Homemade Sauerkraut
If you’ve never made your own homemade sauerkraut, you’re really missing out!
I started making my own last year after growing a bumper crop of cabbage. Cabbage lasts a long time in the refrigerator, but there’s only so much space in there. This simple to make recipe will have you never eating store bought again.
You only need three things:
3 lbs of cabbage
1 1/2 Tablespoons of Kosher salt
Fermenting vessel
Start by removing some of the dark, outer leaves of your cabbage. Set those outer leaves aside to save for later. Then quarter and core your cabbage. Take each quarter and cut in half to make eights. Slice each eight into 1/4’ strips.
Put your shredded cabbage into a large bowl and sprinkle with the salt. This recipe is written for kosher salt. It has a much larger grain than regular table salt or sea salt. If you’re choosing to use either of those than you’ll need to add less or your kraut will be very salty.
I like to give my salt and cabbage a quick mix with my hand and then allow it to sit for around 10 minutes. This will allow the salt to begin pulling the moisture out of the cabbage, making it easier to work.
After your 10 minutes is up, you’re going to begin working it to make it softer by squeezing and stirring with your hands. Continue to do this until the edges of your cabbage become translucent. The more you work it, the softer the resulting sauerkraut will be.
It’s now time to fill your chosen fermenting vessel. I prefer to use a half gallon mason jar with Ball Fermenting Lids. They come with a stainless-steel spring and a built-in air lock on the lid.
You’ll want to pack the cabbage down as you fill the jars. Trying to fill any air holes or cavities that you can. Once the jar is filled, pour any remaining brine on top. Cover the cabbage with a saved outer leaf.
At this point it is ok if your cabbage is not completely covered in brine. It’ll develop more of its own brine as it ferments. Then add the spring and fermenting lid. Set your jar somewhere out of direct sunlight and let it do its thing. It’ll take a couple of weeks to ferment. I like to begin tasting it on day 14. Once it’s to your desired sourness than simply remove the spring, change to a regular lid, and refrigerate. See, it’s super simple!
One of our favorite meals using my homemade sauerkraut is just as simple to make for a quick weekday dinner! Slice and brown some smoked sausage. You can also use fresh sausage, but it just takes longer to cook. While the sausage is browning, peel and dice some sweet potatoes. To keep it simple I put my diced sweet potatoes in a microwave safe bowl with some olive oil and microwave, covered, in five-minute intervals till soft. Then I’ll add it to my pan with the sausage along with some sauerkraut. Sautee enough to heat through. This quick meal is excellent served with some coarse grain mustard.
