Sauerkraut – Easy Homemade Probiotic

Fermenting vegetables is a great way to preserve surplus, and the health benefits are widely recognized. Sauerkraut that has not been boiled or made with vinegar helps increase your intake of Lactobacillus bacteria that support gut and digestive health. It’s easy to make and cabbage is less expensive than many other veggies.
 
The following description is from an online article I found a few years ago. I really like the fact that you can make smaller batches in a 1 Quart Canning Jar throughout the winter – no need for a large, expensive crock.
 
Sauerkraut for 1 Quart (1 Litre) Canning Jar
800 grams (1.75 lbs) of cabbage and other grated veggies (see below) – approx. 4 cups total
1 Tablespoon salt (sea salt if available)
a bit of water, if necessary
1 wide mouth canning jar – 1 quart (1 litre)
1 small jar that just fits inside the large jar
meat tenderizer mallet or other pounding tool
sharp knife and cutting board (or veggie mandoline)

Instructions

1. Veggies for flavoring: You can add some grated carrots or radishes to the bowl, as well as 1-2 chopped cloves of garlic if you like. Add these extras to the bowl before adding sliced cabbage, for a total weight of 800 g.
2. Cabbage: You can use a medium sized purple or green cabbage. Cut the head in quarters and thinly slice the cabbage, adding it other grated veggies if desired. Add cabbage until you have a 800 g of veggies or approx. 4 cups.
3. Salt: Sprinkle 1 Tablespoon of salt over the sliced and grated veggies.
4. Pounding: It’s helpful to gently pound the veggies with a meat tenderizer mallet (or similar) to release juices that will form a brine with the salt. This happens after about 10 minutes of stirring and lightly pounding.
5. Other flavours: Before packing the veggies into the jar, you can also add a bit of grated ginger or 1-2 tablespoons of caraway seeds.
6. Packing the jar: Use a large serving spoon to fill the jar with the veggie mix. Press the mix down as you go to try and submerge the veggies with the brine. Leave about 5 cm of space from the top. If there the juices do not cover the veggies, you can add a couple of tablespoons of water.
7. Place the smaller jar inside the large jar, pressing down gently. Fill the small jar with some water to keep the cabbage mix submerged.
8. Fermenting: Let the sauerkraut ferment at room temperature (I set mine in a bowl in the pantry, in case the is a bit of overflow). Within a day or two (depends on room temperature), it will start to form bubbles and it will develop stronger smell. After about 2 weeks or more, take out the small jar and smell the sauerkraut. Unless it has a putrid smell, it is ready for tasting. Place a lid on the jar and move it into the fridge. It will keep for weeks.

 
Note: I have only had one bad batch; the fermented cabbage looked slimy and the smell was off, definitely not like proper sauerkraut. Be sure to use your senses before tasting and ask for a second opinion if you feel something is not right.

For more information, visit Cultures for Health

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