Thoughts on Kraut

Ok, so this is a food that gets a bad rap. Sauerkraut.

I know what most of you are thinking. It smells weird, tastes strange and lots of people have a negative opinion of it. Guess what? Sauerkraut is awesome!

According to the USDA, sauerkraut is a great source of Vitamin C, Vitamin K and dietary fiber. It's a great companion to a lot of other foods. Part of my family is from Poland and the traditional Christmas Eve dinner in our house was pierogi (more on these in another post), kielbasa, piles of sauteed onions, and sauerkraut.

So, here's one of the things I think is most interesting about kraut--it is a natural byproduct of the yeast in the air. Sauerkraut is composed of four ingredients: cabbage, salt, yeast and time. But, you don't have to add the yeast yourself. It...just...happens!

This is how easy it is:

Ingredients:

5lbs cabbage (more or less)
3 Tbsp kosher or pickling salt (I use kosher because I always have it on hand)
1 Large crock or jar or bucket (sterilized)
Clean, sterile towels

Cabbage and salt

You are going to sterilize your container, and finely chop or shred your cabbage.

I've got a great crock here that I borrowed from a friend. This is like the Cadillac of crocks and you are under no obligation to make this investment. However, if you do want one, check out Ebay or Amazon. There are a variety of options, different companies, sizes, colors, etc.

The next step is simply to layer your cabbage with salt. So, layer of cabbage, salt, cabbage, salt, cabbage, until your crock is full. You want the last layer to be salt.

Let this sit at least several hours, but overnight is probably best. The salt is going to work on the cabbage and water will be released, creating a brine. The brine should cover the top of the cabbage when it is weighted down. If it doesn't, you can make some bring using 1tsp of salt per 1cup of boiled water. Make sure it is cooled down, and then add enough brine to cover your cabbage.

After 1 hour

After 2 hours

Overnight

 

 

As you can see, the cabbage changes drastically, just in a matter of hours. After letting it sit overnight, there was not enough self-generated brine to cover the cabbage, so I made some and covered the cabbage. The next step is to weigh down the cabbage. The crock came with the weights, but if you are using another container, a great method is to put a plate on top of the cabbage and fill a gallon jug or jar with water and place it on top.

Finally, cover the crock. This one comes with a water seal. The deep lid and the lip provide a reservoir for water that creates a natural barrier. If you are using a non-crock method, you will use a damp, sterile towel or pillow case to cover your bucket or container.

Now, all you have to do is leave it alone. You should check it once a week for 3-4 weeks, until the cabbage reaches the level of fermentation you want, and skim off any stuff that grows on top.

I'll be updating everyone on the kraut as time goes one. Stay tuned!