Homemade Sauerkraut
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Servings: 16 servings
Equipment
- Kilner fermentation jar with accessories
Ingredients
- 5 pounds fresh green cabbage
- 3 heaping tablespoons pickling salt
Instructions
Prep:
- Remove outer leaves from cabbage, core, and shred thin; rinse cabbage with cold water and drain.
- Place drained cabbage in a large mixing bowl and toss with the salt.
- Muddle with a wooden meat tenderizer or mallet to release as much liquid as possible.
- Pack cabbage tightly into a clean fermentation jar leaving 2-1/2 inches of headspace.
- You should have enough liquid from the muddling to cover the cabbage. If not, top up with some extra brine (2 tablespoons pickling salt to one quart distilled water).
- Place ceramic weights or a plate on top of the cabbage to keep it totally submerged.
- Clean the rim of the jar from any cabbage bits sticking to it.
- Top the jar with the lid and insert the air lock and bung. Fill the air lock halfway with water to seal the airlock from air.
Ferment:
- Place the fermenter at room temperature between 70F-75F. Do not stir contents during fermentation. Skim off any yeast that occurs. There should not be any mold, but if it occurs, skim it out.
- At 70-75F, fermentation should complete in 3-4 weeks. At 60-65F it can take up to six weeks. At temps below 60F, fermentation may not occur. At temps above 75F cabbage will become very soft (not desired).
- During fermentation you will see air bubbles coming up and escaping through the airlock. This is expected, desired and fine. When the bubbles stop, fermentation is complete.
- At this point, you can either refrigerate or water bath can the kraut. Fridge kraut will be more crisp.
- Yield: Approximately one-half gallon.
Canning Tips
- To water bath can kraut, bring the kraut and brine to a full boil.
- Pack hot kraut into sterile canning jars leaving half inch headspace. Tap out bubbles and top with brine if needed.
- Secure with sterile lids and bands.
Process times:
- 0-1000 feet: 10 min. for pints, 15 min, for quarts
- 1001-6000 feet: 15 min/pints, 20 min/quarts
- above 6000 feet: 20 min./pints, 25 min./quarts
- Refrigerating any jars that the lids do not seal properly.
- For any additional canning instruction, please refer to a USDA canning guide or Ball Blue Book.
Notes
From the kitchen of palatablepastime.com