Fermented Sauerkraut
Makes 2 quarts
Fermented foods are incredibly popular and linked to a lot of health benefits due to their probiotics, and beneficial bacteria. They are also expensive to purchase ready made, and couldn’t be cheaper to make on your own. You just need some salt, and some TIME.
Most importantly, once you make your own sauerkraut you’ll never buy it again. It’s SO much better than the vinegar variety – perfect for hot dogs and brats!
1 large cabbage, cored and thinly sliced – from CSA box
¼ cup kosher salt
1. Place sliced cabbage in a LARGE bowl. There will be a lot of cabbage! Sprinkle the cabbage with salt and start to ‘knead’ with your hands, crunching the cabbage and ensuring the salt is well distributed throughout. Let cabbage sit about 30 minutes.
2. After 30 minutes, return to kneading the cabbage. It will have started to release a lot of water. Continue to mash the cabbage for a few more minutes.
3. Carefully pack the cabbage into wide-mouthed quart jars. Pushing down firmly. You should be able to get ALL of the cabbage into 2 jars, as it will have released a lot of water.
4. Press down firmly, ensuring that the cabbage is submerged with liquid – this is important! If you cannot completely submerge the cabbage, add a little bit of distilled/filtered water (tap water has a lot of chlorine which will kill the probiotic bacteria).
5. Weigh down the cabbage with a weight or with some rocks* that you’ve cleaned well, ensuring the cabbage is completely submerged. Cover loosely with a coffee filter or paper towel.
6. Place the jars aside and check daily. By Day 2 or 3, the cabbage should have foam on top – meaning it’s fermenting! Remove foam, ensure cabbage is still submerged and leave it be.
7. On Day 6, remove the weight and try the sauerkraut. If you like the taste (it’s sour enough for your liking) refrigerate until you’re ready to enjoy on your bratwurst. If you’d like it to be more sour, leave out for another day or 2. The longer it sits, the more sour it will be.
*When I first started making sauerkraut, I simply cleaned some rocks from the backyard really really well. Wide-mouthed quart jars are great because it’s easier to pack/submerge the cabbage and also place a weight in!
