Why From Scratch?

Sauerkraut falls into the family of living foods – cultured and fermented products that are incredibly beneficial for their good bacteria, keeping gut health in balance and aiding digestion.  But most brands found in shops have been pasteurized – that is, heated to kill bacteria.  I get the reasoning behind this – we don’t want our foods becoming contaminated when they sit on shelves.  But doesn’t that defeat the purpose of eating cultured vegetables?  I mean, it still tastes nice, but it takes away all the health benefits by killing the good bacteria along with the bad.

So the obvious solution is to make your own.  Yes, it’s a little bit messy, but it doesn’t take too long and you get a lot of bang for your buck.  One head of cabbage, which costs under $5, produces 5-6 1 litre jars of kraut – which would cost about $8-$10 each in a shop – and which will last for months in sealed containers in your fridge.  And you can flavor each batch to your liking.

Step By Step

1. Get your jars ready.  You’ll need 5-6 1 litre jars for a whole head of cabbage.  Give them a good wash, then submerge in boiling water to sanitize.  We don’t want any bad bacteria getting in there!  Leave them to dry while you make the sauerkraut.
2. You need to get your cabbage really small.  The easiest way to do this is to chop it into chunks and feed it through your food processor using the slicing blade.  Alternatively, if you’ve got good knife skills, you can cut it up by hand.
3. Put all that shredded cabbage in a big bowl.  For each head of cabbage, add 2 Tbsp of the best quality salt you’ve got – I like Himalayan or sea salt.
4. Time to get messy!  Roll up your sleeves, give your hands a good wash, and start massaging your cabbage.  Imagine you’re kneading bread or giving your girlfriend a nice backrub (hint, hint).  Keep going for 3-5 minutes, until your cabbage has released a lot of liquid and reduced in volume by about 1/3.
5. Add your seasoning.  The traditional seasoning is caraway seeds – you’ll need about 1 tsp for each head of cabbage.  I am also fond of a simple seasoning of minced garlic and chillies.  You can get inventive here!  Whatever you choose, mix it through thoroughly, and remember that you don’t need much because the flavour will intensify.
6. Stuff your sauerkraut into the jars, pressing down as you go.  Make sure to add some of that liquid that the cabbage released as you massaged it.  Leave a little bit of space at the top before tightly securing the lid – things will get bubbly as fermentation occurs.
7. Leave your jars in a dark, out-of-the-way place for 3-5 days.  It takes less time in warm weather, more time in the cold.  Check on them periodically to see the magical transformation in action!
8. When your sauerkraut is ready, it will be significantly lighter in color and taste like, well, sauerkraut.  Stored in the refrigerator,  it will keep for many months.
   

   Steps 5-8: seasoning, jarring, bubbling, ready to eat