How to Make Homemade Sauerkraut

This is the time of the year that you may be considering growing cabbage since it can be planted about 4 weeks before the last frost.  We enjoy growing our own cabbage and making sauerkraut and have done this successfully three times.  It may seem a little intimidating but it is actually really easy as long as you follow the instructions.  In this post, I'll explain how easy it is to make your own homemade sauerkraut.

The first step is to gather your ingredients and supplies.  We use about 10 or 15 small heads from our garden to fill a 5 gallon crock (approximately 25 pounds of cabbage).   I would suggest figuring out how many gallons your crock can hold and then determine how many pounds you need.  You will also need a crock or another vessel to ferment your cabbage, a large bowl, cutting board and knife,  and something to pound the cabbage and kosher salt.

The first step is to remove the outer leaves and cut of the stem.


Next, cut the cabbage in half, remove the core and shred the cabbage.

                                                              
Now you will begin salting and pounding the cabbage.  Put the shredded cabbage in a large bowl and sprinkle with kosher or pickling salt.  You will use about 3 tablespoons for every 5 pounds of cabbage.  Now lightly pound the salt into the cabbage with your hands or utensil.  Mix up the cabbage a couple times, pound again and then place the cabbage in your crock.  Salting and pounding the cabbage helps extract liquid which creates the brine that will cause fermentation.  Depending on the size of your bowl, you will need to do this process several times until you run out of cabbage or your crock is full.

When placing your cabbage into the crock,  be sure to tamp it down.  You want to be sure that the cabbage is packed tightly in the crock. We were lucky enough to get an antique crock from Nick's grandparents. It has been used to make Sauerkraut for generations. You can buy one in an antique store or buy a new one from places like lehmans.com. If you don't want to use a crock, you can use plastic tubs or even canning jars. Look around for ideas.

Place a clean plate upside down on top of the cabbage in the crock.  Place something heavy, such as a brick or large rock inside a freezer bag, on top of the plate to help push the cabbage under the brine. Place a large clean cloth over the crock.  Make sure that the cabbage is completely immersed in the brine.  It may take up to 24 hours for the liquid to be completely extracted from the cabbage.  If after 24 hours the cabbage is not immersed under the brine, make some salt water and pour over the cabbage. 

Now it is time to store your cabbage so that fermentation can take place.  This process is what flavors the sauerkraut giving it that distinctive, tangy flavor.  A cool cellar is ideal, but we have been successful with keeping our crock in the kitchen. Check the kraut every couple days and taste it every so often.  Our kraut typically takes 1 month before it is ready.  We determine this just by tasting it, once it tastes like sauerkraut we know it is done.  You may occasionally notice mold on top of the sauerkraut.  This is normal and just part of the process as long as the mold is white.  Simply skim off the mold.

Once your kraut is ready you may wish to can it so it will last longer.  Or, place it in a container with a tight-fitting lid and store for several months.  If storing it for this long make sure your refrigerator is set to 36 degrees Fahrenheit.  Good luck!