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As we harvest the last of our Fall gardens, we often come up against this question, “What am I going to do with all of this __________?” Fill in the blank with the bumper crop you have on hand.
Today we’re going to talk about fermenting cabbage into Sauerkraut.
As someone who was never trained in the home arts as a young person, I’ve been eagerly learning how to preserve and put up food for the past 15 years living and gardening on our homestead. One year it’s garlic, another it’s onions, then carrots, still another, corn and beets.
I’ve done quite a lot of pickling; preserving beets, carrots, cucumbers, cabbage, and eggs. The only product I’ve ever fermented until recently, has been vinegar. Click here for the article on making your own Apple Cider Vinegar
This year, I have giant heads of cabbage and so I decided I would pickle some ( I use it in fish tacos), make some carrot and cabbage slaw, and then try my hand at some Sauerkraut.
Origin of Sauerkraut
Sauerkraut literally translates to, “sour cabbage.” With a name like that, you’d think that it was originally a German dish, but you’d be wrong. There are documented instances of fermented cabbage as far back as ancient China and the Western Roman Empire. Many Asian cultures have traditions of fermenting foods, including cabbage, such as Korean Kimchi, Poi from Polynesia, Yogurt and Sriracha sauce are all examples of fermented foods.
These foods had a long shelf life (before refrigeration), and were consumed through the winter months into spring. Even the historic explorers like Captain Cook, took Sauerkraut to sea because he learned that it prevented scurvy. As wide-spread as the fermentation process was, it became associated with eastern Europe, and eventually became a national dish of Germany.
When German immigrants settled in America, they brought this process with them, and it became widely known throughout the United States as a staple in German households.
Today Sauerkraut along with other fermented foods like kombucha ( also originating in China), is consumed all over the world, and still retains its German name, and is associated with many German recipes.
Pickling vs. Fermenting
There might be some confusion between pickling and fermentation. While pickling is part of the process, fermentation is a separate process. Here is the difference:
Pickling requires soaking in brine, with vinegar and spices. The time required is usually hours to days. There are limited probiotics produced in the pickling process and the flavor profile is sharp and tangy.
Fermentation produces lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus Plantarum) that converts sugars in the process. The process of lactic fermentation takes 4-6 weeks to complete the fermentation process and produces a product that is rich in probiotics and truly a nutritional powerhouse food. The flavor profile of fermented foods is far more complex than pickled foods, and also delightfully tangy. While we often think about “sour” foods being unappetizing, and sauerkraut can be considered an acquired taste, there are certainly a number of reasons to make and eat it.
Probiotic And Health Advantage Of Eating Sauerkraut
A healthy gut microbiome is critical for a strong immune system. A full 70% of your immune system is located in your gut. Eating Sauerkraut and other fermented foods will strengthen your immune defenses, improve digestive health, promote cardiovascular function and support healthy bones.
Another great thing about preserving and fermenting foods is ease of storage and long shelf life. The Sauerkraut you make in the Fall will likely last you through next year without losing its flavor or intensity. The flavor profile actually deepens the longer you store it.
Making Sauerkraut is a great way to use surplus cabbage and the list of ways to serve sauerkraut is very long. Some of the most obvious are German in origin, but don’t feel restricted by any cultural traditions. You can serve Sauerkraut as a side with many entrees and even eat it as a crunchy snack as you would pickles or chips with a sandwich.
Some recipes that contain Sauerkraut
- Reuben Sandwich
- Pastrami, or Corned Beef.
- German Meatballs
- Smoked Sausage (Kielbasa) with potatoes, apples and sauerkraut
The good news is that Sauerkraut is easy to make with minimal preparation.
Here’s the basic Sauerkraut recipe:
Use one head of green or purple cabbage – Take away the dirty outer leaves and cut out the core. Remove one or two good outer leaves and set aside. You will use this after you pack your jar, to cover the shredded cabbage while the sauerkraut ferments. You don’t want any air getting to the cabbage during fermentation. You also might use a weight or a clean rock in a sealed baggie on top of this leaf to hold down the shredded cabbage before you close the jar.
Weigh your cabbage if you plan on using the entire head for your recipe so that you can calculate how much salt you will need in your recipe. If making smaller batches, weigh each jar load individually or salt all of your cabbage at once then divide into jars. Either way will work.
Two teaspoons of salt per pound of cabbage will give a nicely salty flavor for your sauerkraut. You can adjust this amount for your personal preference or if you are reducing sodium in your diet.
Shred your cabbage either with a cheese grater, or in a food processor. Toss with salt and let it sit for 15 minutes.
Next you will knead the cabbage with your hands to work in the salt for 5 minutes. The shredded cabbage will release liquid during this step. This will be your brine solution.
Pack the shredded cabbage by handfuls into the bottom of a sanitized canning jar or crock. Make sure you pack it in good and tight, fill the jar leaving enough room for liquid.
Pour the brine over the cabbage. If you run out of liquid before you finish packing your jars, you can make a 2% salt solution (about one teaspoon of salt per cup of water) to top off the jars.
Cut the whole cabbage leaf that you held out into circles that fit the mouth of the jars. Cover the shredded cabbage with the leaf portion and put your weight on top of it, then close the jar.
That’s it!
You can begin tasting at 2 weeks, and decide at which point you prefer the taste and serve it up at 2 weeks or 5. Do check on it periodically. If evaporation happens, top off with the salt solution and if there is any kind of scum on top when you open the jar to check it, skim it off. That doesn’t mean your recipe is ruined, it just means there might have been some bacteria that got into the jar despite your best efforts.
If there is a fetid or rotten smell, discard the batch and start over.There should not be any mold on the cabbage leaves. This can happen if the leaves are exposed to the air, or the top is not tight.
Tips For Successful Sauerkraut
- The waiting is the hardest part 2-4 weeks
- Beware of external bacteria. You only want the good kind
- Sanitize your jars
- Use plastic lids to avoid risk of the metal jar seals rusting ( I replaced this lid with a white plastic lid)
- If your tap water contains chlorine or fluoride, use filtered water for your salt solution
- Minimize time you leave lid off
- Use clean utensils when dishing out of your jar
- Keep cabbage covered at all times, if evaporation occurs, add 2% salt water solution to cover cabbage
Don’t worry if the cabbage loses its green color and looks more opaque or yellow. This is a normal part of the fermentation process.
You can add other veggies to the basic recipe including onion, garlic and carrot. Make sure you use an addition with a similar texture, or it will turn to mush in the salt water.
It might take a little bit of trial and error to get the timing and flavor that you like best, but it’s such an easy process that you can have some fun with it. Enjoy!
Photos courtesy of VC-Threadgill
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