Barrel-Cured Sauerkraut

Russian families once required whole cartloads of cabbage to accommodate their yearly sauerkraut-making. Although the process of shredding so many heads of cabbage was laborious, it ensured a constant supply throughout the winter, to be eaten plain, mixed with other vegetables or added to the inevitable shchi. The sauerkraut was put up in large oaken barrels, whose scent permeated the fermenting cabbage. Black currant or cherry leaves were often layered with the cabbage, further contributin