Shred or chop the cabbage fine. Line a barrel, keg, or jar with
cabbage-leaves on the bottom and sides. Put in a layer of the cut
cabbage, three inches in depth; press down well and sprinkle with four
tablespoonfuls of salt. When you have packed five layers in this way,
press hard with a board cut to fit loosely on the inside of the barrel
or jar. Put heavy weights on this, or pound with a wooden beetle until
the cabbage is a compact mass, when remove the board and put in more
layers of salt and shred cabbage, repeating the pounding every four or
five layers, until the vessel is full. Cover with leaves, and put the
board on the top of these with a heavy weight to keep it down. Set all
away to ferment. In three weeks remove the scum, and if need be, cover
with water. Keep in a cool, dry cellar. It can be eaten raw or boiled,
and seasoned with pork.
This is the mode _simple_ if not _pure_ of preparing this, to nostrils
unaccustomed to it, malodorous compound. Some add to the salt whole
black peppers, cloves, garlic, and mace,—“then put it away,” as a
mild, motherly Teuton dame once told me, “in the cellar to r—”—“Rot!”
interpolated a disgusted bystander, anticipating her deliberate
utterance. “No, my dear,” drawled the placid Frau, “to _ripen_.”