Simple Sauerkraut Recipe

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This simple sauerkraut recipe is a good place to start experimenting with fermentation, one of many food preservation methods.
This simple sauerkraut recipe is a good place to start experimenting with fermentation, one of many food preservation methods.
2 / 2
This simple sauerkraut recipe is a good place to start experimenting with fermentation, one of many food preservation methods.
This simple sauerkraut recipe is a good place to start experimenting with fermentation, one of many food preservation methods.

If your family eats a lot of sauerkraut, consider investing in a cabbage slicer to make quick work of the vegetable prep.

Simple Sauerkraut Recipe

1 head of cabbage, red or green, grated or roughly chopped
2 tablespoons noniodized salt

1. Pack half the cabbage into a pickle crock or other food-grade container. Roughly mix a tablespoon of salt into cabbage. Add the rest of the cabbage and the rest of the salt.

2. Press and mash mixture, squeezing it with your hands until some liquid seeps out. Fill a gallon baggie with water and set it atop the cabbage so it fills the space and touches all sides of the crock. If you have a dish about the same circumference as your crock, you can use it as a weight first, and set the baggie atop it. The weight helps the cabbage expel liquid.

3. Cover container with a towel and set it aside (a closet or basement is a good spot; keep in mind it will smell sour quickly). On the second day, remove weights and scoop off any scum that has developed on top. (Don’t worry; it’s safe.)

4. Replace weights and towel, pressing cabbage down. Check every few days, tasting to see how you like it. When kraut reaches desired tanginess (usually after a week or two), begin eating it. Refrigerate it if you want to slow down the fermentation. Makes 1 quart.

To learn more about fermentation and other ways to preserve food, read the original article, “6 Simple Food Preservation Methods.”

  • Published on Jul 19, 2012
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