WetLeather Recipe Database - food for bikers

Name:	Sauerkraut	Contributor:	Diana Tracy
Description:	Home made sauerkraut	Posted:	2005-12-21
Key words:	cabbage, preserves	Category:	Side Dishes
ID:	706	Updated:	2006-04-05 08:54:13
Ingredients:	enough cabbage 1 Tbsp pickling salt per 3 pounds cabbage (always by weight, not by volume)
Preparation:	Mix in batches, 3 lb shredded cabbage to 1 tablespoon salt. Pound it down until it begins to produce moisture, and then add another layer. Make sure the cabbage is under the surface of the liquid when you are done. If it isn't, you need to make a brine (see Joy of Cooking (the older editions), or any canning publication for the concentration. The cabbage will begin to ferment, and at first it will be only salty, but as time goes on, it will become more and more acid. It's fun to taste the intermediate stages. Keep the kraut under the surface of the liquid, and taste every so often. When it tastes like kraut, it's done. You can then store it as is (keeping under surface, adding brine if necessary, when you remove any), can it by processing in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes, or freeze it.
Notes:	I make kraut regularly, and have yet to have a disaster. However, it is a hurry up and wait proposition....2-3 months to maturity. You can easily do this in gallon jars, if you don't have a crock, but be sure to put them in something to catch dribbles if you do. I find freezing the best of all worlds; the kraut loses its crispness, but it still tastes like fresh (which canned doesn't, but it's still better than Steinfields), and is less of a maintenance issue than an active crock. If you crock it, often the top layer will be a bit ooky (soft, dark). Don't despair; remove it to find Perfect Kraut below.
Equipment:	Crock pot