Sauerkraut

We recently got a head of cabbage, and I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with it. Then James mentioned he thought some sauerkraut would be good, but I didn't want to risk making a whole cabbage's worth of sauerkraut only to not have it turn out since I remembered the last time I did, and we ended up discarding most of the batch. So I thought maybe I could make a few different batches. As luck would have it, I was also reading through Nourishing Traditions, and they have four sauerkraut recipes! I figured if I made 4 different batches, at least one would turn out, right? Plus, if they didn't, at least we wouldn't have to eat too much before moving onto the next flavor. I'll share these four sauerkraut recipes (regular, Latin American, Korean, Japanese) with you over the next weeks.

Once I decided to make the four batches of sauerkraut, I figured I'd start with "original." You really can't go too much simpler. You need a mere three ingredients, one of which is optional! Since I opted to use whey in addition to salt, this sauerkraut isn't too salty. I got the whey by straining it out of my kefir. You could do the same or use yogurt whey. Just make sure it's got some live cultures. :) If you don't have any whey or want to avoid it, you can also use an additional teaspoon of salt.

What do you like to pair with your sauerkraut?

Sauerkraut

by CJ Huang

A basic lacto-fermented sauerkraut. Perfect as a side to some sausage and great for gut health!

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: none
Total time: 10 minutes + fermenting time
Yield: 1-2 cups

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
294 grams	10.375 ounces		1/4	cabbage, shredded
		1 teaspoon		salt
		1 tablespoon		whey	You can strain it from yogurt or kefir or use additional salt instead of whey.

Methods:

	1. Gather all materials.
	2. Combine all materials and mix well.
	3. Place mixture into a jar, and press/beat down until liquid covers all cabbage.
	4. (Optional - Place a layer of plastic film on top to decrease exposure to oxygen. I like to use this layer of plastic film to slow evaporation and decrease air exposure, but as long as the cabbage is covered in liquid, you should be fine.) Allow cabbage to ferment at room temperature, tasting the cabbage/sauerkraut to determine if it has fermented enough. Once the cabbage is fermented to your taste, store refrigerated.

Shared with: #recipeoftheweek, Wonderful Wednesday, Waste Less Wednesday, What's Cookin' Wednesday, Throwback Thursday, Foodie Friends Friday, Foodie FriDIY, Pinworthy Projects, What's for Dinner?, Happiness is Homemade, Nifty Thrifty Sunday, Motivation Monday, Melt in Your Mouth Monday, What'd You Do This Weekend?, Turn It Up Tuesday