18
May
Use the freshest cabbage available. I love making kraut with fresh picked cabbage from my garden or farmers market.
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 your own sauerkraut. 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. 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.
Methods for making sauerkraut. 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.
If after 24 hours the liquid has not risen above the cabbage dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt in 1 cup of water and add enough to submerge the cabbage. Ferment the cabbage for 3 to 10 days. As it s fermenting keep the sauerkraut away from direct sunlight and at a cool room temperature ideally 65 f to 75 f.
To make good sauerkraut begin by selecting disease free firm sweet mature heads of cabbage from mid and late season crops. Plan to begin cleaning and shredding the cabbage within 24 to 48 hours of harvest. Using a large knife quarter the cabbage and remove the core.
Thinly slice the cabbage with a knife or mandoline slicer then transfer cabbage to a large bowl. Slicing is better than shredding. A large knife mandoline slicer or the slicing side of a box grater are tools of choice when making sauerkraut.
Making homemade sauerkraut is much easier than it seems. First you ll chop up some cabbage then extract the natural juices then let it ferment in a cool dark place for a couple of weeks. One head of cabbage will suffice for your first batch.
1 head of cabbage or more depending on how much you re wanting to make. The only ingredients you need to make naturally fermented sauerkraut are cabbage and salt. The salt preserves the cabbage for a few days until the probiotic cultures begin to grow.
If you are a beginner you might want to start with a smaller first batch. 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.
Make sure everything is clean. Since this process relies on a certain type of bacteria for fermentation it is important to remove as much unwanted bacteria as possible. Making your own sauerkraut can also provide a way to save on food costs.
Sauerkraut is a naturally fermented cabbage. Natural fermentation is one of the oldest means of food preservation and reduces the risk of foodborne illness and food spoilage. The juice extracted from shredded.