Sauerkraut

Remove the stump (core) and the green or damaged outer leaves from some white cabbages. Using a knife with a broad blade or a special shredder or food processor, cut the cabbages into very fine strips. Wash and drain thoroughly. Line the bottom of a container with large cabbage leaves or vine leaves and arrange the shredded cabbage in layers, covering each layer with coarse salt and sprinkling with juniper berries. Put a handful of coarse salt on the final layer. Cover with a cloth, then with a wooden lid that fits inside the container. Place a heavy stone on this lid. By the next day, the pressure should have forced out sufficient water to cover the lid. Ensure that it is always so. Keep in a cool place. After about three weeks, when no more foam forms above the cabbage, the sauerkraut is ready to eat. Each time some sauerkraut is taken out, remove the covering liquid, replace the cloth, the lid, and the stone, and add fresh water. Sauerkraut should not be kept too long; eventually it turns yellow and acquires a more pronounced flavor. According to some, it should remain slightly crisp and should never be reheated. Others, on the contrary, enjoy it after repeated cooking, when it has a slightly reddish color due to contact with the bottom of the saucepan when the water has almost evaporated.