Easy to make and great for your health, learn how to make your own German Sauerkraut. Full of probiotics, vitamins, and a great way to preserve cabbage for the winter, sauerkraut can be eaten cold or hot with various dishes and meats!
Clean and quarter the cabbage, then remove the core. Peel the carrot. Shred the carrot and cabbage or cut into desired size.
Mix the pickling salt and shredded carrot into the cabbage.
Pound the cabbage mixture until there is about 1 inch of liquid, enough to cover the cabbage when it's pressed down.
Place a weight on the cabbage to submerge it in the brine, and store in a cool, dark area for 2 to 3 weeks to ferment.
Check the cabbage daily to asses fermentation and remove any possible mold growth.
Store fermented sauerkraut in mason jars in the fridge for up to 3 months after fermentation is complete.
Notes
If you see mold starting to grow on the sides of the jar ABOVE the liquid, simply wipe it away with a clean cloth. This may happen since brine may splash up on the sides of the container as you are filling it creating spots for mold to feed on. Rest assured that anything submerged in the brine, will be safe to consume!
If you don't see any bubbles or frothing, this is ok. Lacto-fermentation is not as active as say wine making can be. Let the sauerkraut sit for 2 to 3 weeks and simply ensure the liquid stays above the cabbage, completely submerging it.
If your brine starts to evaporate, you can add fresh water to the fermentation vessel to top it up. As only the water evaporates and the salt stays behind, do not top up with brine as you will increase the salt content.