Making Sauerkraut

For many people, making sauerkraut is their first foray into traditional fermented foods and I am no exception.

Friends and family pitch in to shred, mix, and pound.

I remember reading in "Stocking Up", Rodale Press, copyright 1977, about storing sauerkraut in a root cellar and then simply removing a handful from the fermentation crock when you were ready to use it.  The image stuck with me and when it was finally time for us to build a root cellar I was very excited to fill it with sauerkraut.  (Yes, I am a food geek.)

Click Read More below to see the complete post.




I started researching kraut making methods and was amazed to learn not only how to make sauerkraut, but why it is so important to eat it.  I was new to probiotics and had never learned how the active enzymes and friendly bacteria (including Lactobacillus) help our bodies digest food for better absorption of nutrients and also boost our immune function.


According to Sandor Katz, in his book, "Wild Fermentation"; cabbage and other vegetables in the Brassicaceae family (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, mustard, kale, collards, bok choi, etc.) are rich in anti-carcinogenic nutrients. 


According to a Finnish study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, fermentation breaks down glucosinolates in cabbage into compounds called isothio-cyanates, which are known to fight cancer.  So eating sauerkraut is healthier than eating raw or cooked cabbage.


Sauerkraut is also high in vitamin C and was historically used during long sea voyages to protect sailors from scurvy.


Making sauerkraut requires cabbage - lots of cabbage.  You can either buy organic cabbage at a farmers market or co-op, or if you have the space, grow your own.  There are many different cabbage varieties and those with firm white colored heads are most often used for kraut making, although other varieties are also used.

Fresh cabbages ready to clean and core.

In Zone 4 cabbages need to be seeded indoors 4 to 6 weeks before your area's last frost date and then moved outside when the threat of frost has passed.


Make sure you use only organically grown vegetables in your ferments. Vegetables grown organically have beneficial bacteria which are required to begin the fermentation process.  If your vegetables have been chemically treated there is no way to know if this substance is still present.



Cabbages can withstand cool fall temperatures so you can delay your harvest until late in the season (if you live in the north).  One advantage to waiting is that the outside (and hence inside) temperatures are lower.  Lower temperatures slow down the fermentation process and produces a crisper final product.  It is also nice to wait until all the tomatoes and other hot weather crops have been harvested and processed so you can pace yourself a bit.


Our family makes sauerkraut in large quantities, the following instructions and photos will reflect that.  I will try to reference processes for small quantities as 
well throughout the post.


Assemble your Supplies
Cutting board
Knives
Shredder w/bin- if you are processing large quantities
Large bowls
Scale
Measuring spoons
Kraut pounder (I ordered mine from krautpounder.com)
Fermenting Crocks - check out thrift stores for crock pot inserts
Plate - that fits snugly inside the crock
Weight - flat rock or canning jar filled with water and covered with a lid
Dish towel
Rubber band

For small batches you can use a glass canning jar as a fermentation vessel and omit the shredder and bin and cut up the cabbage by hand with a knife.

Crock collection along with pounders and rocks.

Ingredients
Cabbage heads - organic
Sea salt - about 3 TBS for every 5 lbs of cabbage
Filtered water

Cored cabbages - oh so many!

• To start; remove the outside leaves and rinse off the cabbage heads to remove any soil or insects.  Don't be surprised if  red worms, green cabbage worms or slugs have taken refuge in the nooks and crannies at the base of the cabbage. That is an indication that you have chemical free produce that can support life in all its forms.

A red worm finding shelter.

• Set aside several thin outside leaves to top the crock later in the process.

• Wash your crocks, plates, and weights in hot soapy water and rinse well.  If you are using a rock, boil it in water and allow it to cool.  Some people sterilize with boiling water and others wipe down the items with vinegar.  Just use good common sense kitchen sanitation methods and you should be fine.

• Remove the core of the cabbage by cutting it out with a long thin knife (if you want the cabbage to stay whole), or cut the cabbage in half down the center and slice out the core with an angled cut.  Some shredders will work best with whole cabbages, but if you are shredding it by hand with a knife, cutting the cabbage in half is the easiest way to remove the core.

• Once the core has been removed it is time to shred the cabbage. Traditional methods recommend thin shreds of consistent size so the texture is uniform as it ferments.  But if you prefer different size pieces, go ahead and be adventurous.

This handy bin perfectly holds the metal slicer.

• Although cutting the cabbage by hand is easy for small batches, using a shredder will give you a more uniform shred and is most efficient for making large quantities.

The metal shredder makes very fine shreds.

• To use the shredder, place it on top of a collection container and then place the cabbage in the square form.  Move the cabbage back and forth while pushing down.  Bits that fall off the sides can be placed back in the square form, with more cabbage on top.

Metal shredder works great for large batches.

• Place a big bowl on a scale and weigh out 5 pounds.  To the 5 pounds of shredded cabbage add 3 tablespoons sea salt.  You don't have to be exact (like you do while baking), but it is good to have the ratio of salt to cabbage correct. (Recipes will vary in how much salt they recommend.  I used the recommendation found in the book; Wild Fermentation.)

Pink Himalayan seat salt is added to cabbage.

• Massage the salt into the cabbage until it is well distributed.  You will notice that the cabbage shreds will wilt and become less firm and more pliable the longer they are handled.  The goal is to start breaking down the fiber and releasing the juice.

A big bowl makes the mixing easier.

• Take a hand full or two of cabbage and place it in the bottom of a crock.  Then tamp it down using a wooden pounder until it lies flat on the bottom of the crock.  Continue adding the salted cabbage and pounding it down after each addition.  The pounding is accomplishing two things; bruising the cabbage to release its juices and removing any air pockets.  The objective is to have firmly packed cabbage shreds and a flat surface across the top.

Adding the first layer of cabbage.

• You should find that the cabbage is getting soft and wet and when you push down, brine should appear on the top.

Cabbage juice appears on the top.

• Once the crock is about 3/4 full, place the whole leaves you saved on the top, making sure they extend all the way to the edges of your crock.  This will prevent the shredded cabbage from moving up and floating on the top of the crock.  (Where they will spoil due to air exposure.)

Cabbage leaves over the top of the shredded cabbage.

• Add a glass or ceramic plate to the top, curved side down and then place a weight on the top.  Weights can be flat rocks, or a covered jar filled with water.

Use a glass or ceramic plate to hold down the cabbage.

Use a rock with a flat side to keep the cabbage under the brine.

A glass jar filled with water can also serve as a weight.

• Check the level of the brine.  It should be about an inch or so above the top of the plate.  (My ferments rarely release that amount of water, so I generally have to add a salt water brine.)

• If the water level is too low, you will need to add a salt water brine.  To make the brine, stir 1 tablespoon of salt per cup of filtered water until the salt is dissolved.

• Put a closely woven dish towel over the top of the crock and secure with a rubber band.  Place the crock in a room that is about 70 degrees.  It is best to place the crocks close enough that you can check the water level every few days, but out of the way so they can remain undisturbed.

A 5 gallon crock covered with a dish towel.

• The level of the brine always needs to be above the plate.  This creates the anaerobic (airless) environment where the cabbage can ferment without spoiling.  If the cabbage is exposed to air it can and will spoil.

• It is very common for mold to form on the top of the brine.  You should remove it when you check the water levels.  The mold is a surface phenomenon and will not impact the quality or safety of the cabbage under the brine as long as it is routinely removed.  Remember the saying, "If it is under the brine, it is fine.".

Sometimes the mold looks like spider webs.

At other times it is just free floating specks.

You will usually see foam during the first few days.

• After a few weeks, remove the plate and taste the sauerkraut.  Most likely it will still be quite crunchy. You can begin using it whenever it tastes good to you.  I usually allow my crocks to ferment for 6 to 8 weeks before putting them in our cool root cellar.  The cool temperatures will slow down (but not stop) the fermentation.  I have kept sauerkraut for a full year in a 5 gallon Red Wing crock.

• A sauerkraut post would not be complete without a paragraph about the smell.  Fermenting cabbage gives off a unique scent that some find offensive and others don't mind.  You can place your crocks in a room with a door you can close if you don't like the odor.  A single crock or jar of sauerkraut will not be too strong, but if you have multiple crocks you will notice the smell.

• If you do not have a root cellar you can place your finished sauerkraut in jars in your fridge.  We have a friend who uses a mini-fridge for sauerkraut storage.  Any space that is around 40 degrees F will work.  I would not suggest canning your sauerkraut as many of its health building constituents will be destroyed by the heat.

Tips

Always use food grade ceramic or glass crocks and plates.  Some people use food grade plastic buckets, but why take the risk?  If you are going to put the work into making sauerkraut, don't put your finished product at risk of contamination from a plastic bucket.


Use glass or ceramics vessels and plates during the fermentation process.  Metal can react with the fermenting foods and contaminants can leech into your sauerkraut.  


Use sea salt to boost the mineral content of your kraut.  Table salt should be avoided as the iodine may interfere with the fermentation.


Experiment by adding carrots, onions, apples, beets, caraway seeds, ginger or other fruits, vegetables and/or spices to create one-of-a-kind recipes.  Root vegetables are logical choices as they are ready for harvest at the same time as cabbage.  Beets and onions added to cabbage makes a beautiful deep red kraut that is filled with nutrition.


A wooden kraut pounder is a very helpful tool to own.  The one I purchased from krautpounder.com for $30 (plus shipping) works well because the big end fits into a wide mouth jar and the small end fits into a regular mouth jar. Besides pounding sauerkraut I have used the pounder to squish dried herbs and finished sauerkraut into glass jars.


To remove a portion of sauerkraut from a crock, remove the weight and plate and set aside the whole leaves.  Reach in and take out as much as you need.  Carefully repack the crock making sure the top is level, and the leaves, plate and weight are all back in place.  Finally check the water level to make sure it is above the plate.


The brine of fermented cabbage is filled with friendly bacteria and can be sipped to aid digestion.


Heat sauerkraut gently and do not boil.  This will keep the enzymes and probiotics alive.



Happy fermenting!




Please note: The objective of this blog is to raise awareness of alternative ways to achieve wellness and to empower you to take an active role in your health decisions.  To accomplish this, you will need to explore these subjects in greater depth and then determine what makes sense for your life.  My hope is that this information will inspire you to start your own search into ways to make your life happier, healthier and more fulfilling.