Making Sauerkraut

Making sauerkraut is really easy!  All you need is about 30 pounds of cabbage; a six gallon (food grade) bucket; canning salt; water; plate and a gallon jug.  Simple...right?  Yes!

First remove outer leaves from your cabbage.  Wash your cabbage.  Cut your cabbage to the size you like your kraut.

Way out five pounds of your shredded cabbage and add three tablespoons canning salt.

Mix the salt into the five pounds of cabbage.
Let rest for five minutes.

Pack down firmly...and I mean FIRMLY!

Continue to add cabbage/salt five pounds at a time until near the top, packing after each addition.


Make a  Brine:  1 1/2 table spoon salt to 1 quart water....boil and then cool...add to cabbage until the brine covers the cabbage by about an inch or two. 


Take a dinner plate and place on top of the cabbage.


Place a weight on top of the plate.  We use a gallon of honey or a one gallon container full of water.


Cover with a cloth diaper, small blanket or a towel.  Each day or two, skim off any film that may form.  Keep cool...around 60 to 65 degrees is ideal.  In about six weeks or so, you will have Sauerkraut!


And you can expect the next step when our kraut is ready to be canned!  Meanwhile, we are just a skimming!