Courtesy of Jordan Champagne, Happy Girl Kitchen Co.
Makes 1 gallon
Sauerkraut is easy to make. We just need to create the right conditions, and the microorganisms do the rest. You will be rewarded with crunchy, tangy golden kraut to enliven your spring.
5 pounds cabbage
3 tablespoons sea salt
1 tablespoon juniper berries (optional)
Optional: carrots, Brussels sprouts, turnips, beets, burdock root, apples, raisins
Suggested spices: caraway seeds, celery seeds, garlic
Chop cabbage into a large bowl, coarsely or fine, however you like.
Sprinkle on the sea salt now and then. Mix the cabbage and salt (and juniper berries, if desired) together to distribute the salt evenly. The salt pulls water out of the cabbage and creates a brine in which the cabbage (and other vegetables) can ferment without rotting or softening. Note on salt: Use only non-iodized salt, such as sea salt and unchlorinated water, as these chemicals inhibit the growth of microorganisms.
Pack into a vessel. Tightly push and pack the cabbage down using your hands or a kitchen tool, forcing as much air out as comfortable and encouraging the cabbage to release its juices. Note on fermenting vessel: Many folks use earthenware crocks for making kraut as the wide mouth gives easy access for tamping and cleaning. Other suggested vessels are wide-mouthed glass jars, stainless steel pots or food-grade plastic buckets (which are all much lighter than crocks).
Cover kraut with a plate or other lid that covers the surface snuggly. Place a weight on the cover to help force out the air and keep the kraut submerged under the brine. A glass jar filled with water or a plastic bag filled with salt brine all work well. Secure a breathable cloth over the container to keep out debris.
Press down on the cabbage over the next few hours to force out water. It may take 24 hours for the brine to rise above the level of the chopped cabbage. Add a salt water solution (1 tablespoon sea salt completely dissolved in 1 cup water) as needed to cover the cabbage if, after a day, it remains high and dry.
Let fermentation happen. Put the vessel in a cool spot. Check on your kraut every day or two to skim off any surface scum, which is just an aerobic phenomenon where the developing kraut has come into contact with air—don’t worry about it. The kraut below the surface is unaffected and fine. Rinse off your cover and weight to discourage the surface mold.
Start tasting the kraut. It will be fully fermented in 2 to 4 weeks at 70° to 75° F or 5 to 6 weeks at 60° F. The air bubbles you see rising to the surface, a result of our busy microbe buddies, will become slower and eventually cease after the kraut is fully fermented.
Eat the kraut. You can begin eating the young kraut any time to enjoy the evolving flavor as it matures over several weeks. Remember to replace the clean weight on top, adding brine to keep it covered.
Store and start some more before it’s gone. Pack the kraut tightly in jars and store covered in the fridge for several weeks (or longer). Eventually, it softens, and the flavor turns less bright. Rinse the crock, repack it with fresh salted cabbage and add some old kraut to get your new batch started with active cultures!
About the author
At Edible Monterey Bay, our mission is to celebrate the local food culture of Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey Counties, season by season. We believe in sustainability, and we believe everyone has a right to healthful, clean and affordable food. We think knowing where our food comes from is powerful, and we hope our magazine, website and newsletters inspire readers to get to know and support our local growers, fishers, chefs, vintners and food artisans.
