26
Aug
In an extra large bowl combine salt and cabbage. If desired add optional ingredients.
Quarter cabbages and remove cores.
Recipe for making sauerkraut. Thoroughly wash a large tub or bowl we used on the size of a small washing up bowl then rinse with boiling water from the kettle. Make sure that your hands and everything else coming into contact with the cabbage are very clean. Quarter cabbages and remove cores.
In an extra large bowl combine salt and cabbage. With clean hands squeeze cabbage until it wilts and releases liquid about 10 minutes. If desired add optional ingredients.
Ideally the cabbage mix should be covered by one to two inches of liquid. If you find that there isn t enough in your container you can make a brine to compensate. This is super simple.
Combine four and a half teaspoons of canning salt and a quart of water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil until the salt is dissolved. Methods for making sauerkraut 1.
Slicing pounding and kneading cabbage thinly slice cabbage salt it then pound it with a tool such as the cabbage crusher or pickle packer for about 10 minutes or until enough juice is released to form a brine and completely cover the cabbage. Place the jar in a rimmed pan to catch any overflow and allow to ferment at room temperature until the kraut is as sour as you like it. This can take anywhere from 1 4 weeks.
After it s done fermenting store the sauerkraut in the refrigerator. Sauerkraut is one of my favorite fermented foods. Keep your hands and any metal object out of the crock.
Use wooden spoons and mashers and glass or crockery for dipping and weighting. The best and freshest ingredients will yield the best sauerkraut. You can make relish with your old tough cabbage but use your young fresh tender cabbage for your sauerkraut.
Before you start making this german sauerkraut recipe make sure to sterilize all equipment especially the mason jar. Simply pour boiling water over it then let it dry naturally. The cabbage must be covered with its liquid brine to avoid that mold starts growing.
How to make homemade sauerkraut. A few tips for making the best homemade sauerkraut. Use the freshest cabbage available.
Any color cabbage will work but the fresher it is the more crisp the finished sauerkraut will be. I love making kraut with fresh picked cabbage from my garden or farmers market. Sour and richly complex sauerkraut is a vibrant fermented food with deep flavor.
While making sauerkraut at home can seem complicated it s actually marvelously easy. And you only need two ingredients. Prep time 20 mins.
All you need to do is combine shredded cabbage with some salt and pack it into a container a crock if you have one and want to make a lot of sauerkraut but a mason jar will do just fine for small batches. The cabbage releases liquid creating its own brining solution.