How to make Sauerkraut

It's been a while I know. It was my birthday on Friday. So that justifies a long weekend right? I think so. I've also been waiting on this one post. It's been weeks in the making. I'm excited about it, and just wish I had more pictures. Any way, this Kraut! We used one giant head of cabbage. Really, it was the size of a basketball.
So lets start making sauerkraut! Remember to try to use Organic!


How to make Sauerkraut 

First you'll need a large or 2-3 small to medium cabbage heads. 
( The amount of cabbage needed depends on how much kraut you plan to make. ) 

( Told you it was huge! )


Next you need to wash, dry and begin cutting or slicing up the cabbage.  You can use a knife, or a mandolin works well too.

Now you have to salt the cabbage. The basic amount of salt needed is 3 tbsp per 5 pound of cabbage. Make sure to use canning salt only.   ( I'm not quite sure how much we used in our cabbage, perhaps about 1-2 Tbsp ) 

Now allow the cabbage to sit , covered, for a few minuets. Next begin packing into a large jar. There should be enough natural fluid from the cabbage to cover the cabbage. If not, make a quick brine of  1 1/2 Tbsp of pickling salt to 1 qt.  water. Bring the brine to a boil, then remove from heat and allow it to cool to room temperature. Pour over the cabbage, add a small glass jar filled with remaining brine into the jar to help keep the water over the cabbage.  Store the jar in a cool dark area. Keep the lid off the jar, instead cover it with a very thin dish towel and perhaps sit the jar in a bowl ( in case some water spills out of the jar during the fermentation process ) . Every day remove any film or murky water from the top of the water.

Begin tasting the kraut after 3 days but you can let it ferment for up to 6 weeks. Once it's to your liking, you can store it in the fridge for a couple weeks, or can it. To can it, bring the kraut to a simmer ( 180 degrees ) and DO NOT BOIL , once it's brought to a simmer, pack the kraut and water into sterilized jars.  Wrap clean dish towels or "jackets" around the jars, and wait for them to seal. 

Enjoy!