I’m sure there was a time in my life when I didn’t like sauerkraut, but I can’t remember it. I do remember, in my distant past, not being overly fond of it, but I can’t remember ever disliking the stuff. That is not the case today nor has it been the case for many, many years. Topping my hot dogs and brats, served as a cold salad similar to cole slaw, or even as an ingredient in chocolate cake, it is one of my favorite ways to eat my vegetables. My favorite way to prepare sauerkraut though is to slow cook it with numerous pork products (sausages, bacon, salt pork, pork chops) onions, apples, caraway and beer. Pork and sauerkraut are a match made in heaven, as far as I’m concerned, the kraut’s sharp tang a perfect foil to pork’s fatty richness.

I realized, not long ago, that as much as I enjoy sauerkraut, I had never made it from scratch before. I knew that I would have to remedy that this year so this past week I headed out to our local farmer’s market to pick up some cabbage. At the stall of one of my favorite farmers there I found a giant head of cabbage, weighing in at 13 pounds. I had my doubts about a cabbage that big the farmer assured me that it was sweet and tender. Deciding to place my trust in him, I bought the cabbage for a whopping $2.50 and brought it home to turn it into sauerkraut.

Kraut making is a rather easy task. At it’s most basic you shred the cabbage, you salt the cabbage, you pack the cabbage into a container, cover it and let it ferment for a few weeks. That’s about all there is too it. Well…..almost. There are a few things to keep in mind, but trust me making sauerkraut is a pretty easy process.

First let’s talk about the equipment you will need. You will need a way to shred the cabbage. You can use a flat shredder if you have one (the box graters will work also but not as well), you can purchase a sauerkraut shredded, making life easy, or you can do with a knife (the route I chose to go-thinly slicing 13 pounds of cabbage is not as short of a task as it sounds). You will also need a container to ferment the sauerkraut in. Glazed earthenware crocks are great, but if you have an antique one you might want to buy a home lead testing kit as some of the older ones were sealed with a glaze that contains lead. Failing that, a large bucket made from food grade plastic will do the job. I used a 5 gallon pickle pail I had picked up from one of the restaurants I used to work at. Just stay away from metal containers as they can impart off flavors to the end product, or so I’ve been told. You will also need a way to cover the kraut and keep pressed down below the level of the brine. For this I use 2 plastic garbage bags filled with water, though a large plate and a plastic wrapped brick will work also.

In the ingredient list you need to things; cabbage and salt. Some people add caraway seeds, some add onions, but all you really need is the cabbage and salt, besides the caraway and onion are things I add when I cook the kraut. For every 5 pounds of cabbage you will need 3 tablespoons of salt.

Now, for the how. First you want to make sure that everything is cleaned and sanitized, especially the vessel you are going to use to make the kraut in. I suggest washing then bleaching the container and then rinsing it well a number of times to make sure there is not bleach residue left. After you have cleaned everything it’s time to shred or slice the cabbage. You want to keep the cabbage thin and on the short side; about 1/8 inch thick (the thickness of a quarter) and 1-2 inches long.

After shredding about 2 pounds of cabbage I sprinkle it with some of the salt and rub it into the cabbage. No need to be gentle. Really work the salt and cabbage as we want that salt to draw out the liquid from the cabbage. Then dump the cabbage into your fermentation vessel. Repeat these steps until all the cabbage is used up. If you have some salt left over just add it to the cabbage and toss again. Now firmly pack the cabbage into the vessel tamping it down until it is packed in nice and tight. If you have fresh cabbage, at this point the cabbage should have exuded enough liquid that the brine has covered the cabbage. If the brine has not covered the cabbage go ahead to the next step but check the cabbage in 24 hours. If the brine still hasn’t completely covered the cabbage make enough additional brine to cover. To make the brine add 1 teaspoon of salt to every cup of water and stir until dissolved.

Fill one of the garbage bags with about 2 gallons of water. Remove any excess air from the bag and tie it tightly. Place it into another garbage bag, remove any excess air and tie this one tightly also. Place on top of the cabbage, weighing it down. Cover with container with a towel or linen and place in an out of the way spot. Sauerkraut ferments best between 60-72F degrees. Above 72F you have a greater chance of spoilage and below 60F will significantly prolong the fermentation time, which is not such a bad thing if you are making lots and want some to slowly ferment. At 68-72F the fermentation should be complete in about 3-4 weeks. If during that time some mold develops on the surface of the brine don’t worry, it shouldn’t affect the cabbage below, just skim it off the best you can.

Since this is the first time I’ve made homemade sauerkraut, I can’t give you the final verdict yet, but I will say that after 6 days the fermentation is going strong and the cabbage is starting to lose that salty edge while just beginning to take on a pleasant sourness. Look for an update in the next couple of weeks.

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