauerkraut at home is easy, this one is made with Savoy cabbage plus carrots but you can use the same recipe for plain white or red cabbage sauerkraut.All you need is a whole Savoy cabbage, four carrots and 2 scant tablespoons of either Himalayan or Celtic salt, both full of minerals and trace elements. Table salt contains additives that may interfere with the fermentation process. You will also need some large jars that seal well, I like the flip top jars that have a rubber seal.

First remove any outer leaves from the cabbage that are damaged or dirty then cut it into four quarters. Slice each quarter thinly, removing the core as you get to it.

There will quite a lot of cabbage so put it into two large bowls. Then wash and grate the carrots, no need to peel. Add the carrots to the cabbage.

Add a scant tablespoon of salt to each bowl and then massage the vegetables with the salt, use your hands pressing and squeezing. After about 10 minutes the volume will have halved and lots of liquid will have come out.Then start filling your jars pushing the vegetables down tightly. There should be enough liquid to cover the vegetables when it is pushed down. Fill each jar until it is a couple of centimetres from the top.Make sure everything is covered in liquid then seal the jars. I do prefer the flip top jar as they have a rubber seal which does not corrode. This quantity makes about two 1 litre jars.Leave on the kitchen bench for 7 – 10 days to ferment. Put the jars on a plate because some of the liquid may spill out of the top if it is a vigorous ferment and you have filled the jars a little full. You will need to burp the jars a few times to release the gases. When the ferment has slowed right down you can put them into the refrigerator and start eating as soon as you like. Try and keep the vegetables under the liquid as this will keep it fresh and alive, it will continue to ferment and develope flavour in the refrigerator Sauerkraut will keep for up to a year, but this quantity will get eaten long before that.