A couple of weeks ago, I shared a recipe for Kimchi Kraut that I created a couple years ago as part of a project that never saw the light of day. Today, I’m bringing you the second recipe from that series. I call it Taco Kraut.
Certainly there are more traditional accompaniments to tacos, like curtido or escabeche, but despite that, I feel like there’s space in the world for another tangy taco topping.
It starts much the same way a regular kraut starts, with a finely shredded head of cabbage. Then you add healthy portions of cilantro, scallions, garlic, jalapeno, and salt.
Because I’m something of a spice light-weight, I only use a single jalapeno. Those with hardier palates among you are welcome to use more. You could also switch to a pepper with a bit more fire. I bet habanero would delicious (if you choose to go in that direction, definitely make sure to wear disposable gloves while massaging and packing up the kraut).
Once the ingredients are well-mixed and you can squeeze a handful of the cabbage and have a healthy stream of liquid running back into the bowl, you can pack it into a quart jar. I like to pack it in one handful at a time, pressing each layer down firmly before adding the next.
Now, I have relatively small hands and so can fit my mitts into a wide mouth quart jar without issue. If you were gifted with larger hands than I have and struggle to get your kraut tightly fitted into the jar, I highly recommend getting one of these sauerkraut tampers.
They typically run between $15 and $25 and are a boon to those who make sauerkraut regularly. I have the Pickle Packer from Masontops, but I’ve used others and they are universally handy.
In addition to the obvious use (tacos!), I like to tuck this kraut into quesadillas, fold it into warm black beans, and add it to this Cumin Cabbage Slaw (that recipe is nearly a decade old, but definitely holds up in terms of flavor and utility).
Taco Kraut
Ingredients
- 1 pound 12 ounces cabbage, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 4 scallions sliced
- 3 garlic cloves minced or pressed
- 1 jalapeno thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon pickling salt
Instructions
- Place cut cabbage, cilantro, scallions, garlic, jalapeno, and salt in large bowl.
- Using your hands (if your skin is sensitive, wear food safe gloves), knead the ingredients together, squeezing firmly to help release liquid from the veg.
- When the volume in the bowl appears to have reduced by half, pack the massaged veg into a wide mouth quart jar in layers, firmly pressing it down each time before adding more (the entire batch should fit into a single quart jar).
- Press cabbage down firmly in the jar, so that liquid bubbles up over the surface of the jar. Loosely cap the jar (or top with an airlock, if you have one), position it on a small saucer or plate, and place it in a cool, dark spot.
- Check every other day, removing any bloom and pressing cabbage down if it has floated above the liquid (be warned, it will be a bit stinky. That’s normal).
- After a week, taste the sauerkraut. If you like the flavor, place the jar in the refrigerator. If you want something a bit stronger, let it continue to ferment until it pleases you.
I am crazy about this recipe!
Hooray!
Made the taco kraut a month or so ago and finally tried it on our “street tacos” this evening – delicious! Had it with thin sliced carne asada beef with just a bit of queso fresco. Will be making the taco kraut again when we finish this batch! Thanks for the recipe! (This was my first try at fermenting.)
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed it!
My question is similar to Meredith’s above. Can this recipe be made and then put in jars and preserved using hot bath method?
All krauts CAN be heated and processed using the boiling water bath canning process (instructions here). However, it really softened the finished kraut and for that reason, I don’t recommend it.
Is there a way to store this long-term? Maybe just the fridge for a few weeks (?). Would love to be able to make this to share, too – wondered if it could be processed.
Thank you!
Can you recommend a substitution for those of us who have the gene that makes cilantro taste like soap?
I’d suggest that you leave it out rather than try to find something else to swap in.
I regularly add chili to my ferments and instead of using single wear gloves you can first massage, excluding the chili, then when enough juices are extracted fold in the chili, you will still get the flavour through out the end product but eliminate the garbage. H
Heather, that’s a really smart tip. Thank you!