Remove 2 or 3 clean outer cabbage leaves and reserve them. Quarter the cabbage, remove the core, and slice the remaining cabbage into thin shreds.

Shred the carrots and combine them with the cabbage.

Weigh the prepared vegetables. Calculate and measure mineral salt at 1.5 to 2% of that weight.

Sprinkle the salt evenly over the vegetables. Squeeze and massage until the cabbage softens and releases enough juice that a squeezed handful drips readily.

Rest the mixture for 10 to 15 minutes, then squeeze again to draw out more liquid.

Pack the vegetables firmly into the clean glass vessel, forcing out air pockets. Divide the batch among multiple jars if needed rather than overfilling one jar.

Press until vegetable juice rises above the solids. Lay a reserved cabbage leaf over the shreds and apply the glass or ceramic weight. Keep the shreds and leaf below the brine, with room above the liquid for expansion and the airlock fitted as its maker directs.

If the vegetables have not produced enough liquid to remain submerged by the next morning, add only enough filtered dechlorinated water to restore coverage.

Fit an airlock or fermentation lid designed to release gas, following its maker's directions. Ferment out of direct sunlight at room temperature. An ordinary tightly sealed lid does not vent the pressure that fermentation creates.

Taste as the batch develops and again around 2 weeks. Allow longer for more mature, deeply tart sauerkraut. Temperature and salt affect the pace; the cabbage should soften and become pleasantly sour. Refrigerate when the flavor and texture suit you. Two weeks is a check, not a guaranteed finish.