Sauerkraut

Ingredients

Preparation Instructions

1. Remove outermost layers of cabbage and compost or discard. Remove another layer of cabbages and set aside.
2. Cut cabbages into quarter sections. Remove woody end core and compost or discard.
3. Shred or slice cabbage by placing each section on a flat side and cutting against the leaves. Hand shredding will produce thicker and crunchier sauerkraut pieces. You may also shred the cabbage with a V-slicer or in a food processor with a shredder blade insert.
4. Add cabbage to a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle a part of the salt, whey, sauerkraut juice, and caraway seeds (if adding) to the cabbage as you fill up the bowl.
5. When all the cabbage has been shredded and all the salt and whey/sauerkraut juice have been added to the mixing bowl, give the cabbage a good mix with your hands, scrunching them slightly as you mix.
6. Pack cabbage tightly into a gallon sized jar. Add a few handfuls of cabbage to the jar at a time and push them down well with your fist or fingers. When you are finished, the cabbage should reach around half to a little over half of the jar.
7. Take two or three of the cabbage leaves you reserved at the beginning, flatten them, cutting the middle if necessary, and place on top of your shredded sauerkraut. Tuck in the cabbage leaves on the edges. Place a weight on top of the cabbage leaves. A two cup covered pyrex container full of water makes a good weight.
8. Push down the weight on top of the cabbage. At this point, the brine should rise almost to the top of the sauerkraut. Place cover on top of your jar.
9. After a few hours, use the weight and push down well across the entire surface of the cabbage leaves. By this point, the brine should reach the top or rise over the top of the shredded sauerkraut and touch the top cabbage leaves. If by the next day after pushing down on the weight, the liquid has not reached the top of the shredded sauerkraut, mix up some brine water at the ratio of 1 tbsp of salt to 1 cup of water, and add it to your sauerkraut until the brine just covers the shredded sauerkraut.
10. Cover and place sauerkraut in at room temperature in a spot out of extreme cold or heat and out of direct sunlight. Allow sauerkraut to ferment for 5 to 7 days. Check on the sauerkraut daily to make sure it is still submerged in brine, pushing down on the cabbage leaves with the weight if necessary. You may start tasting the sauerkraut after 5 days to see. It is finished when it is tangy enough to your liking. It will get more sour and soft as you allow it to ferment. Once done to your liking, place the sauerkraut into the fridge, packing them into individual jars if desired. Make sure to pack sauerkraut tightly and submerged in brine, and to leave an inch or so space at the top of the jars for expansion.
11. You may keep sauerkraut in the fridge for many months. It will continue to mature and actually tastes better after a few months. If storing for a long period of time, you may wish to pack it down every few weeks as the sauerkraut will expand over time in the jars.