Easy Sauerkraut Recipes

30 WAYS TO USE SAUERKRAUT

Steps:

• Select your favorite recipe.
• Organize all the required ingredients.
• Prep a sauerkraut recipe in 30 minutes or less!

EASY HOMEMADE SAUERKRAUT

Steps:

• Mix cabbage, onion, sea salt, and garlic together in a bowl. Firmly pack mixture into a large, clean, food-grade plastic bucket. The cabbage will start to make its own brine as the salt starts to draw out the water of the cabbage.
• Fill a large, clean, food-grade plastic bag with water and place over the salted cabbage mixture so none of the cabbage is exposed to air.
• Allow cabbage to ferment in a cool, dry place, 1 to 4 weeks (depending on how tangy you like your sauerkraut). The temperature of the room you ferment the sauerkraut in should not rise above 70 degrees F (21 degrees C).

EASY HOMEMADE SAUERKRAUT

Steps:

• Start with a clean surface including hands and all equipment you are using.
• Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage. DO NOT WASH THE CABBAGE. The beneficial bacteria is in the cabbage, don't wash it all away. I prefer to use organic cabbage as to avoid pesticide exposure.
• Slice the cabbage by first slicing in half, then in quarters. Remove the core and slice the cabbage lengthwise into thin ribbons
• Place the cabbage into a large bowl and sprinkle with salt. Using clean hands, massage the salt into the cabbage. Continue to massage and squeeze the cabbage for several minutes. This requires putting a little muscle into it. Gradually the cabbage will become watery and limp. This should take 5-10 minutes.
• Your cabbage should begin to look like this once you've properly given it a good rub down.
• If you are using caraway seeds or any other spice add it now.
• Pack the cabbage into your wide mouth mason jars. Really punch the cabbage down with your fist to attempt to pack the cabbage in and allow the liquid to rise to the surface. Ideally you want the cabbage to be fully immersed in liquid (the liquid that you have produced by rubbing the salt into the leaves). Pour any additional liquid from the bowl into the jars with cabbage. Fill the jars a little more than 3/4 full.
• Optional - Use one of the larger reserved outer cabbage leaves over the surface of the sliced cabbage. This will help to keep the cabbage submerged.
• Once all of the cabbage has been placed into jars, use either a pickle pebble or another smaller mason jar filled with pebbles or dried beans to weigh down the cabbage and allow the cabbage to remain submerged in liquid.
• Cover the mouth of the jar with cheesecloth and a rubberband or twine. This will allow air to pass in and out of the jar while still keeping creepy crawlers out.
• For the first 24 hours of fermentation you will need to open the jars and press the cabbage down every so often. I call this step "punch the cabbage". This is to ensure that the cabbage stays submerged and over time the cabbage will become more limp and compact and the liquid will rise to the surface.
• If after 24 hours you find that there isn't enough liquid, dissolve 1 tsp salt into 1 cup of water and add more liquid to the cabbage.
• Ferment the cabbage for 3-10 days. After 3 days taste the cabbage, I tend to like cabbage at the 7 day mark, but if you like a milder ferment you can stop the fermentation process at 3 days. Keep in mind that you reach peak nutrition around day 7.While the cabbage is fermenting you may see bubbles rise to the surface, this is ok! That is fermentation working. If you see scum rise to the surface you can skim that off and if any mold begins to appear remove it and do not eat that bit.
• Once you have reached your desired level of fermentation, remove the cheesecloth, and weights from the jar and close with regular mason jar lid. Store in fridge for 2 months or longer. My rule of thumb is as long as it still tastes good, it's good to eat.

THE BEST 2-INGREDIENT SAUERKRAUT RECIPE

Steps:

• Wash your mason jar, tools, and hands thoroughly with natural soap and hot water. When fermenting, you want to give the healthy bacteria a clean environment to prevent mold. I usually pour boiling water into and over the Mason jar after washing it with soap to kill off any potential lingering bacteria.
• Cut your cabbage into quarters, leaving the root end attached. Discard the outermost layers, then save a few of the next layers to weigh the cabbage down in the jar. Do not wash the cabbage-you're relying on the natural healthy bacteria that live on the leaves for the fermentation process.
• Choose your preferred texture. Thinly slice each cabbage quarter into ribbons, or shred it on a box grater for finer sauerkraut. Same with the other tools, if you use the box grater, make sure it's very clean.
• Add the shredded cabbage to a large mixing bowl and cover with salt. Using clean hands, massage the salt into the cabbage for about 30 seconds. It will start to release more liquid. Let it sit for about 3-5 minutes to allow the salt to draw more juice from the cabbage. Massage again for another 30 seconds. It will be very soupy, which is good! The resulting liquid is your fermenting brine.
• Add the shredded cabbage and all of the liquid/brine to your Mason jar. Use the back of a clean wooden spoon to tamp down the cabbage. It should be fully submerged in the brining liquid. There shouldn't be a lot of excess liquid, but the top of the cabbage should be fully submerged. It can take 4-5 hours for enough liquid to extract out of the cabbage and cover it. Just be sure that the shredded cabbage is covered 4-5 hours after putting it in the jar. Place a few of the reserved cabbage leaves on top of the shredded cabbage to weigh it down.
• Cover the jar with cheesecloth or another loose, clean cloth and use a rubber band or kitchen twine to secure it. This allows airflow into the jar and prevents dust or bugs from landing in it.
• Let the kraut sit out at room temperature for 3-7 days. The longer it sits, the more fermented and tangy it will get. In the warmer summer months, 3-4 days is perfect; I let it sit for 5-6 days in winter. Keep it at room temperature out of direct sunlight as the direct sunlight might overheat it. I let mine sit in the pantry or the back of the counter. Within about 24 hours, you'll start to see tiny bubbles forming. That's the lacto-fermentation in action.
• Once it's fermented to your liking, cover the sauerkraut with a tight-fitting lid and store it in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

HOMEMADE SAUERKRAUT

Steps:

• Combine water, 1/2 of the vinegar, and onion in a pot over high heat; add cabbage, sea salt, celery seed, onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper. Pour the remaining vinegar over cabbage mixture. Cover pot and bring water to a boil; cook mixture for about 3 minutes.
• Stir cabbage mixture and return lid to pot; cook, stirring occasionally, until cabbage is tender and wilted, 10 to 15 minutes more.