How-to on Sauerkraut

I'm really slacking on posting lately, aren't I? I have all these ideas, but then I don't get around to it. Plus, I worked two 10-hour days (with the gym before one of them. Leads to exhaustion). I can't promise more posts (we're about to get SUPER busy at work. Plants need planted. Crazy in the middle of winter, huh?), but hopefully I'll manage to squeeze a few in, and perhaps some of plants to get you excited for spring!

Right now though, I want to focus on sauerkraut. I find it odd that I never made a post on this (then again, I noticed there were many canning projects I didn't post about). Today I started another small batch, so I figured this was the time to post. I had bought a head of cabbage a week or so ago, used some of it, forgot about it, and with no plans to use it this week, I figured it was better to turn it into sauerkraut than let it rot. And sauerkraut is SO easy to make that it makes it a no brainer. There's the old-fashioned way of making sauerkraut, involving a crock and all this other process that takes forever or something. I don't know really how to do it that way. I was taught by Dan's grandma to make it in the jars. WAY easier. Here's how you do it:

Shred your cabbage. As much as you want. Five pounds of shredded cabbage makes about 4-5 pints of sauerkraut. I use a food processor for this task. I quarter the head, remove the core, slice the quarters so they fit in the food processor and away I go. You can also slice the head by hand, just make sure you slice it thin (I'm sure you know what sauerkraut looks like).

Once sliced, measure how much you have (if you don't have a scale at home, I'd say weigh the head at the store and subtract a little for the removal of the core. This isn't a real science). For each 5 pounds, add 1/4 cup of salt (I use canning salt, but I think regular salt would work. This isn't going to have a pretty brine you need to be clear). Mix the salt in. Pack into sterilized jars, pushing down firmly to really pack it in there and release some liquid. If there's no enough liquid, add cold water to cover, leaving 1/2" headspace. Add a lid. You aren't sealing the jars now, so heating the lid isn't real important, but I heat them just to sterilize them a bit. Screw the rings on JUST until it catches. You don't want it real tight because the bubbles created during the fermentation process need to escape.

Place the jars is a warm place for several days. You'll see bubbles forming in the jars, signifying that fermentation is occurring. When bubbles cease, it's done (about 5-10 days. The warmer it is, the quicker fermentation happens). At this time, I remove the lids. If the lids are rusty, I throw them away (sometimes I save old lids for this purpose). If the lids are fine, clean them off and heat them like you would for regular canning. Wipe the rims of the jars. Add lids and screw bands. Process for 10 minutes. Remove canner lid, let jars sit for 5 minutes, then remove.

Processing is going to kill all the good bacteria that is in the sauerkraut from fermenting. If you'd like to keep those little guys in there, just put the jars in the fridge when they're done fermenting (I don't think these jars will keep for as long, so use them within a few months).