Canning, Freezing, Dehydrating and Other Food Preservation

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quick and easy homemade sauerkraut

Printed From: Foods of the World Forum
Category: Other Food-Related Topics
Forum Name: Canning, Freezing, Dehydrating and Other Food Preservation
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URL: http://foodsoftheworld.ActiveBoards.net/forum_posts.asp?TID=1349
Printed Date: 26 March 2026 at 21:11

Topic: quick and easy homemade sauerkraut

Posted By: TasunkaWitko
Subject: quick and easy homemade sauerkraut
Date Posted: 05 May 2011 at 14:30

i found this recipe in a collection of my wife's late grandmother. it looks as though she had clipped it from an old issue of the great falls tribune.

remove outer leaves from firm heads of cabbage. wash and drain. cut into quarters and remove cores. use sharp knife to cut cabbage into thin shreds, about the thickness of a penny. it takes about 2 pounds of cabbage to fill a quart jar. let shredded cabbage stand for several minutes to wilt slightly; this allows packing without excessive breaking of shreds.

fill jar with cabbage, pressing down until half full. add 1 teaspoon salt. fill to shoulder of jar, packing very tightly. add another teaspoon of salt.

fill jar with cold water to overflowing. adjust cover loosely. let stand at room temperature for 9 days, adding more cold water each day as needed. a room temperature of 64-72 degrees is best for fermenting cabbage. the higher the temperature, the faster the processing, but cabbage may not be as good. at the end of the 9 days, screw cover tight. sauerkraut is ready to use or may be processed in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes for longer storage.

i tried this a couple-three years ago and it worked cery well. i cut the cabbage a little too thick, but other than that, it was very good. this recipe works well for small batches with a few heads of cabbage.

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Replies:

Posted By: Boilermaker
Date Posted: 05 May 2011 at 15:23

Ron,

As old Germans we make a lot of sauerkraut where I am from, it is a fall tradition. If you pound the shredded cabbage, with something like a dowel rod, as you pack it into into the jar, whilst sprinkling the salt over the shredded cabbage to distribute it evenly the juice will come out of it and eventually cover the cabbage eliminating the need for adding water. You will end up with a much better kraut if you eliminate the addition of water, true kraut should be made from nothing but cabbage and salt. I also recommend using only non-iodized or sea salt when making kraut. A tip to tell when it is done is when the shredded cabbage is translucent and no longer opaque, it has then completed its transformation into sauerkraut.

Good stuff! Thanks for posting. Clap

Posted By: TasunkaWitko
Date Posted: 05 May 2011 at 15:31

hey, andy - that makes perfect sense, as the pounding and the salt will bring the cabbages natural moisture out, filling the jar. i will give that a try the next time i make this!

thanks for the tips, a perfect reason why this forum works so well!

Posted By: TasunkaWitko
Date Posted: 05 May 2011 at 21:03

after reading http://foodsoftheworld.activeboards.net/another-sauerkraut-experience_topic1350.html - rod's outstanding post on making sauerkraut, i'd like to advise that you weigh your cabbage first, then add an amount of salt equal to 2.25% by weight to the cabbage, both for food quality and for safety.

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Posted By: TasunkaWitko
Date Posted: 11 February 2014 at 21:08

I came across this today, and am posting it for consideration and discussion:

http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-easy-homemade-sauerkraut-in-a-mason-jar-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-193124

Posted By: HistoricFoodie
Date Posted: 05 August 2014 at 03:43

The Ball Blue Book recipe is similar to Melissa's grandmother's, Ron.

Of course there's a difference in quantity. BBB recipes starts with 50 lbs of cabbage.

Fortunately, it breaks things down into 5 pound groups. When I put mine up, this morning, that's what I worked with. This is a long-term cure, however. Full fermentation takes 5-6 weeks.

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But we hae meat and we can eat
And sae the Lord be thanket

Posted By: TasunkaWitko
Date Posted: 12 September 2014 at 19:19

Here's another take on this concept:

Homemade Sauerkraut

Put a little onion and green dill in the bottom of a pint jar. Fill jar with shredded cabbage. Press in with wooden spoon to get full. Add 1/2-teaspoon canning salt and 1/2 teaspoon of vinegar to each pint. Fill with boiling water. Use old lids and turn shut. Let sour 7 to 10 days in a cool room.

Take off old lids and wash off jars. Put on new lids and process for 1/2 hour to seal.

Recipe from: Treasured Memories and Tasty Treats of the Christ and Ida Lutz Family: 1919-2008," page 26.

Posted By: AK1
Date Posted: 13 September 2014 at 15:06

Sounds interesting!

Posted By: Margi Cintrano
Date Posted: 27 August 2018 at 09:23

Ron,

Melissa´s grandmom´s cabbage is just up my alley .. So simple a baby can do it !!

Thank you and going to work on this tomorrow ..

Got to get going !!

I cannot wait to submit the Trout Choucrout !!!

I already spoke with Filippo about it and he shall bring down the trout on ice in an ice chest from Vizcaya !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cool !!!

He Will do the Photographs !!! My cell does not take good fotos ( Samsung ) .. He has an I Phone ..

All my best and thanks again for posting all the récipes again ..

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Volamos a Mediterraneo, un paraiso que conquista su gente u su cocina.

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