You either love sauerkraut or you hate it. There is little in between. But there is a taste difference between homemade sauerkraut and store-bought varieties. Homemade sauerkraut is crunchy in texture and tangy in flavor. To learn how you can make your own homemade sauerkraut, read on.
Homemade Sauerkraut: Nutrition
Folks who enjoy eating sauerkraut usually eat it with sausage, hotdogs or pork chops. Fresh sauerkraut contains beneficial bacteria, and sauerkraut is a good source of fiber and Vitamin C. But the nature of sauerkraut is that it tends to be high in sodium. Therefore, folks on low-sodium diets do best to avoid it.
Even so, you can adjust the sodium levels in homemade sauerkraut or you can rinse the sauerkraut that you buy; however, there is a trade off. Homemade sauerkraut made with less salt does not preserve as well, especially at too warm a temperature. Also, when you rinse any kind of sauerkraut, you compromise that tangy and familiar salty flavor.
Homemade Sauerkraut: Ingredients and Tools
To make homemade sauerkraut, you only need two ingredients–shredded cabbage and salt. The tools you need are a vegetable grater or cabbage slicer. You can use a large knife if you have all day, but a shredder or slicer is easier. You will need a stone crock or food-grade bucket, a plate to fit across the opening and a weight or a large plastic bag. You will also need a baseball bat and a towel or pillowcase.
Homemade Sauerkraut: Instructions
To make a standard recipe of sauerkraut takes five pounds of cabbage and three tablespoons of non-iodized salt. Shred the cabbage, and after you add the first head to the crock, spread half the salt on top. Do the same with the second head of cabbage. Now take a clean baseball bat and tamp the cabbage. If you are strong, you can just use your fist to tamp it down, but the bat is more fun. You want to crush the mixture hard until liquid comes to the surface–out of the cabbage.
Homemade Sauerkraut: Weight Methods
Now put a large plate on top of the cabbage, and place a clean weight or jug of water on the plate to help hold your shredded cabbage under the brine. You always want to keep your cabbage under the brine. If you ever need to add more brine, add one teaspoon salt per cup of water.
Another weight-method instead of the plate is to fill a garbage bag of water–enough to weight down the sauerkraut all the way to the edges of the crock. Be sure to seal the bag. If you use this method, you need to create brine in the bag or put the brine bag inside another bag–just in case the first bag leaks. The bag method is supposed to help prevent yeast and mold from forming on the surface of your sauerkraut. Of the two methods, I personally prefer the plate method.
Homemade Sauerkraut: Maintenance
Now cover the crock with a towel or pillowcase to keep dust and flies out. Check it every two-three days. Scoop the scum off the top that forms. Don’t worry; it won’t inhibit fermentation. After each check, rinse your plate and the weight, and return them to the crock. Replace the cover. Sauerkraut is ready when bubble formation stops.
Homemade Sauerkraut: Ready to Eat
Fermentation creates lactic acid and preserves the cabbage. It’s ready to eat in two weeks, but fully mature in about four weeks. Two heads of cabbage will make two quarts of sauerkraut. You need to keep the sauerkraut in a cool place or the refrigerator for longer life. The cooler temperature takes longer to ferment the cabbage, but the sauerkraut is crunchier and has a stronger flavor.
Homemade Sauerkraut: Freezing and Canning
If you want to preserve sauerkraut for longer than two months tops, you will need to freeze it or can it. Sauerkraut can be frozen in sealable freezer bags, or it can be easily canned using the raw pack method. For the raw pack method, pack your jars with sauerkraut and liquid, leaving ½-inch headspace. Adjust your jar lids, and process pints for twenty minutes and quarts for twenty-five minutes.
Making homemade sauerkraut is easier than most people think. It takes only two ingredients, a little muscle-power, some maintenance, a cool temperature, and a couple of weeks. Now that you know the basics, why not try making your own homemade sauerkraut?
