This recipe is for making homemade sauerkraut, a traditional fermented cabbage dish. Sauerkraut is not only delicious but also packed with probiotics and beneficial bacteria that promote a healthy gut. With just a few ingredients and a little patience, you can create your own tangy and crunchy sauerkraut right at home.
Let’s gather our cabbage and salt, roll up our sleeves, and embark on a flavorful journey of homemade sauerkraut-making. Get ready to savor the unique taste and reap the health benefits of this traditional fermented delight!
YIELD: About 2 quarts
(fermentation vessel: 2 quarts or larger)
INGREDIENTS:
- 3½ pounds (1–2 heads) cabbage
- 1–1½ tablespoons unrefined sea salt
INSTRUCTIONS:
- To prepare the cabbage, remove the coarse outer leaves. Rinse a few unblemished ones and set them aside. Rinse the rest of the cabbage in cold water. With a stainless steel knife, quarter and core the cabbage. Thinly slice with the same knife or a mandoline, then transfer the cabbage to a large bowl.
- Add 1 tablespoon of the salt and, with your hands, massage it into the leaves, then taste. You should be able to taste the salt without it being overwhelming. Add more salt if necessary. The cabbage will soon look wet and limp, and liquid will begin to pool. If you’ve put in a good effort and don’t see much brine in the bowl, let it stand, covered, for 45 minutes, then massage again.
- Transfer the cabbage to a crock or 2-quart jar, a few handfuls at a time, pressing down on the cabbage with your fist or a tamper to work out air pockets. You should see some brine on top of the cabbage when you press. Leave 4 inches of headspace for a crock, or 2 to 3 inches for a jar. Top the cabbage with one or two of the reserved outer leaves. Then, for a crock, top the leaves with a plate that fits the opening of the container and covers as much of the vegetables as possible; weight down with a sealed, water-filled jar. For a jar, use a sealed, water-filled jar or ziplock bag as a follower-weight combination.
- Set aside the jar or crock on a baking sheet to ferment, somewhere nearby, out of direct sunlight, and cool, for 4 to 14 days. Check daily to make sure the cabbage is submerged, pressing down as needed.
- You can start to test the kraut on day 4. You’ll know it’s ready when it’s pleasingly sour and pickle-y tasting, without the strong acidity of vinegar; the cabbage has softened a bit but retains some crunch; and the cabbage is more yellow than green and slightly translucent, as if it’s been cooked.
- Ladle the kraut into smaller jars and tamp down. Pour in any brine that’s left. Tighten the lids, then store in the refrigerator. This kraut will keep, refrigerated, for 1 year.
FERMENTISTA’S TIP:
For optimal fermentation, it is important to ensure that the cabbage remains submerged in the brine throughout the fermentation process. This can be achieved by regularly checking and pressing down on the cabbage as needed. The sauerkraut will develop its tangy flavor and beneficial probiotics over time, so be patient and enjoy the process!
