Sauerkraut

[StephenLee]

I have just opened a jar of my home-made sauerkraut and it is delicious. This was my first time making it and it is simplicity itself.

You need (this makes about three 500ml jars)-

1 Cabbage
1 Tablespoon Salt

Cut the cabbage in half and with a sharp knife shred it quite thinly.

Take a handful of the cabbage and put in the bottom a a large bowl (non metallic unless stainless) and sprinkle over a large pinch of the salt. Repeat this until all of the cabbage and all of the salt has been used. Place a plate on top of the cabbage and weigh down with a weight of some description (1 to 2 Kg max. – you are not trying to crush it). Cover with a clean tea towel and leave 24 hours somewhere cool.

Sterilise the three jars and lids in the oven and allow to cool.

Put a quantity of the salted cabbage into the jar and with the handle of a wooden spoon pack it firmly into the bottom of the jar. This should release liquid from the cabbage that will cover the shredded cabbage. When this is achieved, add some more cabbage and repeat until you have a jar full of shredded cabbage and the cabbage liquid. Repeat for Jars two and three. Put the lids on loosely and put somewhere cool for three or four weeks.

Keep and eye on the jars. After a few days you should see bubbles rising and a foamy scum forming on the surface. Keep skimming this off and discarding. If necessary, top up with weak brine (1 tsp salt to 300ml cooled boiled water). After 4 weeks or so the bubbles will stop.

Put the jars into a saucepan half full of water (after the jars are introduced) and slowly bring to the boil. Remove the lids and put into the water to sterilise. Keep at a slow rolling boil until the contents are about 60C. Hold this temperature for about 20 minutes then remove the jars. After ten minutes cooling put the lids back on the jars and tighten. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Store in a cool dark place for 2 months then open and enjoy.

I think that this will preserve cabbage at least over winter. I have two jars left that I will open and try around Christmas time and then next January/February to test this.

Stephen

[nickdutch]

That's actually pretty interesting. And you need regular jamjar type jars for this yes?

I am asking as I am soon (after I have received the LONG awaited canner) going to not only buy more canning jars and lids, but also a few consignments of jamjar type jars of different sizes, types and designs for pickling and I SERIOUSLY want to get my head around salt based picking (to reduce my body's exposure to yeast from vinegar, however I also want to do some apple cider vinegar based pickling as i hear that's lower in yeast.

[Brambles]

Nick, if you have a local Freecycle keep an eye out on that, often bags of jam jars come up, then you only need to buy the lids(if you want) can't get much cheaper than free!

My mum used to put Fennel seeds in her Sauerkraut

[StephenLee]

NickDutch – Yes, ordinary jam jars seem to be fine

Brambles – I will try the fennel seeds in a future batch

I have some recipes that also include grated carrot, broccoli florets, sliced onion, etc. to give more flavour variation and also to preserve other vegetables but I will try these in the future and report results.

Stephen