Across America, folks of German and Amish dissent are making sauerkraut. Typically, it is made with the end of season cabbage, sea salt, and caraway seeds.
Our neighbor ended up with seven heads of cabbage - The end of their crop. They mentioned it to my mom in passing and she said, "oh boy. Are you going to make sauerkraut?"
They told my mom that they had never made it before and were just going to give the heads to the pigs.
Well my mom told them that my sauerkraut was far better than store bought and if they brought over the heads of cabbage my son would make some for them.
Gee mom, it's not like I don't have enough to do.
In the end, my neighbor brought over seven heads of cabbage (11-pounds) yesterday.
Today it has been raining off & on so I dug out my old 5-gallon crock, weight stones that presses down on the kraut, and my recipe that I have not used in years. Here is the recipe. Remember, I am using a 5-gallon crock.
Crock waiting for cabbage11 pounds of cleaned cabbage cut in thin strips,
22, tsp of Himalayan salt, (2, tsp per pound of slaw. You can use kosher or sea salt but not table salt)
4, tsp of caraway seeds.
- Core out the cabbage head and remove any dirty leaves and wash under running water. Let stand/drain.
- Weigh the heads of cabbage so you know how much salt to use.
- Cut cabbage in half and cut into thin strips, 1/8 to 1/4" wide.
In a washed 5-gallon crock, fill with the sliced cabbage about 1/5 full and sprinkle about 4 tsp of salt and 1 tsp of caraway seeds over the cut cabbage and toss using your hands. Add another 1/5, add 4 tsp of salt and 1 tsp of caraway seeds over the kraut and toss with your hands. Etc etc etc till all the kraut is salted and tossed with your hands.
Cabbage and salt waiting to go into the crockOnce done, put the weight stones on top of the kraut and let nature take its course. If you do not have weight stones you can use a dinner plate loaded with two 14-oz cans of veggies that you put in a zip lock bag on top of the plate.
I put the crock in the coolest part of my basement covered lightly with a large paper bag or dishtowel, which I use for a root cellar. Right now that corner is about 65`F. Within 24-hours the salt will draw the water out of the cabbage and should rise above the weight stones. If it doesn't rise above the weight stones, just add boiled water with 1 tbls of salt per 2-cups of water,
cooled. It is important that water remains over the weight stones to keep out any unwanted pests.
Job done! Sliced cabbage in the crock with weight stones. Just need to put a dish towel over.Walk away for 15-days or so. I taste it around 15-days and let it go till it taste right to me. Sometimes I pull it at 18-days other times at 20-days. MrsMac makes the finale determination.
Once you determine it is time to pull the now kraut, I spoon the fermented kraut into mason jars (Canning Jars) trying to minimize air pockets by packing tightly but not pushing too much. Empty any brine from the jar and seal with the lid and rings. I use 16-oz. mason jars as it is just MrsMac and I but you could use larger mason jars if you choose.
If the cellar is around 55-degrees by the time I pull the kraut, I just leave the jars on shelves in my makeshift root cellar. If not 55-degrees or cooler, I put in my old refrigerator in the corner of the cellar.
I have known folks that make sauerkraut in qt. jars, #10 restaurant mayonnaise jars, etcetera. So you do not need a 5-gallon crock to make your own kraut. I bet you can make it in a 5-gallon food grade Home Depot bucket too.
Just think, one night the snow will be blowing sidewise, Tom Brady will be throwing for another touchdown on the boob tube and the outside temperature will be 20-degrees F. There is a Dutch oven you paced on the top of your wood stove earlier in the morning with a corn beef, onions, and beer inside simmering away. The bread machine dings letting you know the loaf of rye bread is done and it is time for you to go down to the cellar to grab a jar of sauerkraut and a bottle of Chateau St. Michelle Riesling or a stout beer. Man o' man, Rueben time is just around the corner.
Now if MrsFeedingFreedom would share her Kimchi recipe with the
UP readership all would be well with the world.
