Post by Brad H. on Dec 15, 2014 22:26:19 GMT -5
My (very german) family loves sauerkraut, so last year i started growing my own cabbage and making my own sauerkraut the old fashioned way. This is an incredibly easy process and any kraut lovers on here should give it a shot. Its blows the store bought stuff away.
I usually plant 36 heads of cabbage, and between some that are small and some that the rabbits or deer get a hold of I usually end up with 40-50 quarts when it is all said and done.
I start by shredding your cabbage using an old fashioned cabbage shredder.
The key to the whole process is salting your cabbage correctly. I shred the cabbage into a large bowl until I have five pounds of shredded cabbage. Once I have five lbs I dump it into my crock. If you don't have a crock you can use food grade 5 gallon buckets too, and that works just fine too.
For every five pounds of shredded cabbage you add into the crock sprinkle 3 tablespoons of canning/pickling salt on top and mix it up good with your hands. You will notice after 5 or 10 minutes that the cabbage will start to wilt from the salt. Once this happens pack the cabbage towards the bottom of the crock with a closed fist. This will force the water out of the cabbage. It is amazing how much water the cabbage holds. I sometimes end up with a couple inches of water on top of the cabbage once i am close to the top. The water coming out of the cabbage mixed with the salt makes the brine that ferments the cabbage into kraut.
Fill the crock with cabbage to about 6-8 inches from the top. Don't go any further. Once this far you have to weight the top and make sure air can't get to your cabbage. I do this by placing a normal white plastic garbage bag over the top of the bucket and pull it down over the sides. Then take a second garbage bag and push it into the opening on top of the bucket. Fill this garbage bag with as much water as it takes to get to close to the top of the crock and twist tie the top so the water wont evaporate or spill out by accident.
Thats it! I leave it sit in a cool basement for 4-5 weeks. The warmer it is the faster the fermentation process will take place, so it may be necessary to check it earlier if your conditions are warmer. i would say ideal temperatures would be between 60 and 65 degrees. After this peel back the garbage bag to expose the goods and the smell of sauerkraut be apparent. I pack mine in quart jars and process in a hot water bath for 15 minutes. I have heard of people using plastic zip loc bags and freezing them with success as well.
I usually plant 36 heads of cabbage, and between some that are small and some that the rabbits or deer get a hold of I usually end up with 40-50 quarts when it is all said and done.
I start by shredding your cabbage using an old fashioned cabbage shredder.
The key to the whole process is salting your cabbage correctly. I shred the cabbage into a large bowl until I have five pounds of shredded cabbage. Once I have five lbs I dump it into my crock. If you don't have a crock you can use food grade 5 gallon buckets too, and that works just fine too.
For every five pounds of shredded cabbage you add into the crock sprinkle 3 tablespoons of canning/pickling salt on top and mix it up good with your hands. You will notice after 5 or 10 minutes that the cabbage will start to wilt from the salt. Once this happens pack the cabbage towards the bottom of the crock with a closed fist. This will force the water out of the cabbage. It is amazing how much water the cabbage holds. I sometimes end up with a couple inches of water on top of the cabbage once i am close to the top. The water coming out of the cabbage mixed with the salt makes the brine that ferments the cabbage into kraut.
Fill the crock with cabbage to about 6-8 inches from the top. Don't go any further. Once this far you have to weight the top and make sure air can't get to your cabbage. I do this by placing a normal white plastic garbage bag over the top of the bucket and pull it down over the sides. Then take a second garbage bag and push it into the opening on top of the bucket. Fill this garbage bag with as much water as it takes to get to close to the top of the crock and twist tie the top so the water wont evaporate or spill out by accident.
Thats it! I leave it sit in a cool basement for 4-5 weeks. The warmer it is the faster the fermentation process will take place, so it may be necessary to check it earlier if your conditions are warmer. i would say ideal temperatures would be between 60 and 65 degrees. After this peel back the garbage bag to expose the goods and the smell of sauerkraut be apparent. I pack mine in quart jars and process in a hot water bath for 15 minutes. I have heard of people using plastic zip loc bags and freezing them with success as well.
Thanks !!!, "Brad", for a wee Irishman, I sure love my sauerkraut with Oktoberfest Sausage !!!
. Karma 
