Sauerkraut, Home-made

cabbage
non-iodized salt
water

To make a smaller quantity of sauerkraut, reduce the recipe ingredients
proportionately. Allow 2 ounces salt to each 6 pounds of cabbage. 48 lb.
cabbage 1 lb. salt Let cabbage heads stand at room temperature for about
24 hours to wilt. This causes the leaves to soften slightly and become
less likely to break when cut. Wash the head and remove outer leaves. Cut
heads into quarters and remove the cores. With a sharp knife, shred 5
pounds of cabbage 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick. Place the shredded cabbage in a
large mixing bowl and sprinkle with about 3 tablespoons of the salt. Mix
the salted cabbage with your hands or with a stainless steel spoon and let
it stand 3 to 5 minutes. Wash a 10-gallon crock with soapy water, rinse
and scale it with boiling water. Pack salted cabbage into the crock. A
brine will form as you press the cabbage down. Repeat the shredding and
salting in 5-pound lots until the crock is filled to within no more than 5
inches of the top. The brine should cover the cabbage. If it does not, add
additional brine by heating 1 1/2 tablespoons of salt with 1 quart of
water. Cool the brine to room temperature before adding it to the crock.
To cover the cabbage and weight it down to keep it submerged in the brine,
fill a clean, large, heavy plastic bag, such as heavy-duty trash bag, with
water and lay it over the cabbage. Fit the bag snugly against the inside
walls of the crock to prevent the surface of the cabbage from being
exposed to air. This will prevent the growth of a yeast film or mold. Add
more water to the plastic bag, if necessary, to keep the cabbage
submerged. Seal the bag with a twist tie. Cover the crock with plastic
wrap.

Fermentation will take place from 3 to 6 weeks depending on the room
temperature. The ideal temperature is 75 F. At 75 F fermentation will take
about 3 weeks; at 70 F, 4 weeks; at 65 F, 5 weeks; and at 60 F allow about
6 weeks. Tightly packed in covered containers, the kraut can be safely
kept in the refrigerator for several months. If you don.t have space, can
the sauerkraut.

Canning the Sauerkraut Bring the kraut to a simmer; do not boil. Pack it
into clean, hot jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace; seal. Process in a water
bath canner for 20 minutes for quarts or 15 minutes for pints. Start
counting the processing time when the water in canner starts to boil.

Granny.s Sauerkraut Method After packing the crock with salted cabbage,
place a piece of thin, white cloth (such as muslin) directly over the
cabbage and tuck the edges down against the inside of the container. Cover
the cabbage with a heavy plate that fits snugly inside the container so
that the cabbage is not exposed to air. Put a weight on top of the plate
so that the cabbage is fully immersed in the brine. A glass jar filled
with water makes a good weight. The brine should come up 2 inches above
the plate, making daily skimming easier. Cover the crock with a clean
terrycloth towel and top with plastic wrap to prevent evaporation. Tie
string around the crock to hold the towel and plastic wrap in place.
Remove the scum daily from the surface with a scalded stainless steel
spoon. Replace the cloth and plate with a clean one. Cover the crock again
with the towel and plastic wrap. This method takes about the same length
of time as the previous one. The sauerkraut is done when bubbles stop
rising to the surface. Taste the kraut. When it suits your taste, remove
it from the crock. Refrigerate the kraut in covered containers or pack it
into jars and process as described above. Makes 16 to 18 quarts.


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