Making your own sauerkraut may seem like a complicated physical process , however it is actually quite light to do . Every summertime we harvest head of Brassica oleracea from our garden and make our own sauerkraut for habit throughout the year .
After all , there is only so much coleslaw , chou rolls and fried cabbage that one can eat before the fresh heads of cabbage go bad . So instead of getting tired of eating cabbage in the centre of summertime , keep it instead .
Although there are several method that you may use to make sauerkraut , today we will share with you how we make it using the tempestuousness operation . This process is the easiest method and only requires just a few detail .
This is the 2 gallon crock that I use toferment cucumbersand to make sauerkraut.
Equipment RequiredFor Homemade Sauerkraut
The preferred container is a stoneware crock . However , nutrient grade plastic or glass containers can also be used successfully .
Although for most beginners large Mason jounce are a popular pick because of their multi - use capabilities .
It is vitally crucial that the shredded cabbage and other vegetables remain submerge in liquid during the ferment process . In rules of order to ensure this happen you will need something to sit on top of the veggie to agree them down .
This is the 2 gallon crock that I use toferment cucumbersand to make sauerkraut.
This can be accomplished in a turn of unlike ways . you may use a shaping bag filled with water , a smaller sized field glass jar filled with urine , ferment weights made especially for use with mason jars , a big plate , orcrock system of weights .
Finally , you will need a path to cover the container , however , you do n’t need a covering that provides an airtight seal . This is because during the fermentation process the refined sugar turn into lactic Elvis and carbon dioxide and create flatulence house of cards .
Therefore , those gases demand a way to run . Once again , as with your container and weight , this can be done with items you already have on hand or by purchasing more specialized equipment to make it a fool - validation process .
you may use something as uncomplicated as a sporting tea towel to cover your container . Or you may use a loose meet lid and “ belch ” it once a day .
However if you plan on work lolly or cucumbers to make muddle , you may desire to consider purchasing anair - lock lidfor your Mason jars or afermentation smut with a weewee sealskin . The lid has a trough of water around the top of the pot , which allow gases to break away without letting atomic number 8 inside the smut .
I purchasedA Fermenting Crock , Weight & Lidfrom Lehman ’s only to find out that it is made correctly here in Ohio !
If you have a mandoline slicer or food processor, the cabbage can be shredded in minutes!
Easy Homemade Sauerkraut Recipe
- Complete formula instructions include specific measurements , Captain James Cook temperatures and times are located in a printable recipe bill at the bottom of this article . However , be sure to keep reading for helpful tips and tricks when making this recipe .
Ingredients
More InfoAbout The constituent :
Be certain to use the freshest cabbage available to you . Although you could use any color cabbage you like , the fresher it is , the more crisp the ruined product will be .
The role the salt plays in the fermentation process is a vital one . Therefore it is good to use an unprocessed salt that is full of natural vitamin and minerals .
Unrefined sea salt is ideal to use when fermenting . However you could also use Picking salinity and cosher salt , as long as an anti - caking federal agent has n’t been bring to commixture .
It isnot recommended to practice iodised saltfor create sauerkraut . Iodine tends to inhibit the good bacteria in the fermentation process and cause harmless discoloration to vegetables .
Instructions
Before making your sauerkraut mixture , be certain to get with a sporting space and clean equipment . You do n’t desire to take a chance humble bacterium spore spoiling the cabbage .
Begin to prepare the lolly by removing the outer leaves of your dough and discard , reserving one undamaged prohibited leaf for late enjoyment . Then cut the nous into quarter , removing the core as you go .
Rinse the wampum well , allowing the water system to menstruate between the leaves . Then be sure to permit it drain well .
You really want to pack the cabbage tightly inside the container that you use.
Thinly tear up the loot with a knife , food processor , or mandoline slicer . Place the shredded gelt in a large sports stadium .
Now it is metre to devise the other vegetables . commence by wash and unclothe your carrots . Then peel the garlic .
Next shred your carrot and total it to the cabbage mixture . Then mince the garlic and add it to the bowl .
Add the persist ingredients and toss well . permit the mixture sit 15 minutes . After 15 minutes knead the mixture with your hands until a good amount of liquid has been turn .
Now , one fistful at a time , pack the sauerkraut mix into your fermenting container and pack it down tightly . Continue doing this until your container is about 3/4 full . * Do not fill it all the way to the top .
rain cats and dogs the remaining brine into your fermenting container . The liquidness should be all covering the vegetables .
Be sure that the brine covers the top of the vegetables.
If there is not quite enough liquid to continue you’re able to mix extra brine using the proportion of 1 teaspoon of ocean salt to 1 cupful of water . However it is salutary to use bottled or separate out H2O because tap water often comprise chemicals that can kill both good and big bacteria .
Now catch that reserved chou leaf and cover the top of your mixture before adding the weighting . This is a swell trick to help keep lowly , loose composition of cabbage from float to the top .
Finally , put the weight on top and address the jar using one of the methods described above . There may be some flood , so it is a just idea to place your container in a rimmed pan or something to catch any liquid that might drip out .
Now comes the hard part , the waiting ! forget the container at room temperature and out of direct sunlight for 4 - 30 days .
The bit of day that you will let it ferment is completely up to your individual taste perception . Start tasting on daylight 4 or 5 and try every sidereal day or two until the texture and tang are to your preference preference .
Once you are satisfied with the flavor remove the weight . Then reassign the sauerkraut and liquid to containers with lids to stash away in the refrigerator for up to six months .
Be sure that the lid used protects the top of the container but it should not be air tight as some of the gases need to release during the fermenting process.
Once put in the icebox the zymolysis summons will be nearly halted and your sauerkraut is ready to corrode .
How To Can Sauerkraut
If you prefer to make the sauerkraut ledge stable you’re able to do so by tin . While it is true that the bouncy cultures will be killed during the canning mental process , the sauerkraut still has many benefit and can be store safely for a much foresighted full point of time .
Sauerkraut can easily be canned in a hot water system bath using either a bare-ass pack or a spicy pack method acting once the fermenting process is complete .
Fill unsex jars with sauerkraut , leaving 1/2 headspace at the top of each jar . Then cut through the contents of the shock with brine from the zymolysis container . Use a shaping utensil down the side of meat of the jounce to remove any atmosphere bubbles . pass over the rims clean .
Place the lid on the jars and finger tighten the band . Place the jarful in a water bath canner with room temperature water at least 1 inch above the top of the jars . Bring the body of water to a boil and once it issue forth to a rapid boil coiffure the timekeeper for 20 minutes for pints or 25 second for quarts ( adjusting for EL as necessary ) .
tardily warm your sauerkraut and brine in a operose - bottomed potful , evoke frequently until the contents get to a boil .
filling sterilized and pre - warmed jars with the sauerkraut and top off with brine , result 1/2 inch headspace . Remove the air bubble , wipe the rim clear , and tot up the lids and bands . cautiously lower the jars using a jar lifter in a raging water bathtub that is already boil .
Again , be indisputable that there is at least 1 inch or more of pee above the top of the jar . Process for 10 minutes for pints and 15 minutes for quarts ( adjusting for ALT as necessary ) .
Once the jounce have been processed for the require time , turn off the heat and allow the jars pose for 10 minute in the water .
Then cautiously withdraw the jars and place them on a thick towel to cool down for 24 hour . Check the jar to ensure that they sealed by rights and store at room temperature .
Mary and Jim
Jim and Mary Competti have been writing gardening , DIY and recipe article and books for over 15 years from their 46 acre Ohio farm . The two are frequent speakers on all things garden and love to travel in their spare clock time .
Easy Homemade Sauerkraut
How to ferment lolly to make sauerkraut at habitation . A healthy and inexpensive way to carry on cabbage and improve your gut botany . This formula makes approximately 1 quart .
Notes
- Canning pedagogy included in the article .
Recipe courtesy of Old World Garden Farms
Nutritional Information is to be used as a general road map only . Nutritional calculations will vary from the character and brands of the product used .
