Fermenting foods is a great and healthy way to preserve food. One of the easiest is sauerkraut. It only takes 2 ingredients, salt and cabbage. And just a little bit of time and effort.
The result is a tasty, tangy and healthy sauerkraut. Sauerkraut is full of probiotic benefits, but it has to be raw. When sauerkraut is cooked, canned or posturized it kills the good bacteria and the probiotics.
This recipe is a great way to make natural sauerkraut and is so easy!
I eat a little every day for the health benefits. See this article by WebMD about the health benefits of sauerkraut.
Ingredients for Homemade Sauerkraut
- 1 Cabbage
- 1 Tbsp Canning Salt
- Note: This recipe makes a quart of sauerkraut
Detailed Steps to Make Homemade Sauerkraut
First rinse the cabbage thoroughly. Then remove the outer leaves and cut the cabbage into quarters.
Thinly slice the cabbage into about 1/4 inch slices.
Place the sliced cabbage into a large bowl.
Sprinkle the canning salt throughout the sliced cabbage. Mix the salt in well and then let it sit for 15 minutes.
Mash, massage, squeeze and knead the cabbage for 8 to 10 minutes. It is easy to do with your hands, but there is even a special too called a cabbage stamper, that you can purchase to do this. This is to get the juices out of the cabbage.
After massaging the cabbage, it will be limp and start to get watery. Start adding the limp cabbage to a quart mason jar (Any type of glass container will actually work).
Keep pressing the cabbage down with a wooden spoon or something similar. You will see the juices start to cover the cabbage.
Keep adding the cabbage in small batches and pressing down. Pour any juice left in the bowl over the cabbage.
When you are done adding the cabbage and if some of the cabbage is not covered by the juice, add a 2% brine solution.
To make the brine solution mix 1 tsp canning salt with 1 cup of non-chlorinated water. Unused brine can be stored in the refrigerator.
I did not have to use brine as my cabbage was covered in juice.
Cover the cabbage in the jar with one of the cabbage leaves that was removed, to help keep the cabbage submerged.
Then add some type of weight to keep the cabbage submerged. You can use this fermentation glass weight or can also use a part of the cabbage core.
I used the fermentation weight to cover my sauerkraut.
Cover the jar and store it for at least 2 weeks. You can store on your counter if you like. The ideal temperature for fermenting sauerkraut is 65-75 degrees F. The fermenting process will bubble juices, so you should store in a bowl or dish.
You can cover the jar with a cloth and rubber band or lid. If using a lid, you should open it every few days to release the gases. I used a fermentation lid as shown below.
You can taste the sauerkraut after 1 week to see how it tastes. The longer it ferments the tangier it will taste. I liked mine fermented after 2 weeks and I then placed in the refrigerator. You can store sauerkraut in the fridge for up to 4 months.
Homemade sauerkraut can be ready to eat within a couple weeks. It totally depends on your preference of the flavor.
Enjoy
Enjoy this wonderful, delicious sauerkraut that has so many health benefits. It is so easy to make and inexpensive. A great snack to eat or as a side dish. There are many recipes you can use with the homemade sauerkraut.
See my website atwww.HawkPointHomestead.comfor more of my canning recipes and other favorite recipes, plus posts about other homestead-type activities, such as gardening and raising chickens.
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Homemade Sauerkraut Recipe
Yield: 1 quart
Fermenting foods is a great and healthy way to preserve food. One of the easiest is sauerkraut. It only takes 2 ingredients, salt and cabbage. And just a little bit of time and effort.
The result is a tasty, tangy and healthy sauerkraut. Sauerkraut is full of probiotic benefits, but it has to be raw. When sauerkraut is cooked, canned or posturized it kills the good bacteria and the probiotics.
Ingredients
- 1 Cabbage
- 1 Tablespoon Canning Salt
Instructions
1. First rinse the cabbage thoroughly. Then remove the outer leaves and cut the cabbage into quarters.
2. Thinly slice the cabbage into about 1/4 inch slices.
3. Place the sliced cabbage into a large bowl.
4. Sprinkle the canning salt throughout the sliced cabbage. Mix the salt in well and then let it sit for 15 minutes.
5. Mash, massage, squeeze and knead the cabbage for 8 to 10 minutes. It is easy to do with your hands, but there is even a special too called a cabbage stamper, that you can purchase to do this. This is to get the juices out of the cabbage.
6. After massaging the cabbage, it will be limp and start to get watery. Start adding the limp cabbage to a quart mason jar (Any type of glass container will actually work).
7. Keep pressing the cabbage down with a wooden spoon or something similar. You will see the juices start to cover the cabbage.
8. Keep adding the cabbage in small batches and pressing down. Pour any juice left in the bowl over the cabbage.
9. When you are done adding the cabbage and if some of the cabbage is not covered by the juice, add a 2% brine solution.
10. To make the brine solution mix 1 Tablespoon canning salt with 4 cups of non-chlorinated water. Unused brine can be stored in the refrigerator.
11. Cover the cabbage in the jar with one of the cabbage leaves that was removed, to help keep the cabbage submerged.
12. Then add some type of weight to keep the cabbage submerged. You can use this fermentation glass weight or can also use a part of the cabbage core.
13. Cover the jar and store it for at least 2 weeks. You can store on your counter if you like. The ideal temperature for fermenting sauerkraut is 65-75 degrees F. The fermenting process will bubble juices, so you should store in a bowl or dish.
14. You can cover the jar with a cloth and rubber band or lid. If using a lid, you should open it every few days to release the gases. I used a fermentation lid.
15. You can taste the sauerkraut after 1 week to see how it tastes. The longer it ferments the tangier it will taste. I liked mine fermented after 2 weeks and I then placed in the refrigerator. You can store sauerkraut in the refrigerator for up to 4 months.
