I bought raw, unpasteurized sauerkraut at Whole Foods not long ago. It is really good, but it is $5 for 25 oz., and that is on sale.
I am wanting to use sauerkraut as a probiotic supplement. I have been eating 1/4-1/2 cup every day.
One jar of Bubbies™ sauerkraut lasts me about a week, give or take a day or two.
I know sauerkraut is relatively easy to make and cabbage is cheap. I am not able to make a huge crock of sauerkraut. For one, I don't have a huge crock. For two, I don't have a place to store all of that sauerkraut once it is finished fermenting.
I found a video on YouTube with good instructions for making sauerkraut one jar at a time. My first batch turned out really good. It has a tang and little bite. It still tastes slightly green. I probably could have let it ferment for another or two.
Here are a couple of pictures of my sauerkraut and the recipe.
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| Ingredients Gathered |
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| Cabbage Being Cored |
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| Shredded Cabbage Before Adding Salt |
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| Cabbage After Salting And Squeezing |
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| Before Fermentation |
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| After Fermentation |
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| Bubbles On Top Of The Jar |
Small Batch Sauerkraut
2 pounds cabbage
2 TBS. sea salt (do not use iodized salt)
Cut your head of cabbage into quarters. Cut the core pieces out of your cabbage.
Slice the cabbage into thin shreds. Put shredded cabbage into a large bowl.
Sprinkle salt over cabbage. Use clean hand to massage and squeeze the cabbage for 10 minutes. You will notice a lot of water begin to sweat out of the cabbage. This is the brine.
Pack your cabbage into a clean quart jar with a spoon. Pack it pretty tight. When the jar is full cover the cabbage with brine. Put a weight in the jar to keep the cabbage submerged. A food grade plastic bag with water in it works well.
Put a bowl under the jar, and place it in a cool, not cold, dark place.
Age for 5-10 days. Bubbles and air pockets will form, this is normal.
After fermentation is complete store finished sauerkraut in refrigerator for up to 2 months.
Enjoy!
This is so neat; I didn't know you could make a small batch like that. I would love to give this a try sometime! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI definitely think I will be doing this again. I hope you give it a try. I think you would like it. :)
DeleteKatie started her fermentation "journey" this way and now ferments beans, pickles, peppers and all sorts of things.
ReplyDeleteVery cool
I am just getting started. ;)
DeleteI use 1/2 TBS of Real salt per pound of cabbage. You can use anything that will hold the cabbage below the brine. I try to stay away from plastic.
ReplyDeleteHave you heard of Azure Standard? They deliver Organic and Natural Foods to most of the US. Best part is that it is all at WHOLESALE prices. We buy our groceries from them.
Elizabeth, thank you for the comment!
DeleteI am not to keen on using plastic myself. I did use a glass disk to hold down the cabbage and to keep the plastic from making contact. I hope the plastic bag didn't do any harm.
I have heard of Azure Standard, but not much about them. I was not aware that all their products were at wholesale prices.
You have to check them out. The savings and quality are very worth figuring out how it works.
ReplyDeleteUnlike most wholesalers, they let you buy one cabbage or a bushel. They have the best cheese at very economical prices. Here is their website www.azurestandard.com. The customer service is excellent too.
The owners are conservative Christians and they try to support independent family farms as much as possible.
In short, we love them.