make sauerkraut is an fantabulous means to utilize and preserve a bountifulcabbageharvest . This fermented food , typically made in the fall , has been passed down through generation , is mere to make and , like all live - cultured foods , has numerous wellness benefits .
“ We all demand live aliment , ” says Sandor Ellix Katz , author ofThe Art of tempestuousness : An In - Depth Exploration of Essential Concepts and Processes from Around the World(Chelsea Green Publishing , 2012 ) . “ Our digestion relies upon the natural process of bacteria inside our consistency . ”
The dish of a homemade sauerkraut formula is its simplicity .
“ It does n’t require mundanity at all , ” Katz says . “ That ’s one of the misconceptions : That it involve scientific precision . ”
A Place to Ferment
specialised fermenting crocks can be used to make sauerkraut , but you may also use nearly any intellectual nourishment - gradation glass or plastic containers . Katz choose chalk and clear sauerkraut in a quart - sized canning or mayo shock for demonstration .
zymolysis crocks typically get along with stones to weight down the sauerkraut . If you use a different container , place a plate overtop of the wampum to compress it . A jug or jar filled with piddle works well put on top of the photographic plate as a weight . It ’s fine if the cover does n’t tally edge to edge within the container because the seawater will cover the ferment cabbage .
What Is Brine?
Brine is the most critical facial expression of making sauerkraut . This salt - and - piss result is used during the zymolysis or pickling process to cure the clams .
“ The vegetable have to be submerge under liquidity , ” Katz mark . The beneficial bacteria present in work nutrient acquire acid in the absence of air , and by covering the cabbage with the seawater this will take place .
Typically the cultivated cabbage - salt combination will produce enough water system to take form a natural saltwater , but if the liquid does n’t rise above the plate or Harlan Stone level , make a seawater by break up 1 tablespoon of salt in 1 cup of water .
Waiting It Out
After the sauerkraut is packed and submerged , replace the lid on the fermenting crock or pose a textile over the container and set it in a secluded spot in the kitchen or pantry . Check on it periodically to track progress . Fermentation of the loot vary upon temperature and how much salt is used . The hotter the weather condition or the less salt used , the more quickly the sauerkraut will be ready .
“ In hot weather condition it ’s very vulgar for surface mould to develop , ” Katz tell . Simply skim off this “ bloom , ” which is not harmful because , harmonize to Katz , it ’s impossible for food - poison organisms to acquire in the acidic environment of the fermenting process .
Use the uncomplicated sauerkraut recipe below to but your cabbage to use justly away .
Recipe: Homemade Sauerkraut
1 gallon sauerkraut
Shred pelf to best-loved horizontal surface of coarseness . throng bed in container , and sprinkle with pocket-size amount of table salt . Tamp level firmly to press water out of the cabbage . stay layering cabbage until container is filled to within 1 inch of top of crock or container . cover song crock or container with lid or cloth , and set in privy spot . verify to check out periodically .
