Making Your Own Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut is a simple fermented product to make. All you need is a head of cabbage and some salt, along with a glass container like a canning jar. It's great with so many ways, although I enjoy it most on a grilled hotdog or brat. My mom enjoys it in her salad. When I first learned how to make sauerkraut, I did it with a group of friends, and we were able to get more then 15 quarts done in about an hour, from start to clean up. It was great to learn how to do something together that we could then eat when it was done "perking" or fermenting. Mastering How to Make Your Own Sauerkraut is the video on how I made this sauerkraut, seeing how it's made may help you in a different way.

Simply put, you need very little to make this great fermented product. While I have used a few things that I bought specifically for making sauerkraut, you can use some simpler items that are around the home.

Supplies:

• 1 Head of Cabbage
• 1 -1/2 Gallon Glass Jar (or) 2 Quart Glass Jars
• Himalayan Salt
• Soda Glass Weight or Rock
• Large Knife
• Two Part Canning Lid(s)
• Fermenting Lid Like a Silicone Pickling Pipe (Nipple) or Gasket

First things first, get the freshest cabbage you can, and do this project on the day of harvest, or as close to it as possible. Then do the following:

1. Take one outter leaf off the head and set aside
2. Cut the head of cabbage in half with a large knife.
3. Cut the core out of both sides of the head.
4. Rinse both sides of the cabbage and the leaf you set aside in the sink.

At this point you can use several different tools to cut your cabbage. I'm using a large knife here but you could use a food processor if you have one. I tend to like my sauerkraut somewhat thinly sliced on the thiner side, but you might rather have chunks. So cut the cabbage down how you prefer. But as you can see in the pictures, I sliced the cabbage in several slices, then cut the slice in half or quarters depending on the length. Once I have it all cut, I place it on a tray for when I take it to the bowl for the massaging step.

Once sliced, I put half the cabbage in a large bowl. This cabbage was just over 4 pounds. With that in mind, the original recipe I had was 4 teaspoons salt to 1 pound. When I did that, it was WAY too salty, so we did twice the amount of cabbage, making it 2 teaspoons salt to 1 pound of cabbage. In the end with this batch, I added two and a half teaspoons of Hymalan Salt to each batch I did, since I had one head that weighed in at just over 4 pounds - 4 divided by 2 = 2 pounds. Therefore, I added just over 4 teaspoons of salt to each of the two pounds I massaged (2 batches). Massage the cabbage and salt together until very wilted and water is at the bottom of the bowl. Then process the other half of the cabbage in the same way, mixing salt and cabbage until there is water in the bottom of the bowl as shown in the last photo.

If you had one bowl like I did, you will be using it twice, for each of the two batches I did. The first batch, once massaged and juiced, you will add to your jar of choice. In my case I used a half gallon mason jar for the whole head of cabbage I had. Using your hand or a spoon of choice, place new sauerkraut into your jar. You will see that loosly fit, there won't be much room, but with some mashing down, you will have a lot more room then expected. I used a round wooden tool (forgive me for not knowing the correct name) that I called the "masher", both ends were flat. Pressing the masher into the jar, it created some more liquid from the cabbage. As you can see from the images, there is a difference between the first half that has been massaged and put in the bottle, vs the un-massaged and in the bowl. Same amount, just a different volume. All the same, once you have have massaged the remaining cabbage, place it in the jar and press down into the with the "masher" until covered with the liquid.

Once you have all the cabbage pressed down into the jar, grab the leaf you set aside earlier. Tare out the rib of the leaf so that you can bend it into the bottle on top of the chopped cabbage. This is optional, but allows the cabbage below to stay submerged in the liquid during fermenting. Then add your wieght, I used a soda glass weight that came with the fermenting set I got (4 soda glass weights, 4 silicone fermenting lids, and the wooden "masher"). But you can also use a rock as a weight instead. Finishing up there are two options: A - silicone fermenting lid -or- B - tradional canning lid (the flat portion). Either way, you will need a means of "burping" the jar while fermenting. The silicone fermenting lid allows you to just squeeze the top to let the air out. The flat lid will need to be opened. Each day you will need to burp the sauerkraut so that your jar doesn't explode - literally. Wheather using the silicone fermenting lid, or flat portion of a two part canning lid, you will also need to use the metal ring to secure either option you choose. Lastly, make sure that metal ring is secure on your glass jar. AND THAT'S IT!!

Now is the time to let the cabbage turn into sauerkraut throught the process of fermentation. Be careful to keep you jar(s) in a cool, dry, dark or low light area. If you are using the silicone lid that I did, just remember to squeeze the nipple to let the gas out. If you don't have that, then use what you have with the two part canning set up or even a screw top lid if using a recycled jar. If using the two part lid or screw top, just make sure to open the lid each day to alleaviate the pressure that is building in the jar. Taste as you go so you know what your like for taste and crunch level. It took my first batch about 3 weeks until I felt mine was done, but you can leave it on a shelf for months, just as long as you keep burping it. Happy 'Krauting!!