Sauerkraut

By mdancause

“In a small but profound way, getting involved with fermenting food in your home is a way to embrace the bacterial allies that are all around us. And rather than getting caught up in the foolish, indiscriminate war on bacteria, we can embrace the bacteria around us and turn them into our physiological allies.”

~ Sandor Ellix Katz

Ingredients

• 5 pounds of cabbage
• 3 Tbsp. sea salt
• 68 ounce Fido Jar
• Knife and cutting board
• Food processor (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

Wash your hands and be sure all of your equipment is clean. Cut cabbage in half and remove the cores. If the outer leaves are wilted, throw them away. Cut the remaining cabbage into large chunks and feed into your food processor, using the largest grater blade, or a slicing blade, to shred the cabbage. If you don’t have a food processor, chop the cabbage finely with a knife.

Transfer the shredded/chopped cabbage to a large bowl.

Sprinkle with 3 Tbsp. salt and use two spoons to toss until the salt evenly coats the cabbage. Transfer the cabbage to your Fido jar. It won’t all fit at first. That’s OK – leave the extra in the bowl, and it will get added later.

Cover both the jar and bowl with clean dry cloths, and let the cabbage “sweat” for 30 minutes.

Once the 30 minutes have passed, use a large spoon or meat pounder to gently push down on the cabbage in the jar. It will compress and release its natural juices, freeing up more room in the jar.

Add the remaining cabbage from the bowl and set the timer for another 30 minutes. Compress the cabbage again. Its natural juices should rise up above the shredded cabbage itself. If it doesn’t, you can add a little water as needed. Leave two inches of airspace at the top of the jar.

As long as you’re using a Fido jar, no weight is needed. Simply clamp the jar shut. (For an explanation, click here.) The first week of fermentation is the gaseous stage, and the cabbage will expand upward. If your jar is very full, stick a plate under it. Sometimes a little liquid will seep out under the rubber gasket. This isn’t a problem. The beauty of the Fido jar is that it lets excess fermentation gases out without letting oxygen in. (Oxygen causes mold.)

Put a piece of tape on the jar with today’s date, and set it out of sunlight, but someplace you won’t forget about it. Let it ferment for 30 days. Don’t open the jar during fermentation. If your house runs hot, ferment it 3 weeks. If your house runs cold, let it ferment 5 weeks.

The best flavor and nutrient content develops between 60-75 degrees. Don’t try to ferment in temperatures above 80 degrees, or the wrong type of bacteria takes over. Transfer the kraut into smaller containers and refrigerate. I eat mine in a month, but it should keep in the fridge for at least 6 months. -