Sauerkraut

Even before I participated in the Fermentation Workshop , I had started a fermentation project of my own. Last year I was enticed by a fermenting crock offered by The Sausagemaker.

5 Liter Fermenting Crock

It's only 10-inches tall and 8 1/2-inches wide. So, it doesn't take up a lot of space, but you can make a lot of whatever fermented pickle you like in it. Here is a recipe for a basic sauerkraut.

SAUERKRAUT

• 10 pounds white cabbage
• 3 sour apples
• 4 tablespoons pickling or sea salt

The vitamin C content is highest in the green leaves, so don't imagine that the snow-white specimens are necessarily the best cabbages. Some of the outermost green leaves should, however, be removed.You can use them in soups or stews. Remember to save a few big leaves for the final layer. Clean the cabbage, cut out any bruised sections and the stalk,which should not be thrown away. It contains fermentable sugar and fine aromatic substances. Shred it on a coarse grater and mix it in with the cut and crushed leaves of the cabbage.

Mix all the indredients in a large bowl. Transfer this mix to the crock or preservation jar a bit at a time and pack the mix tightly. Repeat this process until the pot is about 80 percent full. Cover the last layer with a few large leaves. Do not over fill, as fermentation will expand the cabbage, and you have to leave room for the weight stones. The water must cover the weight stones while still leaving  one inch of air space at the top.

Put the pot in a warm place for a few days. The temperature should be between 68 and 72 degrees F. After fermentation has started, put the pot in a cool place for two to three weeks. In order for a slow fermentation to take place the temperature should be around 59 degrees F.

Only after this time should you open the pot. You might have to rinse the stones and pour boiled, cooled salted water over the cabbage if it has dried. After that, put the pot in a cold place, ideally between 32 and 50 degrees F. You can eat the sauerkraut after four weeks.

At this point, I removed the sauekraut from the crock and stored it in Mason jars in the refrigerator. It wasn't all that sour. Instead it was tangy and fresh. Very diffent from the stuff you find in plastic bags at the grocery.

(adapted from Making Sauerkraut and Pickled Vegetables at Home by Klaus Kaufmann and Annelies Schoneck)