Create your own homemade #lactofermented #sauerkraut. It's easier than you think, a knife, some cabbage, a mason jar, and some salt. Wait a week or two and you are done. If you want to take your fermentation to the #nextlevel check out the lid from nourished essentials in the picture below.
Let's get cutting!
Don't overthink this, slice up a cabbage as thinly as you can manage. Have a foodprocessor, go for it!
Any cabbage or a mix will do, here I have a Napa cabbage that will yield very delicate flossy sauerkraut. Red cabbage is loaded with #anthocyanins, which in case you didn't know are colorful and super healthy. Combined with the high fiber content of the cabbage and the probiotic payload and this is a nutrition powerhouse.
How to Make Sauerkraut
Slice up a head of medium-sized cabbage, add half to a large bowl. Reserve a full leaf for later. Sprinkle with a tablespoon of Kosher salt. Now get in there with your hands and start squeezing hard and macerating the cabbage until it gets translucent and releases its natural juices. Complete the other half and transfer to a clean quart size mason jar. If you have a muddler or a pestle use that to pack down the cabbage tightly. Use the reserved leaf to act as a cover on top of the shredded cabbage to keep it below the water. The goal here is to make sure that everything is submerged. You can buy weights for this but I have had good luck with the leaf method, just tuck it in and don't worry. Some people use boiled rocks as weights if you can find the mini cairn on this post you will see mine! You will want to leave about an inch of headroom on the top. Cover with a mason ring and some cheesecloth or a loosely fitted lid. Tuck this gem in the back of a kitchen cabinet and check it every 3-4 days. If there is any mold or scum on top gather it up with a spoon and don't worry. This process will generate a bit of carbon dioxide so we don't want the jar to break. Now the hard part...waiting. How long will depend on your kitchen temp and other environmental factors. I find that a week is the minimum for my sour palate, sometimes two but your's maybe ready in 3-5 days. Once you have reached the sourness of your liking move it to the fridge and enjoy.
Pro-tip
If you buy naturally fermented sauerkraut or pickles you can nip a bit of their culture from the jar. Next time use your own to get things booted up, though neither is necessary.
1 head of cabbage any kind will do
2 T Kosher salt
1 quart Mason jar
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