Dissolve Veggie Culture Starter with warm water. Add some form of sugar to feed the starter (try rapadura, sucanat, honey, agave, or Body Ecology’s EcoBloom). Let the starter/sugar mixture sit for about 20 minutes or longer while the bacteria wake up and begin enjoying the sugar. Put aside.

Combine shredded cabbage, carrots, ginger, and garlic in a large bowl.

Remove several cups of this mixture and put into a blender. Add enough filtered water to make a “brine” the consistency of thick juice. Add culture starter mixture to the brine. Blend well and then add brine back into the shredded veggies. Stir well.

Pack mixture down into glass or stainless-steel containers. Use your fist, a wooden dowel, or a potato masher to pack veggies tightly.

Fill containers almost full but leave about 2 inches of room at the top for veggies to expand. Roll up several cabbage leaves into a tight “log” and place them on top to fill the remaining 2-inch space. Clamp jars closed.

Let veggies sit at about a 70°F room temperature for at least 3 days. A week is even better. Refrigerate to slow down fermentation. Enjoy!