This traditional sauerkraut is basic and easy to make as a delicious side dish to add flavor and gut-healthy benefits to a variety of meals.
Prep Time30 minutesmins
Fermenting Time7 daysd
Total Time7 daysd30 minutesmins
Course: Side Dish
Keyword: Ferments, good gut bacteria, gut healing, gut-healthy, live food, probiotics, sauerkraut, traditional sauerkraut
Servings: 12Cups
Author: admin
Equipment
Weights (holds cabbage below the brine)
Mason Jars (I use 1/2 gallons, you can use quart-sized)
Ingredients
3HeadsOrganic Green Cabbage
2-2.5TbspHigh Quality Salt*i.e., himalayan salt
Instructions
Rinse the cabbage heads in cool water. Peel off the top 1-2 leaves and set aside for the end of this recipe.
"Core" the cabbage by cutting around the middle-bottom region of the cabbage by cutting in 4 sections.
Take each quartered section and cut strips about 1/2 inch-1 inch wide. Rotate the whole section of strips 90 degrees and cut the strips the same way you did before. This will result in 1/2"-1" chunks of cabbage.*You can run your cabbage sections through the shredder attachment on a food processor if you'd like to avoid this cutting step. I personally do not own a processor that has that and I enjoy making my life a little harder in certain ways.
Dump cut-up pieces of cabbage into large bowls. This recipe calls for 3 green cabbages. To accommodate the amount of cabbage that needs to be mixed with salt, I dump the pieces from 1 1/2 cabbages into each of 2 separate large bowls/stockpots.
Three (3) heads of cabbage need approximately 2 heaping tablespoons of salt to properly ferment and prevent bad bacteria from forming. Since I split the cabbage pieces evenly into two (2) bowls, I sprinkle one (1) heaping tablespoon of salt into each bowl.
Use your hands to squeeze and massage the salt into all of the cabbage. Over the course of a few minutes the salt will cause the cabbage to "sweat" thereby releasing its juices. I like to alternate this process between the two bowls which gives each a little time to produce more juices. Make sure all the salt is thoroughly incorporated.
Stuff the cabbage into two (2) half-gallon mason jars, or four (4) quart-sized mason jars. Use your fist or a large tool to compact the cabbage down into the jar along the way. It should be a near-perfect fit, but it may be under or above the neck of the jar depending on the size of your heads of cabbage. This is okay, just make sure you will still be able to get some sort of weight into the jar.
Fold up 1-2 of the cabbage leaves you saved from the beginning and stuff them into the jar so they are like a blanket on top of all the compacted cabbage. Then add your weight. I use these glass weights for all my ferments and have been very happy with them. Push down on your weight and watch the cabbage juice rush to the top as the cabbage gets squished down. This liquid is your brine (salt & water solution) that will keep mold from growing and allow the cabbage to ferment. The cabbage needs to remain submerged in the brine completely to avoid spoil.
Place a lid loosely on top of the jar to allow airflow while also preventing bugs and other unwanted debris from entering. Place out on your counter or somewhere room temperature for at least 7 days, maybe even 10+ until the flavor is where you want it. You will notice the color of the cabbage changes from a bright light green to more of a dull yellow as it ferments. The end result should not taste salty.Expect that a full jar may leak liquids during the fermenting process. I will either place the jar on a plate or dish to catch the liquid or just clean up any spillage that may occur every day. Also, as the cabbage ferments it will shrink in size and take up less space in the jar. To prevent mold from forming, don’t be afraid to push the cabbage back down under the liquid every few days to make sure everything stays submerged.After 7-14 days when you are happy with the result, transfer your sauerkraut to the refrigerator for cold storage to drastically slow down the fermentation process and maintain the current flavor profile. In the fridge this sauerkraut will last many months but also keep an eye out for mold or anything weird growing on your ferment.