Sauerkraut

Traditional homemade sauerkraut starts with just two ingredients: fresh cabbage and canning salt. A stoneware crock provides a convenient vessel for fermenting cabbage into a tangy accompaniment for your favorite meals.

Ingredients

• 5 lbs. fresh cabbage, cored and finely shredded

• 3 tablespoons canning or pickling salt

Additional brine, only if needed:

• 1 quart boiled and cooled water

• 1½ tablespoons canning or pickling salt

Instructions

1. Remove the outer leaves from the cabbage, rinse thoroughly and drain. Cut into quarters, remove the cores and finely shred.

2. Place the shredded cabbage in a suitable fermentation crock. Add 3 tablespoons of canning or pickling salt and mix thoroughly.

3. Pack the cabbage firmly into the crock until the salt draws out enough natural juice to cover it.

4. If the cabbage's natural juices don't cover it, prepare additional brine using 1½ tablespoons of salt per quart of boiled and cooled water.

5. Place a suitable fermentation plate and weights over the cabbage to keep it submerged beneath the brine. Cover the crock with a clean towel.

6. Keep the crock at 70–75°F during fermentation. At this temperature, fermentation typically takes three to four weeks. At 60–65°F, it may take five to six weeks.

7. Once fermentation is complete, transfer the sauerkraut to suitable containers and keep it refrigerated, or follow a tested sauerkraut canning procedure.

Equipment: Stoneware fermentation crock, suitable fermentation weights and a clean cover.

Original recipe inspiration: Cooks.com

Preparation and preservation guidance: National Center for Home Food Preservation.