Sauerkraut
Description
It is believed that sauerkraut originated in China and was brought to Europe by Tartars, who were nomads. Sauerkraut is German, meaning literally “sour herbs” or “sour greens”. There are many culinary traditions that include sauerkraut, including the French choucroute, and many versions of it in Eastern Europe. Korean Kimchi is another variation, with a lot of hot peppers in it. The Germans often add caraway seeds, while the Russians tend to add apples. Germans eat so much sauerkraut that they were called, “Krauts” during WW2, and in the US the name was changed to “liberty cabbage” during the war.
The making of sauerkraut involves more than one type of bacteria. It involves a succession of species, just like a forest does, each species succeeding the one that came before. The first bacteria to show up are Coliform, which produce acid. Leuconostoc bacteria like this more acidic environment, and they take over, producing more acid. Finally, Lactobacillus arrives, the third and last type of bacteria. This may sound complicated, but once you create the conditions needed, it happens on its own.
I adapted this recipe from “Wild Fermentation” by Sandor Ellix Katz, which gives the following proportion of cabbage to salt. For 5 lbs (about 2 kilograms) of cabbage you need 3 Tablespoons (45 ml) of salt. I use Pink Himalayan salt, but sea salt should work fine.
Ingredients
Instructions
Prepare your cabbage
Chop or grate your cabbage finely, or however you like to eat it. (Save a few outer leaves to use later as a way to keep your kraut submerged). As you put some of it into your bowl, sprinkle on some of the salt. Massage the salt into the cabbage well, or pound it. Keep adding more shredded cabbage and salt, massaging and pounding as you go. You should see juice in your bowl. There is some flexibility in the proportions. In summer, you may need a little extra salt, and if it’s winter and your house is cold, you may use a little less.
You can add some grated carrots, some thinly sliced onion, garlic, other greens, sprouts, beets, turnips, and burdock root. Some people add fruit or herbs and spices, like caraway, dill, celery seed, or juniper berries.
Fill your jar
Pack your now hopefully soppy veggies tightly into your jar, tamping it down as you pack it in. The vegetables should be completely submerged. Don’t allow any floaters, as these can ruin your ferment. I cover mine with a cabbage leaf and put a weight on top of that, to keep the leaf and greens under the brine.
If you don’t have enough brine, you can make extra (1 Tablespoon salt dissolved in 1 cup filtered water). Put the lid on and store your jar of sauerkraut. You should check it every day and burp it, in case pressure builds up. You should put the jar on top of a plate, in case fluid leaks out of the top, especially if you’re using purple cabbage.
You may start seeing white moldy stuff floating on top of the brine. Just use a paper towel to get it out. It is, however, harmless. The kraut, being submerged in its brine, is protected. After a few days of fermenting, the kraut should start tasting a bit tangy. If you store it in a cool place, it will keep much longer than it would in a warm place. Heat makes it softer and squishier, and eventually less tasty. It’s good to make sauerkraut in the fall or winter, so that it keeps even longer. And cabbages are often ripe then!
Whenever you remove some from your jar or crock, make sure that what remains is still submerged. If the brine is evaporating, add more. Also, if you want to always have a supply, make a new batch a little before you finish the old one. You can use the brine from the older batch to jump start a new one. Remember to always check for floaters and remove them!
Enjoy! I eat mine raw, either with a salad, as a snack, or with sausages (both vegan or other sausages go well with it). I’ve read that eating sauerkraut with (meat) sausages helps to offset the cholesterol one consumes with a sausage. How wise our ancestors were!
