Lacto Fermented Sauerkraut
Making your own sauerkraut at home is simple and a truly healthy food that you can enjoy daily. Enjoy!
Equipment
- 1 Large sharp knife Or use a thermomix or food processor to chop up cabbage
- 1 Large bowl
- Fermenting jars or fermenting crock
- 1 Kitchen scales to weigh your cabbage if you don't have a thermomix
Ingredients
- 1 large cabbage
- 1 tbsp Celtic sea salt
Instructions
- Remove outer leaves from your cabbage. Save a couple of good leave if you don't have weights to hold your sauerkraut down under the brine
- Chop up your cabbage into small pieces or thin strips either by hand or using a thermomix or food processor
- Weigh your chopped cabbage
- Add 1 tablespoon of Celtic sea salt per kilo of cabbage to your chopped cabbage
- Mix the salt through the cabbage and then squeeze and massage the salt into the cabbage by hand until the juices start to be released from the cabbage and pool in the bottom of the bowl.
- Once enough juice has come out of the cabbage, pack the cabbage mixture into a fermenting crock or jars. If there is not enough juice to cover, make up a salt brine using 1 tsp salt to 1 cup of water. Dissolve and add to your sauerkraut ensuring all cabbage is under the liquid.
- Pack the cabbage down hard so the the juice covers the chopped cabbage, then if using a crock, place weights on top to hold the cabbage under the juice. If using jars, push the saved outer cabbage leaves down into the jar, tucking under the rim, to help hold the chopped cabbage under the juice.
- If using jars, place lids loosely on the jars and then place jars or crock onto a dish to catch any overflow (warning - overflow WILL happen as your sauerkraut ferments if your jars are pretty full) and leave your sauerkraut to ferment.
- Check your sauerkraut daily (particularly if in jars without weights) as you need to check that your cabbage is under the liquid. If cabbage has floated up to the surface, push it down with a spoon or fork.
- Taste your sauerkraut regularly and pop it into the fridge once it develops a sour taste that you like. This may be days or weeks just depending taste. As long as your cabbage remains under the liquid it won't mold.
Notes
- If you do the lids of your jars up tight, you will need to undo them regularly as pressure will build up in the jars as the ferment happens. Failure to let pressure out may lead to your jars breaking or exploding.
- You will know that your ferment is working when it begins to bubble/rise up and possibly overflow if your jars are quite full. If you push it down with a fork or spoon, you'll see the bubbles rising. Fermentation can take anything from a few hours to a couple of days to begin and if you've used too much salt, it may take longer.
- You will also begin to be able to smell it as it begins to ferment.
- Sauerkraut can be left to ferment for much longer than a few days as long as you check it regularly and ensure it is covered in liquid and there is no mold. If mold develops, remove it and push any cabbage under the liquid again.
- Don't be afraid of a little mold. If your sauerkraut still smells and tastes okay, it will most likely be okay. However if you've ignored your sauerkraut and the mold really gets a hold, it looks nasty or smells nasty or you're not sure, then bin it and start again. Use your senses to judge.