Making homemade Sauerkraut started out of necessity not love of the side dish. I was weeding my garden when I realized I was going to have an excess abundance of cabbage. Doing the math, I realized we were going to have 60 pounds of the leafy stuff in our kitchen. That same day my husband asked me with a smile on his face, “What we were going to do with all of the cabbage?” As if he were expecting me to say I had made a mistake by planting so many cabbage plants. Well that wasn’t going to happen. I pretended to know all of the answers, and blurted out “Sauerkraut”. His smile widened as he thought I had a plan. I quickly realized now I needed to learn how to make it. After much reading and youtubeing, I found the science of chemistry does all of the work. Sauerkraut is easy to make and the ingredients are simple.
You will need 2 ingredients, cabbage and salt. The ratio is about 1/2 a pound of salt to every 25 pounds of cabbage. The cabbage can be any type or color; however, for the best end result the classic green has the best appearance. The salt you choose is a personal preference as long as it is iodine free. I use a canning salt, but many people prefer kosher salt. The first tool used is a knife or mandolin to slice the cabbage. The thinner the slice, the easier it will be for the fermentation process. You also will need a large food safe container, a plate and a weight. There are crocks specifically made for this process, but they can be costly. I use a large and very clean (food safe) plastic 5 gallon bucket. For my weight, I use a growler cleaned and filled with water but a large jar will work as well. Now you are ready to put it all together!
Layer your salt and cabbage in your container. You will notice your cabbage starting to wilt because of the salt. Now put the plate so that it’s pushing the cabbage down and place the weight on top of the plate. After some time the liquid releasing from the cabbage will cover the cabbage protecting it from the air. The weighted plate will keep the cabbage on the bottom and the salt brine will rise above the plate. Cover your container with a cloth to protect it from outside contamination. Place your batch in a cool spot, out of the way, but where you won’t forget it.
Mother Nature can now take over, but every day or so check on your sauerkraut’s progress. The brine is pickling the cabbage by the process of lacto-fermentation. After time you may notice a scum forms at the top. Skim it off the surface and re-cover your container. Don’t worry about this “bloom”. The salt brine is protecting the cabbage from allowing toxic bacteria to spoil the final product. The salt allows beneficial bacteria to ferment the cabbage as well as lower the PH level. This is preserving the cabbage and increasing its storability. This process takes 6 to 8 weeks and depends on the temperature the cabbage is kept at. Sauerkraut is worth the wait.
Sauerkraut can be an acquired taste; however, the benefits of a homemade batch have been scientifically proven. It contains probiotics that can aid in digestive health and boost your immune system. Sauerkraut also contains compounds that can fight cancer. It has been shown to prevent and shorten the severity of communicable diseases. Nutritionally, sauerkraut contains high levels of vitamin C. It was used historically by many nations over the last 2,000 years as a scurvy preventive. Even if you are hesitant, the reasons to try and incorporate Sauerkraut into your diet are too numerous to be ignored. Besides you already know someone who has lots of extra cabbage.
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