INGREDIENTS and TOOLS NEEDED:
4 lbs cabbage (2 medium/large heads of cabbage) OR 16 to 20 cups loosely-packed cabbage (finely shredded)
6 tsp non-iodized salt, iodine kills the probiotics)
(1.5 tsp salt per 1 lb cabbage OR per 4-5 cups shredded, loosely packed cabbage)
- a 1 lb. weight scale
-Canning funnel
-Clean pint, quart, or two-quart glass Mason jars with rubber gasket lids
and rings. (I choose wide-mouth jars)
-A wooden spoon (not metal) that fits inside the jars
DIRECTIONS:
Lightly rinse cabbage. Remove black spots. Remove the cores. Save the cores for later.
Finely chop the cabbage.
I like to use the Bosch Universal Plus food processor 'thin slice' attachment to finely chop the cabbage.
Use the weight scale to measure 1 lb cabbage to 1-2 tsp non-iodized salt.
In a large bowl using a wooden spoon or using clean hands, Press and stir salt into the
cabbage for quite a few minutes. Do this one pound at a time. You will notice brine juices starting to
form. There is no added water in sauerkraut, only brine juices. Cabbage has more than a dozen naturally occurring probiotics.
Use a canning funnel to place cabbage/salt/brine mixture into
mason jars. Using the top end or bottom end of wooden spoon press cabbage, 3-5 min per pound, into the bottom of the jar to increase brine production and to
remove air bubbles.
Keep pressing cabbage to encourage brine production. Fill each jar to the neck abt 1 inch below the very top. I can press the 4 lbs of cabbage into 3 one-quart jars, but the # of jars depends on how finely chopped the cabbagge is. The pressing is successful when the brine is higher than the cabbage, 1/2 inch or more of brine above level of cabbage.
Submerge in brine and all will be fine.
Now it’s time to use the saved core. The core is not to eat
but to use as a weight to keep the cabbage below the level of the brine. Chop
the core into big chunks/slices. Place chunks on top
of the cabbage until the cabbage is pressed below the brine. Place enough core chunks to have a little
pressure on the lid when the lid is screwed on. Screw lid loose to allow gases to escape. If the lid is screwed on too tight the juices will explode from the jar leaving leaving a mess around the jar.
Place on the shelf or countertop preferably in an undisturbed
place away from direct sunlight. Cooler room temperatures will slow the lacto-fermentation process. Higher room temperatures
will speed the fermentation process. Check it once a week to make sure the brine is still above the level of the cabbage and that there are no off-colors or smells. If brine is below the cabbage and there are no off-colors or smells, Add a little salt water mixture. Let it cure for 2-4 weeks. Taste it at 2 weeks and again at 3 and 4 weeks. I like its taste at 3-4 weeks. It is ready to eat when you decide which week it's the most tastey.
Place in the fridge or store in a cool cellar. Sauerkraut lasts more than 6 months in the correct conditions.
Do not cook it. Heat destroys the healthy probiotics that were created by the lacto-fermentation process.
Raw fermented sauerkraut helps general digestion and has lots of vitamins and minerals including Vitamin C and Vitamin U. It also includes the activated form of Vitamin K2 which is an essential building block for strong bones. Look up the other health benefits of the amazing superfood, raw sauerkraut, online.
Enjoy!
~Lindsey
