A wonderful project for a hot summer afternoon on the patio. Yes kids, its time to start the sauerkraut!! Ingredients: For every 25 lbs. of cabbage use about 3/4 to 1 cup of canning or pickling salt. The salt is to help make the kruat ferment and keep. The Miller Lite is to help the cook ferment. The rate of Miller Lite varies from cook to cook. For the best sauerkraut, use firm heads of fresh cabbage. Shred cabbage and start kraut between 24 and 48 hours after harvest. Yield: About 9 quarts I used the 25 lbs mark here for a reference point. I happen to have about 35 lbs. of cabbage here I am going to ferment. Procedure: Work with about 5 pounds of cabbage at a time. Discard outer leaves. Rinse heads under cold running water and drain. Cut heads in quarters and remove cores. Shred or slice to a thickness of a quarter. I use my food processor for this. It makes life so much easier. Put cabbage in a suitable fermentation container** and add 3 tablespoons of salt. Mix thoroughly, using clean hands. Pack firmly until salt draws juices from cabbage. Repeat shredding, salting, and packing until all cabbage is in the container. Be sure it is deep enough so that its rim is at least 4 or 5 inches above the cabbage. If juice does not cover cabbage, add boiled and cooled brine (1-1/2 tablespoons of salt per quart of water). Add plate and weights; cover container with a clean bath towel. Store at 70º to 75ºF while fermenting. At temperatures between 70º and 75ºF, kraut will be fully fermented in about 3 to 4 weeks; at 60º to 65ºF, fermentation may take 5 to 6 weeks. At temperatures lower than 60ºF, kraut may not ferment. Above 75ºF, kraut may become soft. If you weigh the cabbage down with a brine-filled bag, do not disturb the crock until normal fermentation is completed (when bubbling ceases). If you use jars as weight, you will have to check the kraut 2 to 3 times each week and remove scum if it forms. When the kraut ferments and I am ready to can it in jars, I will post pictures and instructions. Scroll through these pictures for some discriptions. ** I am using a stone crock but you may also use a 3 gallon food safe bag instead of the crock.
Posted on: Sun, 29 Jun 2014 11:49:35 +0000
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