With summer approaching, I get excited to start grilling more. So naturally, I need sauerkraut to go with a lot of the items that get grilled.
Making sauerkraut is very simple and doesn’t require any special tools. The fermenting process creates probiotics which are what is found in greek yogurt and helps maintain your gut health.
You need about 1 pound of cabbage, green or purple, sea salt, and potentially a little distilled water.
I like using purple cabbage over green because is stays firmer longer. I like the crunch. But use what you like best. It took some of my friends a bit to get used to the firmer sauerkraut because they never knew any different. They only had store bought kraut made from green cabbage.
Shred about 1 pound of cabbage. I use a knife, but you could use a food processor or mandolin if you desire.
Sprinkle in 2 teaspoons of sea salt and massage it into the cabbage. You can already see the water being pulled out of the cabbage.
Push the cabbage together, top it with a plate and a weight. I fill the jar I’m going to put the kraut in with water and set that on top of the plate.
Now walk away for about an hour.
It’s time to fill the jar. For a long time I used my fist to smash the cabbage down in the jar. I finally broke down and bought a small fermenting kit that came with this handy pestle to smash the cabbage down.
Be sure all the cabbage is submerged in the brine. If not, you need to add more brine. If any cabbage is not submerged, mold will start growing during the fermenting process and ruin the sauerkraut.
If you don’t have a fermenting kit, a smaller jar filled with water will do the trick.
If you have a fermenting kit, you should have weights and fermenting lids in the kit. The fermenting lid allows gases to escape, but no air will be allowed in. This helps reduce the chances of mold growing.
You are ready to store this away for a week. As the cabbage ferments, it produces more liquid so put it on a plate just in case water seeps out.
Store it away in a dark, cool spot. I put it in my pantry, that way I won’t forget to check on it daily to ensure there is enough water. It needs the dark to ferment properly, so don’t leave it out on a countertop.
After a week, this is what you have. Mine produced a little foam during the fermentation process. I scrape that off with a spoon before I remove the weight.
After the weight is removed, I need to add some more salt water to my jar to ensure the kraut stays fully submerged.
I have plenty of room for a full cup of salt water. This way I make sure I have enough liquid. The sauerkraut is packed tight in the jar and as you start using it and loosening it up, you will need the additional liquid.
You now have a delicious, probiotic rich sauerkraut.
Time to get grilling!
Sauerkraut
Equipment
- 1 quart jar
- 1 pint jar or weight and fermenting lid
- Pestle of some sort or your fist to smash the cabbage down in the jar
- Cutting board and knife
- Large bowl and plate that will fit in the bowl
Ingredients
- 1 pound cabbage purple or green, shredded
- 2 tsp sea salt
Additional Salt Water
- 1 cup distilled water
- 1 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, toss cabbage with salt, massaging the salt into the cabbage. Put a plate on it and weigh it down. I put water in the jar that I am going to use to put my sauerkraut in.
- Let sit for an hour or up to 6 hours to wilt the cabbage and produce water.
- Transfer to a jar and smash it down and be sure all of the cabbage is covered in brine. Add more salt water if needed (1 tsp sea salt to 1 cup distilled water).
- If you have a weight and ferment lid, those work great. Otherwise fill a smaller jar with water and set that on top of the cabbage to weigh it down.
- Put it on a plate and then in a cool, dark place. I use my pantry.
- Check daily for water level (must stay above the cabbage so as not to produce mold).
- Check for flavor starting at 7 days. Refrigerate when you have the flavor you want. It will continue to slowly ferment in the refrigerator over time.
- Remove the weight and foam before refrigerating.
- Add additional salt water to the jar to cover all the sauerkraut before refrigerating.