You all have been asking for this one, and I finally got my act together and pulled out my video camera while making this amazing kraut! This sauerkraut does not have a lot of ingredients but I have to say it is one
of my favorite recipes. Just 4 simple ingredients. Really the only hard part is waiting for the kraut to ferment, all those days, in order to get all of that healthy good bacteria going on!
This video is really more of just a visual so you have a general understanding of the process. I also put the specifics of this recipe below - more spelled out and with detailed explanations. I really do hope you give DIY kraut a try. The process is easy and the result is ohhh soooo rewarding!
Note: I use a 5 liter crock that I bought from Stone Creek Trading Ltd. They are a small family business and carry beautiful items made in Poland. You can check out their website HERE. Also, they have been kind enough to offer a discount to my followers who might want to purchase their own crock, or other fermenting essentials. Just use the code "Dunkin5". Enter this discount code during checkout for $5 off your purchase of $50 or more. One use per customer, cannot be combined with any other discount codes. Valid until May 31, 2018
(This recipe holds enough cabbage to fill my 5 liter crock. If you are working with mason jars or any other smaller type containers, I suggest cutting this recipe in half.)
Ingredients:
4 large heads of cabbage (shredded)
6Tb sea salt (I use pink Himalayan)
1-2 inches of ginger (chopped)
1-2 inches of turmeric (chopped)
Directions:
Pull off 2-3 large whole leaves from each cabbage head (save for later use).
Cut each cabbage head in quarters and cut out the core (the hard part at the bottom).
Lay each quarter on its side and shred using a sharp knife. Place all shredded cabbage in a very large mixing bowl.
Sprinkle the cabbage with sea salt, and add the chopped ginger and turmeric.
Massage the mixture with your hands, squeezing and massaging with firm hands until the brine begins to form (this may take a while, and your hands may get tired. You may even need a helper!).
Massage until the kraut is reduced in size and you have approximately 1 inch of brine on the bottom of the bowl.
Fill your crock, or any other jar that you are using, with the cabbage and brine and press down firmly to prevent air bubbles. Once all of the cabbage is in the crock, use your fingers and fists to press the cabbage down tight.
Next, take those whole cabbage leaves that you set aside and roll each one up individually. Place these on top of your kraut to help submerge all of the shredded cabbage under the brine. Once everything is rolled and in place, press down firmly again to try to get everything under the brine (it may not all go under but it should be relatively close).
Place your glass weights on top of everything and press down tightly (if you are using a different type of jar, such as a mason jar, you can use just the cabbage leaves but make sure all of the ingredients are filled to the brim and tightly pressed. Push everything under the brine, and if you need to add more water that is fine). After the glass weights are in place, press down firmly and try to submerge everything under the brine. If you need to add more water, that is fine too.
Finally, place the cover on top of the crock and fill the moat with water to create a seal.
Place crock in a cool, dry area and let sit to ferment for 30-60 days (after approx 30 days you can open to taste and see if the flavor is to your liking but remember, the fermentation process is an anaerobic process (without air) so you don't want to open and close the lid too many times).
Note: This last batch I let sit for 53 days and it tasted wonderful.
Note again: I have another short video showing how I remove the kraut from this crock and store in mason jars. If you'd like to look at that video, you can view it HERE.
Good luck and I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.
Enjoy!
This video is really more of just a visual so you have a general understanding of the process. I also put the specifics of this recipe below - more spelled out and with detailed explanations. I really do hope you give DIY kraut a try. The process is easy and the result is ohhh soooo rewarding!
Note: I use a 5 liter crock that I bought from Stone Creek Trading Ltd. They are a small family business and carry beautiful items made in Poland. You can check out their website HERE. Also, they have been kind enough to offer a discount to my followers who might want to purchase their own crock, or other fermenting essentials. Just use the code "Dunkin5". Enter this discount code during checkout for $5 off your purchase of $50 or more. One use per customer, cannot be combined with any other discount codes. Valid until May 31, 2018
(This recipe holds enough cabbage to fill my 5 liter crock. If you are working with mason jars or any other smaller type containers, I suggest cutting this recipe in half.)
Ingredients:
4 large heads of cabbage (shredded)
6Tb sea salt (I use pink Himalayan)
1-2 inches of ginger (chopped)
1-2 inches of turmeric (chopped)
Directions:
Pull off 2-3 large whole leaves from each cabbage head (save for later use).
Cut each cabbage head in quarters and cut out the core (the hard part at the bottom).
Lay each quarter on its side and shred using a sharp knife. Place all shredded cabbage in a very large mixing bowl.
Sprinkle the cabbage with sea salt, and add the chopped ginger and turmeric.
Massage the mixture with your hands, squeezing and massaging with firm hands until the brine begins to form (this may take a while, and your hands may get tired. You may even need a helper!).
Massage until the kraut is reduced in size and you have approximately 1 inch of brine on the bottom of the bowl.
Fill your crock, or any other jar that you are using, with the cabbage and brine and press down firmly to prevent air bubbles. Once all of the cabbage is in the crock, use your fingers and fists to press the cabbage down tight.
Next, take those whole cabbage leaves that you set aside and roll each one up individually. Place these on top of your kraut to help submerge all of the shredded cabbage under the brine. Once everything is rolled and in place, press down firmly again to try to get everything under the brine (it may not all go under but it should be relatively close).
Place your glass weights on top of everything and press down tightly (if you are using a different type of jar, such as a mason jar, you can use just the cabbage leaves but make sure all of the ingredients are filled to the brim and tightly pressed. Push everything under the brine, and if you need to add more water that is fine). After the glass weights are in place, press down firmly and try to submerge everything under the brine. If you need to add more water, that is fine too.
Finally, place the cover on top of the crock and fill the moat with water to create a seal.
Place crock in a cool, dry area and let sit to ferment for 30-60 days (after approx 30 days you can open to taste and see if the flavor is to your liking but remember, the fermentation process is an anaerobic process (without air) so you don't want to open and close the lid too many times).
Note: This last batch I let sit for 53 days and it tasted wonderful.
Note again: I have another short video showing how I remove the kraut from this crock and store in mason jars. If you'd like to look at that video, you can view it HERE.
Good luck and I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.
Enjoy!
