fermented pickled vegetables

Prepare the materials.

Remove the old core from the Chinese cabbage, cut the cabbage in half, and make a cut in the upper half of the middle of one half of the cabbage.

Boil a large basin of water, making sure there are no oily impurities.

Blanch the Chinese cabbage in a pot for two minutes—stem side down, leaves side up. The Chinese cabbage becomes soft.

Scoop out and drain until the Chinese cabbage is cool both inside and out, otherwise it will rot.

Clean the pickling jar thoroughly so that there is no trace of oil or impurities. Arrange a layer of Chinese cabbage and sprinkle some coarse salt and Sichuan peppercorns on top, alternating layers of salt and cabbage with peppercorns, stacking them tightly layer by layer in the jar. Boil the water used to blanch the cabbage once more, let it cool, and then pour it into the pickling jar with the cabbage.

Place large stones on top, and after a day or two, the cabbage water will seep out, with bubbles clearly visible on the surface, indicating that fermentation is in progress. If the water level is below the cabbage, add boiled water until it covers the cabbage. If there is too much water, drain it out, and cover with a lid; if there is no lid, you can cover it with plastic wrap. Store in a cool place, ideally around 10-15°C. If the temperature is too high, the sauerkraut is prone to spoil. It can be eaten after one month.