use a mandolin to shred the kraut.. it's a board with a knife blade embedded @ a 45 degree angle, over a slot for the sliced bits to fall through.
use .6% salt, 10 oz per 100 lbs kraut. use sea salt, it's affordable. you can add more salt at the end of fermenting if you intend to store it longer than usual.
you'll need a tightfitting lid made of wood that goes IN the crock, holding the kraut below the water line. usually there's a large rock on that lid, for a weight..
the lid needs to be scrubbed, bleached, and re-scrubbed, and then rubbed downwith salt, to avoid contaminating the crock with bad bacteria.
clean matters. wash hands, don't nick a finger, be sure it stays CLEAN.. (this applies to all home food storage & production unless you know better and you don't)
use a ceramic glazed crock without cracks or visible inside breaks in the glaze.. and CLEAN TIGHT FITTING wooden lid.. kraut & salt & distilled water as needed (use distilled, it's not going to break the bank & it's safest)
no other ingredients. cellar temps, it's not a room temp thang.. (50-55F max) and it ought to take six weeks to be ready and stay good 2-3 months in the crock.
i did this. homemade kraut is too good to believe, good for ulcers and tender stomachs, a very healthy food.
the cabbage you use matters, get BIG heads cause they're grown on fertile (nutritious) soil.. get hard cabbage cause it's lower in moisture (more flavor) and use sea salt or pink mineral salt (cause it tastes better & is more nutritious both) .. no soap on anything. no aluminium. NONE, don't even touch the cabbage with a soapy hand..
otherwise it's a no brainer. real easy work.
use .6% salt, 10 oz per 100 lbs kraut. use sea salt, it's affordable. you can add more salt at the end of fermenting if you intend to store it longer than usual.
you'll need a tightfitting lid made of wood that goes IN the crock, holding the kraut below the water line. usually there's a large rock on that lid, for a weight..
the lid needs to be scrubbed, bleached, and re-scrubbed, and then rubbed downwith salt, to avoid contaminating the crock with bad bacteria.
clean matters. wash hands, don't nick a finger, be sure it stays CLEAN.. (this applies to all home food storage & production unless you know better and you don't)
use a ceramic glazed crock without cracks or visible inside breaks in the glaze.. and CLEAN TIGHT FITTING wooden lid.. kraut & salt & distilled water as needed (use distilled, it's not going to break the bank & it's safest)
no other ingredients. cellar temps, it's not a room temp thang.. (50-55F max) and it ought to take six weeks to be ready and stay good 2-3 months in the crock.
i did this. homemade kraut is too good to believe, good for ulcers and tender stomachs, a very healthy food.
the cabbage you use matters, get BIG heads cause they're grown on fertile (nutritious) soil.. get hard cabbage cause it's lower in moisture (more flavor) and use sea salt or pink mineral salt (cause it tastes better & is more nutritious both) .. no soap on anything. no aluminium. NONE, don't even touch the cabbage with a soapy hand..
otherwise it's a no brainer. real easy work.
