Sauerkraut Making in the Kitchen

   

   I love sauerkraut. I never have liked purchased sauerkraut from the grocery chain. But once I had homemade sauerkraut like my Aunt Dorothy makes, I instantly fell in love with the stuff. I have been fortunate since being involved in the produce co-op to purchase cabbage at a very low cost. $3 for the last case I purchased. It is simple to make, and after the wait, you have delicious, crisp sauerkraut.

   I don't have a kraut cutter, so I chop my cabbage. I don't save the heart, but that is personal preference. You can chop up the heart. I weigh my cabbage before chopping it and "guess-ta-mate" what it will weigh after outer leaves are removed and hearts removed. I measure out the salt that I will need (Use canning salt, DO NOT USE SALT WITH IODINE). Using 2 oz. salt for every 6 lbs of cabbage. The salt keeps sauerkraut crunchy. I chop up a head of cabbage, add it to the crock and sprinkle with salt. I stir it well with a wooden spoon. I chop up each head, add it to the crock, sprinkle with salt and stir. When all the cabbage has been added, I let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes to let it form it's own brine. I then stir it and tamp it down again. If there is not enough brine to cover the cabbage, I add a salt/ water brine. I mix 1 qt water and 2 T canning salt. I add enough brine to cover the cabbage. 

   The next step is to cover the cabbage with a cotton towel or pillowcase. (Flour sack dishtowels work best. ) I set a large plate on the towel. I then put a garbage bag over the plate and fill it with a couple of gallons of water. The filled garbage bag helps to seal the cabbage in the brine. The cabbage should be sauerkraut in 4 to 6 weeks.

   My aunt never checks her sauerkraut until she believes it is ready. I check my sauerkraut about once a week and rinse the mold off of the towel. I usually replace it with a clean towel. Fermenting will slow down and you will know when it is ready. I process my cabbage in jars in a hot water bath. You can leave the kraut in the crock and take out what you need, making sure to "bury" it back in the brine after removing some of the kraut. When almost all the kraut is gone, more cabbage can be added to start another batch.

This will be by far, the best sauerkraut you will have ever tasted.