Choucroute
- A 7-liter crock with about 15 pounds of cabbage and harvest anywhere about 7 liters of sauerkraut from it.
- Remove the outer leaves and set aside to cover the top of the shredded cabbage mixture before the weighting stones are added.
- Cut the cabbage in half and then in half again – making quarters. Do not use cores in sauerkraut. Now cut into thin shreds using a sharp knife, mandolin with the ‘slicing’ blade.
- Mix the salt in, rule of thumb, 3 tablespoons of high quality salt for every 5 lbs of cabbage, no more and let the cabbage stand for about an hour. Grab handfuls of cabbage and squeeze or press with fists or a combination of both. Then repeat about 100 times or until there is a lot of brine and the mixture has reduced by half. It may take some time for the salt to draw out the juice.
- Optional: stir in 3-4 tsp. (1 tablespoon) of caraway seed if you like it really traditional. Also a few carrots recommended.
- Place one layer of the shredded cabbage into the fermenting crock, stamp down firmly, using fist or pressing with a flat tool. Repeat this process of layering cabbage, until the crock is filled to 4/5 of the way to the top at maximum. Be sure to leave at least 3-4 inches of space between the top of the cabbage mixture and the top of the crock.
- Take 2 of the large outer cabbage leaves which you saved from before and lay them over the cabbage and juice. Next, place the two weighing stones into the crock, pressing them down slightly so that the juice begins to rise.
In every case, if there is not at least 1 inch of the liquid/brine covering the weights, pour some boiled and cooled salt water (make it at a concentration of about 1 tablespoon per 2 cups of water) into the crock so that the stones are submerged. (2 1/2 tsp per 1 L of water).- Place the lid securely onto the crock and fill the surrounding water groove.
- During fermentation, (DO NOT LIFT THE LID). Take care to add water as needed so that the seal remains intact, may fill up to 4 times during the course of 3 weeks.
- For the first 2-3 days, just leave the crock at room temperature (about 68-72° F) – 20-21° C. During this time, you may notice a audible gurgling or bubbling sound…fermentation is moving right along
- Day 4, ideally move the crock into a cool place in your home, somewhere that stays between about 64°-68° F. 65º (18º C)is ideal.
- Within 4-6 weeks, your wonderfully pure sauerkraut will be ready for eating.
- Usually start the next batch within a week or two of opening the previous one. Sauerkraut is a fermented food that lasts up to two months in the refrigerator as long as it is cover in brine and in a sealed container.
- Take a peak? Wait at least 10 days by which time a stable fermentation environment has been established. Then, if you must check things out do so, lifting out the weights and seeing how things look.
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