Homemade Sauerkraut
Making homemade sauerkraut is really quite easy. Read on to see just how simple it is.
Sauerkraut is rooted in food preservation. That really is what it is. Green cabbage preserved through the lacto-fermentation process.
Traditionally, sauerkraut was made so cabbage could be consumed through the winter time when there were few fresh vegetables available. Late summer and early fall were the traditional times for sauerkraut to be made.
In today’s world, I do not need to preserve food. But I enjoy doing so. There is a certain amount of satisfaction that comes from eating a food I produced.
And, in the case of sauerkraut, it is also a very healthy food to consume. It is nutrient dense providing many nutrients with few kcalories; it is a natural source of probiotics, and it is high in fiber.
In its simplest form, Sauerkraut is made with only two ingredients: fresh cabbage and salt. The cabbage is shredded and mixed with salt.
Ideally the cabbage is very fresh (not always the case in our grocery stores) and has lots of natural moisture. The combination of salt and working or massaging the cabbage pulls the moisture out of the cabbage.
This is important because, the cabbage should be fully submerged in the resulting liquid or brine. This allows it to ferment properly.
Traditionally the raw, unfermented, sauerkraut would be packed into big crocks and stored in the root cellar. It would be weighted down to keep the cabbage submerged in the brine.
The time for fermentation is determined in part by the temperature the sauerkraut is stored at. It would be checked periodically to get rid of any scum on top.
Like many food preservation methods, making sauerkraut is labor intensive at the beginning of the process. After the cabbage is packed and in storage, to ferment, it is matter of checking on it periodically.
So how long does it take to make sauerkraut? I usually allow mine to ferment for about 12 days.
Since I will store my sauerkraut in a refrigerator, taste is my primary determining factor as to when the sauerkraut is done. I start tasting it approximately day 8 or 9 of fermentation.
Living in Texas, I do not have a root cellar. And I make sauerkraut year around.
I also do not have a big crock or any specialized equipment. So how do I do it?
My recipe and procedure are below. My information is generic. There are numerous websites and blogs that furnish in depth information on fermentation and making sauerkraut.
Everyone’s equipment and setting will vary. I am giving you this information to show that something like making sauerkraut is within the reach of most people.
I do not “can” my sauerkraut so it is very crispy, even after being cooked for a while. We really like the texture.
So……….here is procedure with pictures. Each picture has a description of what is occurring.
This is one of the cabbages I used in making this batch of sauerkraut. It has seen better days. It is not real fresh. But it was what was available in my store. The black spots are thought to be caused by storage issues. The black spots are considered to be safe to consume.
This is the same cabbage after I have stripped off some of the outer leaves. It looks better but is pale in color
This photo and the next 5 photos will guide you through the process of cutting the cabbage. In this photo I have cut the cabbage in half. I started at the top and cut right through the core.
This photo shows that I cut each half into quarters. Again, I cut right through the core. The easiest way to accomplish this is to set the cabbage half on the cutting board, cut side down and slice through it cutting through the core.
After the cabbage is cut into quarters the core needs to be cut out of each piece. I typically do this by “standing” the quarter on its end with core down. I then cut down at an angle slicing the core out of the piece.
After the core is removed, the cabbage is shredded. Ideally the cabbage is shredded thinly. About the thickness of a coin, like a nickel or a quarter. In this photo you can see how I started cutting the cabbage by hand.
This photo shows part of the cabbage after it has been shredded. Note the thickness of the pieces.
I have usually cut the cabbage by hand. But, if you have a mandolin, it can also be used. I must admit, this was my first time to do this. Using the mandolin was so easy it may become my preferred method! I well remember seeing an old photo that showed a German woman shredding a large cabbage into a barrel using a large “mandolin”.
This shows how much cabbage I ended up with by weight. Weighing food and ingredients allows for great accuracy. My recipe calls for 5 pounds of shredded cabbage and 2 ounces of kosher salt.
The photo shows that I had 88.75 ounces of cabbage. It is important to note that the weight shown includes the weight of the bowl, 18.20 ounces. So, in reality, I had less than five pounds (80 ounces) of cabbage.
88.75 oz – 18.20 oz (bowl weight) = 70.55 ounces of cabbage.
The trick now, was to determine how much salt I needed. I needed to have enough salt but not so much that my product ended up salty!
Fortunately, there is a formula that we can utilize to determine how much salt we need. This formula can be utilized to modify recipes based on the amount of the main item. In this case cabbage is the main item.
The formula is based on the standard recipe modification formula of new yield divided by old yield equals the conversion factor.
New Yield = Conversion factor
Old Yield
Once the conversion factor was determined, the amount of all ingredients in the recipe, was multiplied by it.
This formula is one the traditional methods of modifying how many portions a recipe will produce. By changing it slightly we can use it determine how much of a particular ingredient is needed based on the amount of the primary ingredient.
The new formula is based on the ingredient which is the largest amount in the recipe. In this case cabbage! Here is the formula.
New Amount of main ingredient (cabbage) = Conversion factor
Our recipe calls for 80 ounces of cabbage: 5 pounds x 16 ounces per pound = 80 ounces
We have 70.55 ounces of cabbage. So, lets plug this in to the formula
70.55 oz = Conversion factor = .881875
What this formula is telling us is that we have 88.1875% of the original amount of cabbage the recipe called for. Round to 88.19%
Since we have 88.19% of the cabbage the recipe calls for this means we need to use 88.19% of the kosher salt listed in the recipe. So: 88.19% x 2 oz (kosher salt) = 1.77oz of kosher salt.
This shows the shredded cabbage mixed with the kosher salt in a zip lock bag. You can see some moisture already being given off by the cabbage.
To give you an idea of how much cabbage this is; the photo shows the cabbage in a two-gallon zip lock type bag. If you look closely, you can see that the cabbage has already changed some and given off more moisture. This is due to cabbage being worked or massaged and the salt.
This photo shows the cabbage after it has been worked quite a bit. It is starting to break down nicely and release moisture. I used my mixer to work the cabbage mixture. My mixer has a roller attachment that works pretty well for this function.
I mentioned earlier that I do not have a lot of fancy equipment for this. I usually use zip lock style bags for making sauerkraut. I double bag it. Since I want the sauerkraut to be immersed in the brine, I use a stock pot to hold it tight so it is compacted and not spread out.
I also weigh down the cabbage mixture by using another zip lock style bag, filled with a weak brine, placed on top of the bagged-up cabbage mixture.
I also cover the top of the stock pot with cheesecloth. It is undoubtedly not needed with the multiple zip lock bags I use. But, better safe than sorry. I do not want fruit flies to have access to the sauerkraut. Once I am at this stage, I place the stockpot with cabbage mixture in a kitchen cabinet and let it sit until I check on it, in two days.
This photo was taken 2 days after the sauerkraut was started. If you look closely, you can see the liquid level in the bag is no where near the top of the sauerkraut. You may recall I wrote that the cabbage was not real fresh. In reality, it did not have much natural moisture.
The bubbles show that fermentation is starting. Fermentation, in itself, will not generate moisture.
The solution to not having enough liquid for the cabbage to immersed is to add some brine to cabbage mixture.
This shows the cabbage mixture after I add 1 quart of brine to it. Notice the level of liquid to cabbage. After I added the brine, I placed the bagged-up cabbage mixture back in the stock pot and topped it with the bag of brine. I recovered the stock pot with cheese cloth and put it back in the cabinet.
This photo was taken five days after the sauerkraut was started. You can see lots of bubbles indicating that fermentation is well under way. From this stage on I will “burp” the bag of sauerkraut by opening it up and pressing out any gasses that have built up, every couple of days. When I do this, I also taste it.
This is the last photo to share. It shows the raw, fermented, sauerkraut ready to go into the refrigerator. As noted earlier, I do not “can” my sauerkraut. Thank you, Diversified Ceramics for the great bowl.
When I want to use the sauerkraut, I usually simmer it with white wine and juniper berries. Very tasty! I also do not rinse my sauerkraut before using it. In our house we like the tartness and it is not too salty.
Here is the recipe I used:
Sauerkraut
5 lb Cabbage, green
2 oz Kosher salt, (3 Tbsp)
Wash, quarter and core cabbage.
Shred or thinly slice cabbage.
Mix cabbage and salt until liquid starts to come out.
Mix in small batches if this is easier. I use my mixer.
Pack into a zip lock style bag.
Place the bag in a container and weight it down with a bag filled with brine (formula below).
Cover container with cheesecloth.
Allow to ferment.
Check after two days to ensure there is enough brine.
If there is not enough brine add some using the formula below. The cabbage should be fully immersed,
Every other day, “burp” the bag with the sauerkraut to release the gases built up during fermentation.
At room temperature, fermentation will be complete in 10 to 12 days.
When satisfied with the flavor, store in the refrigerator.
Brine:
Combine 2 Tablespoons kosher salt to 1 quart of water. Stir to dissolve.
Canning:
If you wish to “can” the sauerkraut:
Pack into sterilized jars, adding enough juice to fill jars.
If more juice is needed, make a weak brine by dissolving 2 tablespoons of salt to a quart of water.
Screw bottle lids on tight and process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.
After the jars have cooled, be sure to check that they sealed before putting them away in the pantry.
I hope you have enjoyed this article.
#LifeLongLearning #LifeLongTeaching #FamilyFood #Sauerkraut
As always, your questions or comments are welcome.
Until next time, Bon Appetit Y’all!
Leslie Bartosh
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