Making sauerkraut.

I decided to make a batch of sauerkraut today.

Ingredients:
* cabbage
* salt
* water (I used filtered chlorine free water).

Start by chopping the cabbage.

 

Add three Tablespoons of salt and stir it into the cabbage.  Set the cabbage aside for 15-20 minutes.  The salt will draw the water out of the cabbage.  

I make cabbage in canning jars.  Make sure they are clean before packing them.  I ran mine through the dishwasher.

Pack the cabbage into the jar.  I pressed it in there with a wooden spoon.

I haven't tried this before so I'll have to wait and see how it works.  I placed a large cabbage leaf on the top to help keep the chopped cabbage submerged.  I've read that if the cabbage on top is exposed to air that mold can form.  I haven't ever had that happen.  I figure that adding this leaf can't hurt.

Add enough water to cover the cabbage and cover.  Store the jars in a dark place.  These will sit on the kitchen counter under a towel for the next 10-12 days until they are done.  I'll move them into the fridge at that time.

Two heads of cabbage makes two quarts of sauerkraut.

You'll notice in the picture above that I've put air locks on my jars.  I got the idea from Pickl-It.com.  They sell some nice products for fermenting food, but they are pricey.  Some day I'd like to get some of their products, but until then I'll settle for just sticking the air lock into a hole that I drilled into a plastic lid.  If you don't have access to an air lock, just leave the lids on loosely so the gases produced are able to escape.