Home Made Kraut (Not sour)
You have a mandolin it helps alot if not a sharp knife will do.
Anyway ... Kraut is as easy as it gets.
1. Get yourself a few heads of cabbage - they were small so I got three
2. Wash them up and peel off the outer layers and any imperfections - you don't want any blemishes!
3. Cut it in half and cut a wedge in the center to remove the hard center core.
4. Some people throw the core in there and eat them like pickles - they do soften somewhat, but I throw them away because it makes it harder to compress the shredded cabbage.
5. Depending on the size of your mandolin you may want to quarter them - I do but I slice it by hand.
6. Shred up the cabbages in really thin strips
7. Grab a few loose handfuls and put it in the container.
8. Sprinkle about a tablespoon of kosher salt or sea salt all over the layer, mix it up some and press it down tightly.
9. Grab a few loose handfuls and put it in the container.
10. Sprinkle about a tablespoon of kosher salt or sea salt all over the layer, mix it up some and press it down tightly.
11. Do this until it's all in there and tightly packed. I use an old milk bottle to really smash it down. 12. Place a small plate, washes flat rock or anything that fits over the cabbage on top.
13. Place a zip lock bag on top of the plate on work it around so it covers most of the opening.
14. Fill the bag with water (don’t get any in the cabbage) until it fills the remaining cavity of you container and cover it. I have used a coffee can lid and cut an X across the top to let the gases leach out.
15. Put the cover on and put the cabbage I a cool dark place where the temperatures won’t get above say 75°F.
If your using a crock put a layer of plastic wrap over the cover and put a heavy towel on top.
16. Check it everyday. The salt will suck the water out of your cabbage and make scummy water – you need to remove this scummy stuff. Put on clean rubber gloves (this is important the oil from your skin can make the kraut go bad!) remove the water bag and plate and scoop out the scummy stuff with a clean wooden spaghetti spoon without removing the brine water. If the plate of water bag gets moldy just remove the mold, wash the plate, replace the bag.
17. Recover the cabbage and continue doing this for about 3 weeks to a month.
An option some people like it so add dill pickle spices or dill seeds. ABout 1 tablespoon is enough but go by your own taste.
Fermentation of you kraut is just like sausage, beer, wine and cheese - it is temperature dependant. So the length of time your kraut will need to ferment can be estimated based on the temperature of the kraut.
if the temperature of the kraut is less than 55°F or higher than 76°F it will not ferment it’ll just rot! So find a cooler spot or put the container in a cooler.
if the temperature of the kraut is 75°F it will take about 3 weeks to complete.
if the temperature of the kraut is 70°F it will take about 4 weeks to complete.
if the temperature of the kraut is 55°F to 60°F it will take about 5 or 6 weeks to complete.
How do you know when it done? The cabbage is fermenting so it will make little bubbles while it’s “working” just like beer! When you tap the container and no more bubbles come to the top it’s done! Another method is to taste it. Some people like it really sour and others do not. When it reaches the level you want it's done!
What are you gonna do with all this kraut? You can freeze it (some say this destroys the stuff that makes it good for you) or can it. In either case you need to cook it!
Put all the kraut in a big pot and cook it stirring so it doesn’t burn on the bottom just long enough to bring it to a boil.
To freeze kraut: after cooking let it cool and put it in freezer bags or containers and freeze. Vacuum sealer bags are a plus here!
To can kraut: Sterilize your mason jars, lids and seals. Scoop the hot kraut into sterilized Mason jars wiping any drips and put on seals and caps. Process using Hot Water bath for 20 minutes.
