Sauerkraut

I’ve decided to make a batch of sauerkraut. I enjoy a lot having it once a week or so. I’ve heard that the store bought stuff is nowhere near as good as homemade live culture.

I’ve seen fancy  crocks online but at a hundred bucks that way to expensive for me. I used a free icing bucket from walmart, a two dollar plate, an empty gallon jug and some cheese cloth I had laying around.  After some searching I found a simple process for making kruat.

I started with two big cabbage heads. Each around 2.5 pounds. For five pounds of cabbage use three table spoons of salt.

Cut up your cabbage anyway you like. I went with rough cut. Take a handful and throw into your bucket

Every time you throw in a handful sprinkle in some of your salt.

Once all your cabbage is in take your fist and pound the cabbage down. You want to compress it to force water out to make the brine that will preserve it.

After all the pounding throw your plate on. This helps keep air out and later will force the cabbage below the brine.

Take a jug filled with water or any weight you have and place on the plate to keep constant pressure.

Now cover your bucket with a cloth to keep flys out.

I had a big rubber band on the rim to keep it in place.

Thats it. Every time you walk by it just push down on the jug to keep the pressure. In a few days the cabbage should be completely submerged under the brine. at this point you can start testing it. In a week or two you’ll have kraut. The kraut will keep in your bucket for at least the season. So go get a bucket and enjoy some homemade kraut!