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You will need:
1 large (4 cup) wide mouth jar with lid
Large bowl
Good knife or Grater or Food processor
1 med head of cabbage
1 tbs salt
Peel off any outside leaves that are wilted and throw them away. Then peel the first good leaf of the cabbage and set it aside. This leaf will top the cabbage while it ferments.
Slice fine, grate or chop with slicing blade in food processor, 1 head of green cabbage.
Put cabbage in a large bowl, add 1 tbs salt, stir well and pound for 10 minutes, until it's very juicy and reduced in size by about 1/3.
Transfer the salted, pounded, juicy cabbage and the juice into large jar, packing it down tight as you go. Don't leave any air inside. Air bubbles will mess up the fermentation. Leave at least one inch of space at the top of the jar.
Cut the leaf you set aside to size that fits inside the jar. You want to cover the top of the cabbage so no air, dust or bacteria can get in. Set the lid on but don't tighten it. The kraut will swell and juice will drip down the sides. I put it in a cool, dark place, a cupboard. I set it on a towel to catch the drips and don't touch it for 3 days.
In three days (less if its warm, longer if it's cool) your sauerkraut will be ready. It should smell sour and taste salty and sour and it should be crispy and crunch when you bite it.
There is another post of me making sauerkraut with more photos HERE
Safety information from Wikipedia:
"Once made, sauerkraut is a very safe food because its high acidity prevents spoilage. USDA also recommends pasteurizing sauerkraut for storage. This is not necessary if the raw sauerkraut has been properly made and stored, and will needlessly diminish the nutritional value. A slimy or excessively soft texture, discoloration, or off-flavor may indicate spoilage."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sauerkraut
1 comment:
Thanks for the recipe, I love fermented foods!
Would you mind emailing me?
kombuchachic @ gmail dot com
Thanks,
Heather
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