posted by Southern 08-27-98 11:23 AM
Sauerkraut
Core and shred cabbage, then weigh it. For every 10 lbs. of cabbage, you
need 1/2 cup salt.) Use a large container, so that the cabbage can ferment
without overflowing.
Cover the bottom with a layer of cabbage, then sprinkle with salt.
Repeat. Pack down cabbage with a heavy spoon or potato masher. Cover with a cloth, a plate, and a weight. Keep at room temperature.
Check every day, removing any scum that may develop. The cabbage should be covered with juice.
(If not, pack it down.)
Curing time varies from 1 to 3 weeks, depending on temperature. Taste the cabbage after it stops fermenting.
It’s ready to eat when it tastes like sauerkraut (i.e.: sour). At this point, you can place it in jars, pack tightly, cover with juice, and seal the lids. Then place jar in a waterbath at 275 °F for 30 minutes.
To make sauerkraut in the jar, pack cabbage in quart jars to within 1 inch of the top. If packed closely, the juice will nearly fill the jar. Add 3 teaspoons salt to each quart. Partly seal the jar.
Keep the sauerkraut at room temperature (ideally, 85 degrees) for 6 weeks to cure.
After fermentation, tightly seal the lids.
SOURCE MATERIAL: email message from Stephen Block on Gabi’s WWWBoard
(http://www.gabiscott.com/wwwboard/messages/657.html)