How to Make Sauerkraut. This post is for the daring.
For those who are not scared of fermentation. For those who happen to have some Himalayan pink salts laying around the house.
How to Make Sauerkraut
- 1 medium head green cabbage, thinly sliced
- 1 piece of horseradish root, sliced (optional)
- 1/4 cup Himalayan pink salt (do not use iodized salt)
- Spring or distilled water (optional)
Place sliced cabbage into a large bowl. Add salt and stir. Let the cabbage sit for about an hour (or all day) stirring occasionally. This is called “macerating”.
Place macerated cabbage with the juices into a wide mouth quart canning jar. Press the cabbage down as far as possible. Place the horseradish on top to help prevent molding.
If the the juices don’t cover the cabbage enough, you can add some spring or distilled water until the cabbage is fully submerged.
Cover the top of the car with a few layers of cheesecloth secured with a rubberband around it.
Store between 70-75 degrees. Colder is fine, but it will slow down the fermentation process.
On day two, press down cabbage again so it is fully submerged under its juices. Repeat the pressing down steps for about a week. If you do spot mold, just skim it from the jar and throw it away. Continue as normal.
Sample sauerkraut after a week to see if it needs more salt and to see if it is ready to enjoy. It will be ivory in color. If it’s not sour enough for your liking, you can continue the process for a few weeks. You can serve as is or heated.
To store finished sauerkraut, refrigerate. Or, for long term storage, place in serving-size freezer bags (juices and all) and freeze until ready to use.
Perfect with bratwurst or served on a Reuben sandwich – in all it’s sour-y and kraut-y perfection and stuff.
How to tell if your sauerkraut has gone bad: Sauerkraut will last months in the refrigerator after the fermentation process is done. If your kraut goes bad, it will have a very foul color and or smell. Not unlike fish or eggs, you will know when your kraut is rotten.