Homestead · Fermentation & Brewing · demo dispatch
Salt cabbage into sauerkraut
Marco Bellini · 40 minutes, then 1 to 4 weeks · beginner · low · 1 proofs · 0 saves · 0 reactions
Shred cabbage, salt it at 2 percent, and keep it under its own brine until it tastes sour instead of raw.
ferment · cabbage · salt · kraut
Tools and materials
- A firm head of cabbage
- Non-iodized salt
- A clean jar or crock
- A weight that fits inside the jar
Steps
1. Weigh and salt
Shred the cabbage and weigh it. Add 20 grams of salt per kilogram. Massage until it weeps.
2. Pack
Stuff the jar. Brine must cover the cabbage. Weigh it down so nothing floats.
3. Wait
Leave it cool and dark. Burp the jar daily if it is sealed. Taste at day 7. Move it to the fridge when you like the sourness.
Safety
Anything above the brine can grow mold. Skim kahm yeast if you know it, and throw the batch if you see fuzzy mold or it smells rotten rather than sour. This is a ferment, not a sterile canning process.
Common mistakes
- Under-salting until it turns slimy
- Leaving shreds above the brine
Caraway is optional. A hotter room finishes faster and is easier to overshoot.
Proofs
Two percent salt by weight. Cabbage stayed under the brine. Tastes sour, not sweet, on day nine.