Sauerkraut - Part One

 

Core, finely slice and weigh cabbage.

I purchased this crock at a secondhand store. It is the crock of a large crockpot. It is perfect for fermenting small batches of sauerkraut. 

Add 1 1/2 to 2 Tsp salt per pound of cabbage. 

Mix salt throughout the cabbage.

Pound cabbage to release more juices. Do not pulverize the cabbage. 

Cover and let sit 1 hour to release the juices from the cabbage.

You can ferment sauerkraut in jars too. Just remember to use loose fitting lids for off-gassing.

Dissolve 1 Tbs salt in 4 cups of water. 

Pour brine over cabbage until there is at least 2 inches of brine covering the cabbage.

Mix thoroughly. 

Wash outer cabbage leaves. Place them on top of cabbage mixture.

Place weights on top of leaves and press down until the brine covers the cabbage.

Cover crock or container with a loosely fitted lid.  

My home is cool and very bright, so I covered the crock.

I placed the crock in a safe and out of the way spot. 

The cabbage mixture should start to bubble within a day depending on the temperature. Once the bubbling has stopped the Sauerkraut is ready to be processed. This could take weeks or months depending on the temperature of the house. I have made Sauerkraut in the winter months that took 8 weeks to ferment. It was the best kraut that I have ever made. This will be a two-part post. In the second post I will share how I preserve the sauerkraut.