Making Sauerkraut

Timeframe: 1 to 4 weeks
.
Special equipment:
- 1 gallon-sized glass jar
- Plate (or any heavy, flat object) that fits inside glass jar
.
Ingredients for 1 gallon:
- 5 pounds cabbage
- 3 tablespoons sea salt
.
Process:
1. Chop or grate cabbage, finely or coarsely, with or without hearts, however you like it. Place the cabbage in a large bowl as you chop it. I chose to mix green and red cabbage to end up with a bright pink kraut!

2. Sprinkle salt on the cabbage as you go. The salt pulls water out of the cabbage (through osmosis) and this creates the brine in which the cabbage can ferment and sour without rotting. The salt also keeps the cabbage crunchy by inhibiting enzymes that soften it.

Shakin' ze salt.

4. Mix ingredients together and pack into the jar. Pack just a bit at a time and tamp it down using your fingers. The tamping packs the kraut tight in the jar and helps force water out of the cabbage.3. Add other vegetables, if you like. Grate carrots for a coleslaw-like kraut. Seaweed, greens, Brussels sprouts and beets work as well. I kept this batch simple, just adding a pinch of ground garlic. Experiment with herbs and spices (caraway seeds, dill seeds, celery seeds and juniper beers are classic).
5. Cover the kraut with a plate or some other weight that fits snuggly into the jar. This is to force water out of the cabbage and keep it submerged under the brine. Cover the whole thing with a cloth to keep dust and flies out.

Easy as heck.