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Home-made Sauerkraut
Home-made Sauerkraut is a traditional German recipe for a classic preserve made from salted cabbage that's lightly fermented and flavoured with juniper and bayleaves. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic German version of: Home-made Sauerkraut.
prep time
30 minutes
cook time
10 days
Total Time:
10 days
Additional Time:
(+over-night marinating)
Makes:
4 jars
Rating: 
Tags : Germany Recipes
Sauerkraut is the classic example of preserving by brining and then lacto-fermenting the brine. Sauerkraut is a decent source of vitamin C and Captain Cook took sauerkraut on his voyages in an attempt to prevent scurvy (which worked).
Ingredients:
2.5kg white cabbage, shredded
4 tbsp pickling salt
4
juniper berries, lightly crushed
2 dried
bayleaves, crushed
Method:
Place the finely-shredded cabbage in a large non-reactive (glass, earthenware or ceramic) bowl along with the salt and mix thoroughly with your hands. Set aside over night to marinate.
The following morning, place a layer of cabbage in a deep non-corrosive container then add a little of the seasonings, if using. Press down gently with your hands or a potato masher to encourage the liquid to come out of the cabbage. Repeat this process until all the cabbage is used up, ensuring that there it at least 12cm of space left at the top of the container and that all the cabbage is covered with a layer of liquid.
Find a plate that fits snugly into the top of the container then place on top of the cabbage and press down quite firmly to squash the cabbage in place. Set a heavy weight (several tins are good) then cover everything with clingfilm (plastic wrap) to ensure an air-tight seal and set aside at room temperature for 10 days to ferment.
Once the fermentation period is over pack the resultant sauerkraut into jars, adding just enough of the liquid in the container to just cover the cabbage (if there is not enough juice top up with a very weak brine solution made by dissolving 2 tbsp salt in 1l of water). Seal the jars securely then store in a cool, dark, place. Allow to mature for at least 1 month before use.
