Sauerkraut

Fresh homemade sauerkraut is better than any store bought sauerkraut. Especially on the day it is ready.

INGREDIENTS:
15 pounds, firm white cabbage
2/3 cup salt
Three 1 to 2 gallon jars or one 4 – 6 gallon crock

DIRECTIONS:
Trim cabbage and quarter heads. Remove core and shred cabbage finely into 1/16th-inch shreds. Mix cabbage with salt. Pack cabbage firmly into container(s) and cover with a clean dry cloth. Put a plate on the cloth and weight it with a wooden cutting board or chopping block piece. Make sure the cloth touches the surface of the packed cabbage so it becomes wet with the cabbage juice.

As soon as fermentation begins, remove the bubbly fluid on top and put a clean cloth and a wooden board over the cabbage. Wash the wooden board each day. Keep cabbage at a temperature below 60 degrees F. Let stand for a month.

After 30 days, heat the kraut to 180 degrees F. Pack firmly into sterilized and heated storage jars. Add sauerkraut juice to within 1/2 inch of the top of the jar. If you run out of juice make a brine of 2 Tablespoons salt to each one quart of water use to top bring to the 1/2 inch to the top of jar level.

Seal the jars. Process in a boiling water bath for 25 minutes for pints and 30 minutes for quarts.

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