CAULIFLOWERS AND CABBAGES. 79 



American readers will oblige the writer of the 

 following directions by giving them a test, if only 

 for curiosity's sake, they will probably find that 

 even saurkraut may be made palatable. It has, 

 besides, advantages over cabbage used in any other 

 way, being more healthful, aiding, by means of its 

 lactic acid, the digestion of meat and albuminous 

 substances. For mariners and other people who, 

 for longer periods, must fare principally on salt 

 meat, it is almost indispensable as a preventive 

 against scorbutic diseases. 



HOW TO MAKE SAURKRAUT. 



The outer leaves and stalks are removed from 

 fine white cabbage heads, which are then cut very 

 fine. For preparation of a larger quantity, a kind 

 of plane is used for shredding the cabbage. A well- 

 cleaned and scalded wooden tub or keg is covered 

 on bottom and sides with leaven or a dough made 

 of rye flour and vinegar. The shredded cabbage 

 is put in layers in this vessel and sprinkled with 

 some salt, caraway seed, barberries and vinegar, 

 each layer; sometimes dill (Anethum graveolens) 

 is added. The contents are packed firmly, by the 

 aid of a wooden pestle, until the juice appears from 

 the cabbage. A cover is put on the keg or tub 

 and pressed down by a weight, whereupon the 

 vessel is put in a warm place where the cabbage 

 will ferment and turn sour, generally, in the course 

 of a week or two. The acid formed by the fer- 

 mentation will prevent any further change of the 



