Homemade Sauerkraut Recipe
It is actually fairly easy to make your own sauerkraut. To begin with, purchase a good quality head of organic green cabbage. If you are interested in making a more nutrient-dense sauerkraut you can purchase red cabbage which will work just as well.
- To start out, coarsely chop 1 head of cabbage and place it in a mixing bowl.
- Start to use your hands to mash and mix the cabbage as vigorously as you can. It should start to release water into the bowl as cabbage has a fairly high water content.
- Add a teaspoon of sea salt to the cabbage and then mash it with the back of a wooden spoon or other solid kitchen utensil to break it down further.
- Spoon the cabbage into a mason jars and using the back of the wooden spoon or other utensil, pack it down as tightly as you can into the bottom of the jar.
- When you are done with the cabbage, if there was adequate fluid released from the cabbage, the water should cover the very top of the cabbage i.e. there should not be any cabbage sticking out above the water.
- If some of the cabbage is above the water, add some filtered water until all of the cabbage is completely submerged.
- Set the jar in a cool, dry place away from sunlight and check it every couple of days to make sure that all the cabbage is staying submerged. If not, add more filtered water until all the cabbage is below the water line.
- After a week, start to taste the cabbage. It should have a tart, tangy taste but still retain some of its crunch. If it’s not ready, check again every 2 or 3 days until ready. Depending on the temperature and local climate, it can take anywhere from 7-14 days to be ready.
- Once you are done, refrigerate the sauerkraut and enjoy regularly!