I loved learning how to make sauerkraut this past year and I was surprised by how easy (and inexpensive) it was to make. I was especially proud of our New Years' pork and sauerkraut meal this year. Our roast was from our own backyard pig and it was perfeclyt paired with our home fermented kraut. If you're looking for a simple and rewarding project, I would recommend you try this recipe.
Here's how I did it.
You will need:
cabbages
kosher or pickling salt
a large container
a plate
and a weight (I used a gallon jar filled with water, but many people use a big Rock)
*Two important things to remember when making this are to never use aluminum utensils, and that using very clean utensils is necessary for a healthy brew...so clean your container and utensils before beginning.
To make it:
1. Wash cabbages and remove the outer leaves. Shred finely and discard the cores.(You can use a food processor or shred it by hand, like I did)
(I cannot figure out how to rotate this picture...grrr!)
2. Mix 4 Tbls. salt with 5 pounds of shredded cabbage and put in your clean crock. Stir and smash this down with clean hands until juices (the salt pulls it from the cabbage) covers the layer of cabbage.
3. Repeat until all of your cabbage is gone, using the same salt to cabbage ratio, and keep layering it and smashing it in your crock. Smash until brine covers the cabbage. If you cannot seem to smash it until the liquid covers the cabbage you can make some extra brine to pour in. To do this, just put 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons of kosher salt into 1 quart of boiling water. Dissolve the salt in the water and cool brine to room temperature. Add brine to cover cabbage.
4. Put the plate in the crock, on top of cabbage, and place your weight on the plate to keep the cabbage under the brine.
5. Cover the crock with plastic wrap and then place a heavy towel over the top. (You want to keep any bugs out)
6. Place the crock in an area where the temperature will not go above 75 degrees or below 60. Allow it to ferment for 4-6 weeks until it tastes the way you like it. The longer you let it sit the more "sour" it will get. (The higher the temp. the faster it will ferment.)
I let mine go for 6 weeks at about 70 degrees and it was delicious.
Also- It can get some mold on the top of the brine. As long as it's not green or black- this is okay. Just remove it before taking out the kraut. I have talked to many people who have been making it for years and a lot of them say that they scrape the mold off once a week for 6 weeks. Some say they just remove it when it's done fermenting. I was worried about mine the first time I made it. But then I ate it and didn't die...so now I trust what everyone had told me.
7. Next-taste it. If it's good then remove it from the crock. Eat it raw for all the fermented benefits or Can it to enjoy it later in the year. (If you want to keep it raw I've read that it will keep in the fridge for about two months.)
I don't love it raw because I feel like it has a musty taste but I try to eat some anyway...since it's good for me and all. I canned the majority of mine.
If you want to can it use this timetable:
Raw Pack: Pint jars-20 minutes, Quart jars-25 minutes
And if you want to see another sweet little thing that was brewing in my crock....
Here's my little one playing peek-a-boo.
Where's Baby Josie?? Where could she be??
Peek-a-boo!!! There she is!!
I don't know what I enjoyed more about this antique crock...Fermenting the kraut or entertaining my toddler for an entire afternoon?! Both uses were wonderful!!
If you make your sauerkraut a different way, I'd love to hear about it!
