Making Sauerkraut

This month we've received an abundance of cabbage in our CSA box and its a good thing.  By utilizing this bountiful harvest, we are making one of the best things for your body!  A nutritious treat that provides active bacteria that our bodies rely on.  So simple, yet can be eaten alone as a snack or as an addition to give your dish some extra kick.

What you'll need (for one gallon sauerkraut):

1. Fermenting crock (plastic bucket works fine)

2. 5 lbs green cabbage

3. 1/2 oz. salt per pound of cabbage, or 3% by weight

4. (optional) horseradish 

5. Cheesecloth

6. String

Quarter the cabbage, then shred

Measure salt

Place shredded cabbage into a large bowl and salt as you go

Place salted cabbage into crock and top with sliced horseradish

Place plate or another container the same size on top of horseradish and cabbage to compress it.  Place a weight on top of that.  A jug or jar of water works well.  Soon you will notice the container filling with liquid from the cabbage. This is known as the brine.  The brine is the most important aspect of kraut making as the vegetables need to be totally submerged under this liquid.

After the sauerkraut is packed and submerged, remove the plate or second bucket and replace it with cheesecloth.  Tie a string around the mouth of the bucket.  Place bucket in a cool dark place and check periodically for progress.  

Your sauerkraut will be ready in a few weeks or so.  The warmer the weather the faster the sauerkraut will ferment.  

We enjoyed it with some homemade duck ham and mustard!  Eat it with your breakfast in the morning to start your day right, in-between meals, as a condiment or as a side dish to your entree!  

Feel the results!