Another one of our favorite foods here on the farm is Homemade Sauerkraut. My Mamaw Cora made this, and as a child I loved eating it with mashed potatoes. It seemed like we always had it growing up. It's also great with smoked sausage, or topped on your favorite sandwich.
Sauerkraut is a very healthy food that has been made since 200 b.c. It's very high in vitamin C and natural probotics. Eating sauerkraut regularly is great for the immune system. A good food to eat during cold and flu season, to help your system fight against bad viruses.
I just started making sauerkraut this year, and my family is crazy over it. The best kraut is made from home grown cabbage (of course.) So don't forget to include cabbage when planning your next veggie garden.
Homemade Sauerkraut
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Start by selecting a good food quality bucket |
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Next... Wash and remove two large outside leaves from a large head of cabbage. Set aside leaves for later use. |
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Next... Cut Cabbage into fourths and remove center core.
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Using a very sharp knife shred cabbage into fine shreds. |
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For a 20 lb. head of cabbage I like to use 1/2 cup of this canning salt. This will be something that you can adjust to your liking as you make more later. |
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Place shredded cabbage into bucket, and then add measured salt. Using a large wooden spoon begin beating the cabbage until reduces in proportion, and liquid from cabbage is almost over top of cabbage. |
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Next step is to take the two large leaves and place on top of cabbage , covering as much as possible. Then take a clean unscented kitchen garbage bag and place on top of cabbage (like you were putting into trash can.) |
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Next, pour clean cool water into bag, filling bucket to about 3/4 full. Place lid loosely on top (but not sealing) and place in a cool dark room for 3-6 weeks. Note: I usually wait 3 weeks, but this too will be something that you can decide for your own liking. Next, remove the bag of water, and two large leaves on top of kraut. Stir with a large wooden spoon, and fill pint canning jars with kraut. Jars can be placed in frig for up to 6 weeks ( mine never make it to 6 weeks, because we love to eat it.) |
Oh Thank you I have been eating sauerkraut for years especially in flu season it does work. This seems easy to do. B
ReplyDeleteThis has been very easy, I was so glad to learn this method of making the sauerkraut. The hardest part of it all is the wait. lol. So glad to hear from you. :)
DeleteThis is so simple! and I love sauerkraut! My grandma used to make it using a stone ware crock and I didn't think I could make it in anything else BUT a crock pot. I will for sure be making this next year... IF I can keep my sheep out of the cabbage patch. that's the first thing they ate when they got out last summer!
ReplyDeletethanks for posting this. :)
It is very simple, Karry Ann, and soooo good. I know what you mean about keeping animals out of the garden, we have an abundance of wild rabbits here, and they got some of our garden too. This spring we are going to put up a fence around the entire garden, so we don't have to share with the rabbits. :)
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