GOOD 'OL HOMEMADE SAUERKRAUT
Making sauerkraut.
It's savory, crisp, spicy, sweet, tart, nippy, tangy, and
versatile . . .
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Making sauerkraut is a delicious, traditional way to
preserve all that extra cabbage your garden produces... and
krautmakin' is a remarkably quick and easy process, too!
As a matter of fact—when you combine shredded cabbage
and salt in a nonmetal container—it's almost
impossible not to make a success of this tasty
staple. The two ingredients provide the necessary brine . .
. and bacteria (which are naturally present on cabbage
leaves) will initiate the fermentation process that allows
you to store the kraut through the long winter months.
FIRST, THE UTENSILS
In order to start krautin', you'll need to gather up a
sharp knife, a kraut (or slaw) shredder, a large pan,
scales, a measuring spoon or cup, a nonmetallic vessel
that's large enough to hold your cabbage supply, a pencil
and a notepad, a wooden tamper or "stomper", a pressure
plate (this can be a wooden disk or dinner plate) to fit
inside the crock or jar, a heavy rock to weight the plate,
and a thermometer to measure the air temperature. Add a
nice clean work area with plenty of elbow room to cut and
"stomp" . . . and you're set to go!
The only ingredients required for your homemade kraut are
firm, fresh heads of cabbage and "pickling" salt . . . a
flavoring which has none of the chemical additives that can
affect food color and taste. (Some folks say that sea salt
also works fine.)
Slice the cabbages in half and remove their hearts (save
these to marinate in oil, vinegar, and spices for some
delicious "refrigerator pickles" . . . a real treat!), then
shred the vegetable with a slaw cutter, catching the
chopped leaves in a large pan.
When all your cabbage is shredded, weigh it on the scales
(taking into account the heft of the pan it's in), and
record the weight of each batch before mixing the
vegetable and salt in a large earthenware pot or a jar.
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