Sauerkraut
Sauerkraut is a lacto-fermented food that is full in probiotics. It's good for your health, and it's delicious as a side. How do you make sauerkraut? All you need is some cabbage, salt, your hands, and something to put the sauerkraut in.
Equipment
- Large bowl
- Pounder to Pack the Sauerkraut into the jar
- Glass jar or crock
- Glass Weight
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Kitchen scale
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Cabbage
- 20 g or 2 teaspoons Kosher salt You can add a little more of you desire
Instructions
- Reserve two cabbage leaves from the top leaves. Slice the cabbage to the desired thickness. Make sure to remove the stalk. Measure the sliced cabbage over a kitchen scale to ensure that it's 2 pounds.
- Place the sliced cabbage into a large bowl and sprinkle with the 20 grams of salt. Mix it all together and allow it to sit for 30 minutes.
- After the 30 minutes have passed, mix the cabbage again, give it a few squishes between your hands, and let it sit for another 30 minutes. Repeat this step twice more, or for the period of 2 hours. Or until the cabbage is fully wilted, and has decreased in volume by at least twice the amount, and lots of brine has been formed during this process.
- Place the wilted cabbage into a clean glass jar or a crock and press down on it using a pounder to remove any air bubbles.
- Fill the jar with the brine that was made during the wilting process. Press down on the sauerkraut again using the pounder. Cover with the two cabbage leaves, and press down again.
- Place the glass weight over the cabbage leaves and sauerkraut. Place a lid over the jar, but do not tighten it. The sauerkraut will release carbon dioxide in the jar during the fermentation process. If you leave the lid too tight, the jar can explode., or shatter. Just place the lid over it and give it a gentle twist without tightening it. You might need to slightly release the lid again after a couple days or so.
- Allow the sauerkraut to ferment over the counter for 5 to 10 days or until it begins to bubble up, and smell slightly sour. If you like your sauerkraut to be more sour, you can allow it to ferment for a bit longer.
- Once the sauerkraut has fermented to your desired taste, place it into the fridge, or in a cold environment to slow down the fermentation process. The fermentation process never really stops, but you can slow it down drastically by placing it in a cold environment.
Notes
You can also add flavorings to your sauerkraut such as caraway seeds, hot pepper, dill, or whatever you prefer.
