Sauerkraut

My suggestion is 1 tablespoon salt per cabbage. I usually use 5 cabbages, and I ferment it for at least 3-6 weeks in winter before putting in the fridge. 5 days is far too short.

Did 2tsp of caraway seeds, not 1tsp; Also used 1tbsp salt per pound of cabbage

I add shredded carrots and a chopped hot banana pepper for flavour and colour. Be sure to put jar in a dish of some sort as liquid may overflow creating a briny mess depending on how full jar is.

First time fermenter, long time pickler here... I suggest running a pointed plastic chop stick around the inside jar edge a few times to release air bubbles. This means you will use the 1/2 cup brine to each jar. I do not have weights, but used some of those flat glass marbles used in vases. Pack some into a ziploc baggie and push air out, seal baggie. Use it as a weight for the cabbage. I used pickling rather than kosher salt, a bit less than half of the salt called for in the recipe.

To add to my previous notes: Sauerkraut is very forgiving. Salt as you like, add spices as you like the only must is the level of liquid, mostly the natural juice from the cabbage, has to cover the kraut. The Sauerkraut in eastern France, Alsace and Switzerland is pretty "dry" versus the creamy German Sauerkraut. The difference is probably the type of cabbage used.

Traditionally in Switzerland we add also Juniper berries to the sauerkraut. Usually it is stored in a salt glazed pot, covered with a fitting piece of wood and large round rock to keep the sauerkraut covered in brine. We used to store it in the cellar, with dirt floor, all winter. To keep it somewhat crisp we only used very firm cabbage in fall.

I prefer less salt. Measure all by weight. 1% to 1.5% salt makes tastier kraut. Check the DIY web for plenty of recipes. Use glass weights and special air lock lids designed for fermentation. Set your jar in a shallow pan to collect any overflow. Refrigerate after one week. Use white cabbage rather than green cabbage if you can find it.

My husband has been making sauerkraut for many years. Sometimes he uses red/purple cabbage instead of green and it's very pretty in the jars. Tastes the same as green.

I don't have access to Morton or Diamond salt. Can I use sea salt?

Hey what to do if you need a low salt diet? can you substitute some of the salt with white vinegar, like with pickled cucumber?

It's important to keep the cabbage submerged at least until the pH drops and mold growth is inhibited. Cut a red plastic beer cup to hold the cabbage below the top of the brine. Notch the bottom of the cup allow the brine to flow into it. Push the cup down and draw a line around the point where it exits the jar. Cut the cup along the line so top of cup is flush with the top of the jar. When the lid of the jar is in place it will hold the cup down and keep the cabbage submerged.

I've added very thinly sliced jalapeno to the cabbage before it all ferments and it was very good.

A trick I use to keep mine pressed down: put a narrow mason jar inside a wide mouth, and secure it with twine to gently compress the cabbage so that the liquid remains above the top of the cabbage all week. If done properly with fresh cabbage, you don't need to add brine. You can add all sorts of things to this, too. Grated carrot, julienned apple, as long as the liquid stays above, other friends can join in the ferment!

It's best to use salt that has no additives. Table salt commonly contains anti-caking and nutritive adjuncts. In addition to kosher salt, canning & pickling salt is a common choice. 1 TBSP Diamond Kosher = 10 grams, 1 TBSP Morton Kosher = 15 grams, 1 TBSP Morton Canning & Pickling = 19 grams. Better to weigh the cabbage and weigh the salt to 2% of the cabbage weight. If you need to make brine to top off the jars, Step 4, add salt to 2% of the water weight.

To ferment sauerkraut I use sterile 1 quart standard (not wide mouth) Mason Jars, covering the shredded cabbage with several layers of cheesecloth folded to size and held down with crossed popsicle sticks under the shoulders of the jar. I don’t use any lid until fermentation is ready at which time you can preserve the sauerkraut in a boiling water bath.