| Recipe: |
1 head green cabbage
1 head purple cabbage
salt (2% the weight of the cabbage)
Other items needed:
Kitchen scale
Very large bowl
Wooden pestle or mallet
2 Large canning jars
Canning jar lids with small nail holes punched in them
Remove the core of cabbages and a few of the outer leaves. Save the outer leaves. Weigh each of the cabbages at this point and add the two weights together. Then multiply the total by .02 to work out what 2% of the cabbage weight is. Use that number as the amount of salt to use by weight. Slice the cabbage into thin slices using a mandolin, or a knife if you don't have a mandolin. Place the cabbage into a large bowl in batches, adding some of the salt each time so that the salt gets evenly distributed. Once all the cabbage and salt is in the bowl, mix it well to further distribute the salt. Now, using a wood pestle, beat the cabbage up for 3-5 minutes. You want to draw out some of the liquid in the cabbage and by beating with the pestle/mallet it will help to do that. The salt will also help with that. The cabbage will get a little softer. Thoroughly clean two large canning jars. Place equal amounts of the cabbage in each jar including any remaining liquid. Using the wood pestle push down the cabbage firmly so that the liquid rises above the top of the cabbage. This is very important. The cabbage needs to remain submerged beneath the liquid so that is doesn't spoil. The cabbage level should be about 2 inches short of the top of the jar. Take the outer leaves that you've washed and saved and place them on top of the cabbage to form a type of lid, keeping the submerged cabbage beneath. Now using shot glasses, push the glass down on top of the cabbage condensing everything so it stays submerged. Find a shot glass that is just tall enough so that once pushed down firmly, it aligns with the top edge of the jar. I get mine at second hand stores and buy several heights so I have a few to choose from that will be just the right fit. Using a canning jar lid that has about 10 small holes punched into it with a nail, place the lid on, holding everything down. It doesn't have to be super tight... just closed. The holes will let the gases that develop out so that the jar won't explode. Leave the jars out on the counter. The temperature in the room is best around 65-72 degrees farenheit. If it is too hot in your house, they put the jars in a cooler with a cold pack and the lid propped open. The sauerkraut will ferment too fast if too hot. Leave for about two weeks. It will definitely bubble and some foam will form at the top of the liquid. This is normal. Make sure the liquid does not evaporate and leave the top of the kraut exposed. Taste it after two weeks and if you like it, feel free to start eating it. If you like it more fermented you can leave it out longer. I put mine in the fridge after about two weeks because I'm not patient. Some people leave theirs out for 4-6 weeks. One week is the absolute minimum. |
