{"id":6811,"date":"2016-02-18T10:00:58","date_gmt":"2016-02-18T15:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hobbyfarms.com\/2009\/02\/18\/how-to-make-sauerkraut-2\/"},"modified":"2020-11-03T03:40:31","modified_gmt":"2020-11-03T08:40:31","slug":"how-to-make-sauerkraut-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hobbyfarms.com\/how-to-make-sauerkraut-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Learn to Make Your Own Sauerkraut"},"content":{"rendered":"

Making sauerkraut is an excellent way to utilize and preserve a bountiful cabbage<\/a> harvest. This fermented food, typically made in the fall, has been passed down through generations, is simple to make and, like all live-cultured foods, has numerous health benefits.<\/p>\n

“We all need live nutrition,\u201d says Sandor Ellix Katz, author of The Art of Fermentation: An In-Depth Exploration of Essential Concepts and Processes from Around the World<\/em> (Chelsea Green Publishing, 2012). “Our digestion relies upon the activity of bacteria inside our bodies.\u201d<\/p>\n

The beauty of a homemade sauerkraut recipe is its simplicity.<\/p>\n

“It doesn\u2019t require sophistication at all,\u201d Katz says. “That\u2019s one of the misconceptions: That it requires scientific precision.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Place to Ferment<\/h2>\n

Specialized fermenting crocks can be used to make sauerkraut, but you can also use nearly any food-grade glass or plastic containers. Katz prefers glass and makes sauerkraut in a quart-sized canning or mayonnaise jar for demonstrations.<\/p>\n

Fermenting crocks typically come with stones to weight down the sauerkraut. If you use a different container, place a plate overtop of the cabbage to compress it. A jug or jar filled with water works well placed on top of the plate as a weight. It\u2019s fine if the cover doesn\u2019t fit edge to edge within the container because the brine will cover the fermenting cabbage.<\/p>\n

What Is Brine?<\/h2>\n

Brine is the most critical aspect of making sauerkraut. This salt-and-water solution is used during the fermentation or pickling process to cure the cabbage.<\/p>\n

“The vegetables have to be submerged under liquid,\u201d Katz notes. The beneficial bacteria present in fermented foods grow acid in the absence of air, and by covering the cabbage with the brine this will occur.<\/p>\n

Typically the cabbage-salt combination will produce enough water to form a natural brine, but if the liquid doesn\u2019t rise above the plate or stone level, make a brine by dissolving 1 tablespoon of salt in 1 cup of water.<\/p>\n

Waiting It Out<\/h2>\n

After the sauerkraut is packed and submerged, replace the lid on the fermenting crock or place a cloth over the container and set it in a secluded spot in the kitchen or pantry. Check on it periodically to track progress. Fermentation of the cabbage varies upon temperature and how much salt is used. The hotter the weather or the less salt used, the more quickly the sauerkraut will be ready.<\/p>\n

“In hot weather it\u2019s very common for surface mold to develop,\u201d Katz says. Simply skim off this “bloom,\u201d which is not harmful because, according to Katz, it\u2019s impossible for food-poisoning organisms to grow in the acidic environment of the fermenting process.<\/p>\n

Use the simple sauerkraut recipe below to but your cabbage to use right away.<\/p>\n

Recipe: Homemade Sauerkraut<\/h2>\n

Yield:<\/h4>\n

1 gallon sauerkraut<\/p>\n

Ingredients<\/h4>\n
    \n
  • 5 pounds cabbage<\/li>\n
  • 3 tablespoons sea salt or pickling salt (Do not used iodized salt because it inhibits fermentation.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Preparation<\/h4>\n

    Shred cabbage to preferred level of coarseness. Pack layer in container, and sprinkle with small amount of salt. Tamp layer firmly to press water out of the cabbage. Continue layering cabbage until container is filled to within 1 inch of top of crock or container. Cover crock or container with lid or cloth, and set in secluded spot. Make sure to check periodically.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    If you love sauerkraut and want to make your own, turn to this simple fermentation tradition as a way to use up and preserve your cabbage harvest.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":40913,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[428],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6811","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-homesteading"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nLearn to Make Your Own Sauerkraut - Hobby Farms<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If you love sauerkraut and want to make your own, turn to this simple fermentation tradition as a way to use up and preserve your cabbage harvest.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hobbyfarms.com\/how-to-make-sauerkraut-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Learn to Make Your Own Sauerkraut\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"If you love sauerkraut and want to make your own, turn to this simple fermentation tradition as a way to use up and preserve your cabbage harvest.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.hobbyfarms.com\/how-to-make-sauerkraut-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Hobby Farms\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/hobbyfarms\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/amy.grisak\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-02-18T15:00:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-11-03T08:40:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/img.hobbyfarms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/18104258\/sauerkraut_kentsheridan.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"462\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Amy Grisak\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@https:\/\/twitter.com\/amygrisak\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@hobbyfarms\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Amy Grisak\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.hobbyfarms.com\/how-to-make-sauerkraut-2\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.hobbyfarms.com\/how-to-make-sauerkraut-2\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Amy Grisak\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.hobbyfarms.com\/#\/schema\/person\/cb92d13d62f97f0e8661e2ba02b58aa4\"},\"headline\":\"Learn to Make Your Own Sauerkraut\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-02-18T15:00:58+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-11-03T08:40:31+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.hobbyfarms.com\/how-to-make-sauerkraut-2\/\"},\"wordCount\":543,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.hobbyfarms.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.hobbyfarms.com\/how-to-make-sauerkraut-2\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/img.hobbyfarms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/18104258\/sauerkraut_kentsheridan.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Homesteading\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.hobbyfarms.com\/how-to-make-sauerkraut-2\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.hobbyfarms.com\/how-to-make-sauerkraut-2\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.hobbyfarms.com\/how-to-make-sauerkraut-2\/\",\"name\":\"Learn to Make Your Own Sauerkraut - 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