Sauerkraut is a German word which means “sour cabbage”. It is salted shredded cabbage fermented with the Lactobacillus bacteria that is present on the cabbage. The sugars in the cabbage are converted into lactic acid which serves as a preservative. Chinese laborers building the Great Wall of China over 2,000 years ago ate it as part of their regular diet. Chinese “sour cabbage” was made from finely sliced cabbage fermented in rice wine. Captain Cook and Captain Bligh (remember Mutiny On The Bounty?) carried barrels of sauerkraut on their ships to prevent scurvy. During World War 1, due to concerns that the American public would reject a product with a German name, American sauerkraut makers relabeled their product as “Liberty Cabbage” for the duration of the war. Sauerkraut fermentation involves a succession of different bacteria. Coliform bacteria starts the fermentation. As Coliform produces acid, Leuconostic bacteria take over the process. When their is sufficient acid, Lactobacillus takes hold and finishes the fermentation. What fun! The result is a highly nutritious easy to digest food!
Sauerkraut is well known for its’ healing properties. Dr. John Hay Terrill reduced the smallpox death rate of Civil War prisoners from 90% to5% just by giving his patients uncooked sauerkraut.*
Sauerkraut is well known for its’ healing properties. Dr. John Hay Terrill reduced the smallpox death rate of Civil War prisoners from 90% to5% just by giving his patients uncooked sauerkraut.*
Sauerkraut maintains the wonderful healthy properties of cabbage, which is a good source of vitamin C. It also contains significant amounts of glutamine, an amino acid that has anti-inflammatory properties. Along with broccoli and other brassica vegetables, cabbage is a source of indole-3-carbonol, a chemical which boosts DNA repair in cells and appears to block the growth of cancer cells. ** Fermentation of cabbage produces lactic acid which promotes healthy intestinal flora. In Asia, fermented cabbage has been used to cure Asian flu in birds. Sauerkraut promotes vigor, vitality, and virility. The good bacteria in lacto-fermented foods act as probiotics (beneficial microorganisms) that assist digestion.
What You Will Need To Make Sauerkraut
• A crock. I like to use a 2 gallon crock because it is large enough to make over a gallon of sauerkraut yet small enough and light enough to carry around. Larger crocks can get very heavy.
• A food-safe plate that will just fit inside the crock. This will cover the sauerkraut while it is fermenting. A 1 gallon crock needs a 6 1/2 inch diameter plate and the 2 gallon crock needs an 8 1/2 inch plate. I found the plate I needed at a thrift store.
• A wooden stomper. You can make one by cutting off the handles on a wooden rolling pin. You use it to stomp down on the cabbage. This breaks up and compresses it, and helps to release the water in the cabbage in preparation for fermenting. You can also use a wooden spoon – it just takes a bit more time to compress and break up the cabbage.
• One heavy clean weight that will hold the plate under water. I use a 1/2 gallon Mason jar filled with water and a lid. This is plenty of weight and it is cleanable.
• A breathable cloth cover for the crock such as a food grade cheese cloth or a flour sack cloth. The cloth is needed to keep flies and dust out of the crock. I use a large rubber band to keep the cloth tight against the crock.
• Approximately 7 pounds of cabbage per gallon of crock. 4 medium sized heads will do. If you have any left over, you can always make up a batch of coleslaw. So, I purchased 14 pounds of cabbage for use in my 2 gallon crock.
• Salt. The type of salt does make a difference to your health. This is a topic for another article. I recommend that you use an unheated and untreated sea salt or rock salt from an unpolluted source. I use Celtic or Himalayan salt.
• Fresh dill sprigs. I used twelve 4 inch long sprigs for my 2 gallon crock full of cabbage. The dill sprigs are not necessary, but they do add a nice taste to the sauerkraut.
The Process
1. First, two heads of cabbage are rinsed, cored, and quartered and then thinly sliced.
2. Place the sliced cabbage in a clean crock, add 3 dill sprigs on top of the cabbage.
3. Sprinkle 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt over the dill sprigs and cabbage.
4. Vigorously stomp the cabbage in the crock. This is necessary in order to produce the brine for fermentation.
5. Repeat these steps using 2 heads of cabbage for each layer until the crock is full.
6. The salt and stomping will bring the water out of the cabbage. Be patient. You
may be spending as much as 20 minutes for each layer. It takes time for this to
occur. Usually, no added water is needed. The fermenting bacteria are in the cabbage, so no added source for bacteria is needed.
7. When the cabbage is covered in the brine (salty water), place the plate right
side up on top of the cabbage and press it into the brine. Put the 1/2 gallon Mason jar filled with water and a lid (or similar weight) on the plate in the crock. The plate should be 1 inch or more under the brine. This will keep the cabbage in the anaerobic (without oxygen) conditions needed for healthy fermentation. Note that old cabbage may be dryer than fresh cabbage requiring the addition of water to keep the plate and thus the shredded cabbage submerged.
• A food-safe plate that will just fit inside the crock. This will cover the sauerkraut while it is fermenting. A 1 gallon crock needs a 6 1/2 inch diameter plate and the 2 gallon crock needs an 8 1/2 inch plate. I found the plate I needed at a thrift store.
• A wooden stomper. You can make one by cutting off the handles on a wooden rolling pin. You use it to stomp down on the cabbage. This breaks up and compresses it, and helps to release the water in the cabbage in preparation for fermenting. You can also use a wooden spoon – it just takes a bit more time to compress and break up the cabbage.
• One heavy clean weight that will hold the plate under water. I use a 1/2 gallon Mason jar filled with water and a lid. This is plenty of weight and it is cleanable.
• A breathable cloth cover for the crock such as a food grade cheese cloth or a flour sack cloth. The cloth is needed to keep flies and dust out of the crock. I use a large rubber band to keep the cloth tight against the crock.
• Approximately 7 pounds of cabbage per gallon of crock. 4 medium sized heads will do. If you have any left over, you can always make up a batch of coleslaw. So, I purchased 14 pounds of cabbage for use in my 2 gallon crock.
• Salt. The type of salt does make a difference to your health. This is a topic for another article. I recommend that you use an unheated and untreated sea salt or rock salt from an unpolluted source. I use Celtic or Himalayan salt.
• Fresh dill sprigs. I used twelve 4 inch long sprigs for my 2 gallon crock full of cabbage. The dill sprigs are not necessary, but they do add a nice taste to the sauerkraut.
The Process
1. First, two heads of cabbage are rinsed, cored, and quartered and then thinly sliced.
2. Place the sliced cabbage in a clean crock, add 3 dill sprigs on top of the cabbage.
3. Sprinkle 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt over the dill sprigs and cabbage.
4. Vigorously stomp the cabbage in the crock. This is necessary in order to produce the brine for fermentation.
5. Repeat these steps using 2 heads of cabbage for each layer until the crock is full.
6. The salt and stomping will bring the water out of the cabbage. Be patient. You
may be spending as much as 20 minutes for each layer. It takes time for this to
occur. Usually, no added water is needed. The fermenting bacteria are in the cabbage, so no added source for bacteria is needed.
7. When the cabbage is covered in the brine (salty water), place the plate right
side up on top of the cabbage and press it into the brine. Put the 1/2 gallon Mason jar filled with water and a lid (or similar weight) on the plate in the crock. The plate should be 1 inch or more under the brine. This will keep the cabbage in the anaerobic (without oxygen) conditions needed for healthy fermentation. Note that old cabbage may be dryer than fresh cabbage requiring the addition of water to keep the plate and thus the shredded cabbage submerged.
8. Cover the crock including the Mason jar with cheese cloth or a flour sack cloth and place a rubber band around the crock. This is to keep flies and dust out of the cabbage. Keep at room temperature.
9. Check the fermenting process every 3 or 4 days and skim off any growth that is in the brine on top of the plate. This growth is normal. You should see carbon dioxide bubbles forming around the plate. In 3 or 4 weeks you will have amazingly delicious and highly nutritious sauerkraut. The sauerkraut is done when the bubbles stop forming.
8. Cover the crock including the Mason jar with cheese cloth or a flour sack cloth and place a rubber band around the crock. This is to keep flies and dust out of the cabbage. Keep at room temperature.
9. Check the fermenting process every 3 or 4 days and skim off any growth that is in the brine on top of the plate. This growth is normal. You should see carbon dioxide bubbles forming around the plate. In 3 or 4 weeks you will have amazingly delicious and highly nutritious sauerkraut. The sauerkraut is done when the bubbles stop forming.
9. Check the fermenting process every 3 or 4 days and skim off any growth that is in the brine on top of the plate. This growth is normal. You should see carbon dioxide bubbles forming around the plate. In 3 or 4 weeks you will have amazingly delicious and highly nutritious sauerkraut. The sauerkraut is done when the bubbles stop forming.
8. Cover the crock including the Mason jar with cheese cloth or a flour sack cloth and place a rubber band around the crock. This is to keep flies and dust out of the cabbage. Keep at room temperature.
9. Check the fermenting process every 3 or 4 days and skim off any growth that is in the brine on top of the plate. This growth is normal. You should see carbon dioxide bubbles forming around the plate. In 3 or 4 weeks you will have amazingly delicious and highly nutritious sauerkraut. The sauerkraut is done when the bubbles stop forming.
You can chop and add any vegetables to the cabbage in order to change the flavor. The book Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon has some nice recipes.
Things to know
• The cooler the temperature, the slower the fermentation.
• The more salt used, the slower the fermentation. You only need to salt to taste.
• Fermenting vegetables with more chlorophyll will produce a stronger taste.
• How do you know when the sauerkraut is ready? When you like it – even before the bubbles top forming. So, be sure to taste it along the way. The longer it ferments the more lactic acid it produces and the more sour it becomes.
• Sauerkraut kept in a cool place can last for several years. I suggest you make new sauerkraut every year.
• Homemade sauerkraut is more digestible and has a much nicer taste than commercial sauerkraut.
Want to know more?
• This is the recipe in this article and the one that I like – http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/gardening/homemade-sauerkraut-a-centuryold-family-tradition-089707
• *http://www.visit-gettysburg.com/civil-war-food.html
• ** http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabbage – cite_note-9
• Wild Fermentation by Sandor Katz
• Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon
• Gut and Psychology Syndrome (2010 New Edition) by Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride
We have lost many of the benefits of natural fermented foods that come with their flora. I hope you will add this to your regular diet and reap the benefits from amazing sauerkraut.
© 2011, Jon Porter. All rights reserved.
Things to know
• The cooler the temperature, the slower the fermentation.
• The more salt used, the slower the fermentation. You only need to salt to taste.
• Fermenting vegetables with more chlorophyll will produce a stronger taste.
• How do you know when the sauerkraut is ready? When you like it – even before the bubbles top forming. So, be sure to taste it along the way. The longer it ferments the more lactic acid it produces and the more sour it becomes.
• Sauerkraut kept in a cool place can last for several years. I suggest you make new sauerkraut every year.
• Homemade sauerkraut is more digestible and has a much nicer taste than commercial sauerkraut.
Want to know more?
• This is the recipe in this article and the one that I like – http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/gardening/homemade-sauerkraut-a-centuryold-family-tradition-089707
• *http://www.visit-gettysburg.com/civil-war-food.html
• ** http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabbage – cite_note-9
• Wild Fermentation by Sandor Katz
• Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon
• Gut and Psychology Syndrome (2010 New Edition) by Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride
We have lost many of the benefits of natural fermented foods that come with their flora. I hope you will add this to your regular diet and reap the benefits from amazing sauerkraut.
© 2011, Jon Porter. All rights reserved.