Remove any damaged or dirty leaves from the dense heads of cabbage and layer them in a barrel between layers of shredded cabbage. Larger heads can be cut into halves or quarters. You can also ferment whole heads separately by submerging them in brine.
For this recipe, you’ll need 12 kg (about 26.5 lbs) of white cabbage, 250-300 g (about 9-10.5 oz) of salt, and 10 liters (about 2.6 gallons) of water.