Homemade Sauerkraut

red cabbage, ginger, and apple

Hello,

My Aunt Cora, one of my mother’s older sisters, lived somewhat off the beaten path on a sprawling, bucolic piece of land.  That is my recollection of it, although I also thought that she and her husband grew hops, but two of my cousins who grew up near her have disavowed me of that notion. I know for a fact that she was a keeper of honeybees and made delicious watermelon rind pickles that were on our table every year for Christmas dinner. One day my brother and I were outside with her son Jimmy when we discovered a berry bush, raspberries perhaps. Jimmy went inside for a container so that we could collect the berries that amounted to no more than a single cup.  When he presented the berries to Aunt Cora she immediately put whatever she was doing aside and set out to make jam. The spontaneity in response to a small boy’s discovery is the reason that the incident has stuck with me.

My foray into making sauerkraut was done in such small batches that I was reminded of the jam-making, although no small boy was involved. I own a couple of medium size crocks that may have originally been intended for making sauerkraut, but the idea of chopping a large quantity of cabbage, finding the right size plate to weigh the cabbage down, and the prospect that the result might leave something to be desired made me keep procrastinating. I ultimately looked up making sauerkraut in mason jars and have since made three batches over the last couple of weeks while switching up the ingredients slightly. The fermentation process when using jars is much quicker than expected, typically between 3 and 10 days. What finally prodded me to action was when my husband came home with two large heads of green cabbage from a farmer acquaintance and I had to do something with them. My first batch was a mix of green and red cabbage with carraway seeds, my second very small batch was just red cabbage, and the most exotic batch was red cabbage, apple, and ginger. And I still have one intact green cabbage waiting for me in the garage.

Sauerkraut is most often associated with German food, but it may have originated in northern China. After eventually making its way to Europe, Dutch seafarers consumed it to stave off scurvy. (www.minimalistbaker.com) Since sauerkraut, like beer and yogurt, is a fermented food it is beneficial to digestive health as it promotes the growth of probiotics. I don’t know that I have ever heard of beer being promoted for its health benefits.

Red Cabbage, Apple, and Ginger Sauerkraut

Ingredients

4 cups shredded red cabbage

1/2 cup finely diced apple

1 1/2 t. Himalayan pink salt

1 t. minced ginger root

1 1/2 t. apple cider vinegar

Directions

Combine the cabbage and salt in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Massage the cabbage vigorously for five minutes. After about three minutes you will notice liquid being released from the cabbage. Add the apple and ginger to the cabbage. Mix together. Pack the mixture into a sterile eight-ounce canning jar leaving about three inches of open space at the top. Add the vinegar to the cabbage. Place part of an outer cabbage leaf on top of the cabbage and weigh it down with a couple of small, clean rocks. Cover the opening of the jar with cheesecloth (I used a paper towel) and a rubber band to prevent dust from settling in the jar, but will allow air to circulate. Store the jar at room temperature out of direct sunlight. After 24 hours, check to make sure that liquid is covering the cabbage. If it is not, dissolve 1/4 t. salt in 1/2 cup of water and add it to your sauerkraut.

After three days, sample your sauerkraut. It should no longer taste like salted cabbage but should have a sour taste. I placed a lid on mine and refrigerated it after five days and it should keep for up to two months.

My next newsletter will offer something more festive and geared for the holidays!

Thanks for reading,

Vicki