How to Make Sauerkraut

How to ferment cabbage and other veggies to make Sauerkraut! Leave a comment if you have any questions, and tell us about your successes and failures with kraut. Please subscribe to be notified when new videos are up! The Recipe, Instructions, & Frequently-Asked-Questions can be found at https://themasonjarsuite.squarespace.com/videos/how-to-make-sauerkraut Animation by Ryan JP.

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Classic Fermented Sauerkraut

Yield: 5 lbs / 2.3 kg (About 3 qts / 2.8 L)

Total Time: 1 hour prep

Fermentation Time: 14 Days

This is a classic Sauerkraut; cabbage is one of the easiest things to ferment if you're new to the process! You can use any color of cabbage, and be liberal with other vegetables, as long as you maintain the ratio of salt to veggies, by weight. We've found that root vegetables (carrots, beets, etc.) ferment very well with cabbage; other vegetables, like dark leafy greens, end up too soft for our liking.
Fermentation usually takes around 2 weeks, but it may take longer. Over time, you'll get to know what to look for in a finished product.

Materials Needed:

• Knife and cutting surface
• Jars, Crock, or other Fermenting Vessels
• Patience

Ingredients:

      Imperial Units

• 5 lbs cabbage (2-3 heads). Optional: replace some cabbage with other vegetables (beets, carrots, peppers, onions, etc.)
• 3 oz (1/3 cup) kosher or other course salt

      Metric Units

• 2.3 kg cabbage (2-3 heads) & other vegetables (beets, carrots, peppers, onions, etc.)
• 85 g (0.8 ml) kosher or other course salt

Directions:

1. Peel the outer leaves from your cabbages and give each cabbage a good rinse.
2. Slice or chop cabbage. We like slicing to around 1/4 inch (6mm) or thinner, but this truly is very flexible.
3. Slice or chop other vegetables to your desired thickness and shapes. Try cutting carrots into rounds or into strips.
4. Weigh out your cabbage/vegetables, and sdd salt to the mix.
5. Toss vegetables and salt together. Really work the salt in, grinding the vegetables together.
6. Let salt and vegetables sit for a minimum of 10 minutes, or as long as overnight.
7. When you see moisture on the cabbage pieces (the salt has been busy drawing water out of the vegetables), give them another toss and prepare to pack your fermentation vessels.
8. Pack the cabbage/vegetables into your vessels. Put a handful in and give them a good press with your hand, a potato masher, or another implement. Add some more cabbage and press again; you are trying to force liquid OUT of the vegetables; as you add layers, you'll start to see the level of water rise around them. Keep packing and pressing; try to imaging yourself forcing any air bubbles out of the mixture.
9. Put a weight on top of the mix to keep it all submerged below the liquid. It is important that the cabbage/vegetables remain below the liquid to prevent mold from forming.
   1. If there is not enough liquid, you can add a little bit of salt water brine: .4 oz (2 tsp) of salt per cup of water / 12 grams (10.5 ml) per 250 ml of water.
   2. If you're using a wide-mouthed Mason Jar, you can use a half-pint Mason Jar full of water to weigh down the veggies.
   3. Depending on your fermentation vessel size and shape, you can keep the vegetables submerged by using a Mason Jar full of water, a plate, a lid, or a piece of food-grade plastic.
   4. Don't have a good lid or plate that will fit well in your fermentation vessel? Use plastic bags! Fit 2-3 bags together (a precaution against leaking), and fill the innermost one with a 5% salt water brine: .4 oz (2 tsp) of salt per cup of water / 12 grams (10.5 ml) per 250 ml of water. Fit the bag carefully over the top of your mix, trying your best to avoid air trapped near the surface of the veggies.
10. Put in a cool, dark place (your garage, basement, or a cupboard away from electronics, water heaters, etc.). Let the kraut sit there for about 2 weeks. Fermentation will happen quickly at warm temperatures, and slower at cooler temperatures.
11. After about 2 weeks, check your kraut! If there is any mold, remove it (see Frequently Asked Questions, below). If not, great job! It's ready to eat!
12. Store in a refrigerator or very cool place, with a lid. Shelf life is highly variable, but a large batch should last in the fridge for several months.

Recipe Source: https://themasonjarsuite.squarespace.com/videos/how-to-make-sauerkraut

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Frequently Asked Questions and Quick Tips!

Never be afraid to ask!

1. What’s a good rule of thumb for the ratio of cabbage to salt?
   1 lb cabbage = .2 oz salt, or about 1 Tbs.
   1 kg cabbage = 36 g or about 4 ml salt
2. Does it matter what kind of salt I use?
   Table salt and other very fine-grained salts weigh more per given volume, so be cautious if measuring by volume.
   Experiment with different salts; pure salts without iodine or additives are preferred, but some rustic salts will add another dimension to your fermented products.
3. What if my kraut molds?
   1. Don't fret! Surface mold is common, and occurs when your mix has access to air/oxygen. Carefully use a spoon or a fork to pull it away from the mix, and straight into the garbage. To be safe take a half-inch or so (a few centimeters) of kraut from the surface and discard it.
   2. If the sauerkraut has turned dark brown, if it smells very bad, or if the mold clearly goes deeper than about a half-inch, the kraut may not have fermented properly, and the batch may be lost. Feel free to send a picture and describe it!