I remember making sauerkraut as a kid with our homegrown cabbages in large ceramic crocks, and I must say, I was never a fan. However, my taste buds have turned over a new leaf in the past year, and I cannot get enough. I do not reserve the eating of fermented cabbage solely for Christmas dinners with kielbasa, but I eat it several times a week - with everything. I eat sauerkraut with pasta, fried eggs, on salad, in stirfry, for breakfast, you name it. With its natural antibodies, sauerkraut is very good for you and not to mention super cheap to make.
Although there are lots of recipes out there for ratios of salt to cabbage, what kind of salt to use, etc., I find that you can pretty much do anything and not mess it up. I have used kosher salt, sea salt, table salt (although I think ideally you're supposed to use pickling salt) and just generously sprinkle it in with the cabbage (but I believe the actual ratio is 3 tbsp of salt to 5 lbs cabbage).
If you have a ceramic crock, glass jar, or any other vessel that will not corrode, that will work. It is also possible to make small portions in mason jars. The key thing to remember when making kraut is that you need to weight it down allowing no air to reach the cabbage, keep it out of direct sunlight, and allow it to "burp". Because the kraut will quickly become "alive" with natural bacteria, gasses will build up in the container and will need to be released. If you use a mason jar with a lid, be sure to unscrew it quite often to release the pressure - otherwise you may end up with an exploding jar.
complete with an airlock on top and ceramic weights!
So let's say you have a large container and you want to make some sauerkraut! Here's how you do it.
1. Shred cabbage either by hand or in a cuisinart and mix thoroughly with appropriate amount of salt.
2. Pack tightly into container and you will notice that after a few hours, the salt will have drawn out some water from the cabbage. Do not be afraid to add enough water to cover the cabbage in the container. This is a very important step because if you do not have it covered, your cabbage will rot and not ferment.
3. Next, find something to weigh it down to keep it submerged. Again, you don't want to use anything that is corrosive. Some people like to fill a bag with water and put that bag right on top of the kraut. This will also help to keep the kraut from being exposed to the air.
4. All you have to do is let it sit and check it periodically to make sure it is still submerged. You will notice some brownish foam form on the top, that is just fine! In about 2 weeks your sauerkraut will be ready to eat. It can continue to ferment as long as you like in the crock, however I like mine after about 2 weeks. At that point, I transfer it to mason jars and keep them in the fridge for easy access and to stop the fermentation.
If you are going for a more colorful kraut you can use red cabbage, or a mix of red and green. Some people also like to add chopped apples or other fruits to the cabbage mixture. I really like adding toasted caraway seeds to my kraut, but the possibilities are endless! Please feel free to email me with your specific questions about how to make your kraut - I know this was a lot of information. I promise you will love it and be proud of yourself for making your own sauerkraut! Good luck!
