How To Make Sauerkraut

Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 50 lbs firm mature cabbage, quartered and cored,outer leaves discarded (about 10 gallons)
• 3 cups pickling salt, about

Recipe

• 1 late cabbage is best for sauerkraut as it is higher in sugar.
• 2 take care to measure the salt accurately- use a knife to level the tablespoon.
• 3 the cabbage will not ferment properly if you add too much or too little salt.
• 4 with a shredder or sharp knife, shred 5 pounds of cabbage to the thickness of a dime.
• 5 place in a large mixing bowl.
• 6 sprinkle 3 1/2 tablespoons of salt over the cabbage.
• 7 mix well with your hands.
• 8 wash a 10 gallon crock with soapy water, rinse, and scald it with boiling water.
• 9 drain thoroughly.
• 10 pack the salted cabbage, batch by batch, into the crock.
• 11 juices will form as you pack and press the cabbage down.
• 12 repeat the shredding and salting of the cabbage until the crock is filled to within no more than 5 inches from the top.
• 13 press firmly with a masher to extract enough juice to cover the cabbage.
• 14 cover with 2-3 layers of clean cotton cloth, tucking edges down against side of jar.
• 15 place a heavy scalded plate (that fits snugly inside the crock) on top of the cloth.
• 16 fold the cloth over the plate.
• 17 for a weight, fill clean glass jars with water; cap with the lids and screw bands, scald the jars before setting them on the plate.
• 18 this weight should be enough so the juice comes over the plate.
• 19 use enough weight to bring the brine 2 inches above the plate- this makes daily skimming easier.
• 20 fermentation will begin the day following packing.
• 21 keep at a cool 70 f (fermentation will take about 3 weeks.).
• 22 temperatures above 75f will result in premature fermentation and possible spoilage.
• 23 give the sauerkraut daily care.
• 24 remove the film as it forms-- wash, scald the cover as often as needed to remove mold and film.
• 25 fermentation is complete if bubbling has stopped and no bubbles rise when the crock is tapped gently.
• 26 when the sauerkraut is ready to can, bring it to a boil in a large saucepan, then bottle in hot quart jars.
• 27 process in a boiling water bath for 20 minutes to seal.
• 28 you can also add caraway seeds, cranberries, apples and even some garlic to achieve the taste you like.