Home-made Sauerkraut

Today I am going to try my luck at fermenting cabbage.  Making your own sauerkraut is easy and inexpensive.  Raw fermented kraut is loaded with nutrition and the good bacteria in it keeps your digestive system in tack.  I bought a jar of raw sauerkraut at my local health food store and it cost me $7.99 for a small 16 ounce jar.  I can make a whole lot more of this gem for a whole lot less at home.

Let's get started and give this a whirl.

Here's what you need:

1 head of cabbage, red or green, finely shredded. (Reserve one cabbage leaf for the top, if desired.)
   (About 8 cups)

1 tablespoon coarse salt

That's it for ingredients!

Here is the Process:

Core and finely chop the cabbage either by hand or with a food processor.  Today I am going to use my food processor.

Place the cabbage in a large bowl and begin sprinkling it with salt, a little at a time, and taste it as you go.  You don't want it to be too salty.

(If you are you using purple cabbage you may want to wear disposable kitchen gloves for this next step.)
                                                  

Begin squeezing the cabbage all around the bowl until the cells of the vegetable release their moisture.  (This is a good time to sing a little tune as you squeeze if you are so inclined!)  The goal here is to break down the cabbage until it is soft and reduced in size.  There will be some juices in the bowl, so make sure you keep it.  Do not drain.

Taste the cabbage at this point to check for seasoning.   If it tastes satisfactory and is juicy and soft you are ready to put it in a jar.  Any kitchen jar with a lid will work fine.  You could even use a crock if you have one, but do not use metal or plastic because the sauerkraut could react with the metal, and the plastic compounds could leach into your kraut. 

Begin placing the cabbage into your jar, pressing the air bubbles out as you go.  I used a wooden spoon at first, them switched to a flat meat tenderizer to press the final mixture down into the juice.  I then folded the reserved cabbage leaf and placed it on top of the final mixture and pressed it down until it was covered with juice.  I needed about a tablespoon of water to ensure it was all covered.  (Note:  I now use a rubber spatula.  It works great.)

Place the lid on, wipe down the jar, and that is it!  Keep it at room temperature for about 4 days, until it tastes the way you like it.

I will check on the process every day.  If you use a tight-fitting lid it will need to be opened daily to release the gases.  Also, if any mold develops around the upper part of the jar, simple scrape it away.  The kraut does not grow bad bacteria because the environment is too acidic to support it.

When the kraut tastes just the way you like it refrigerate it to slow the fermenting process.  It will keep in the fridge for several months.

Monday, August 18, 2014

I tasted the sauerkraut this morning and it is beginning to get sour.  I like mine pretty sour, so I will continue to leave it on the counter and check it each day until it tastes right for me.