Homemade Sauerkraut

I've been wanting to make sauerkraut for the longest time, but just couldn't wrap my brain around how to do it!  Everyone said, "it's so easy," yet no one could give me specific enough instructions to satisfy me....

Finally, my friend JoAnn went to a class, came home with detailed instructions, and filled me in on everything I needed to know to make my very own batch of sauerkraut, with organic cabbage, nonetheless!!  :)  Thank you, JoAnn!!!

It is sooo easy,  once you know what you are doing!!

So, here's the recipe!

source: adapted from Lancaster County Osteopathic & Integrative Health

1 head green cabbage

1-1/2 T. sea salt

2-quart mason jar (if you have, otherwise, two 1-quart jars will do)

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Wash cabbage and remove any wilted outer leaves.  Be sure to save an outer leaf for later.

Quarter the cabbage, remove core, and slice into thin strips by hand or with food processor.

Place sliced cabbage into a large bowl, and sprinkle the sea salt over top.

Allow to sit for 15 minutes or so, and then start mashing/kneading/pressing/crushing the cabbage.  

The goal is to get the juices flowing.  (I used my great Aunt's wooden tamper - so special!!)

Mash and knead the cabbage for about 8-10 minutes.  Hopefully by the end of this process you will have a lovely pool of salty cabbage juice sitting at the bottom of your bowl.

Begin placing the cabbage into your jar and thoroughly pack down with a wooden spoon or mallet.  The goal is to eliminate as many air bubbles as possible.

Repeat the packing and mashing until the jar is full, leaving 2" headspace at top.  (This is important - otherwise your brine will overflow - ask me how I know!)

Cover the shredded cabbage with a portion of the reserved leaf, wedging it under the shoulder of the jar.

If your cabbage released enough liquid, your packed cabbage will now be covered with its own brine.  If not, you simply need to make a 2% brine solution to cover the cabbage (see below).  This is important - if you don't completely submerge the cabbage in brine, it will get moldy.

To make 2% Brine:

Dissolve 1 T. fine sea salt in 4 c. non-chlorinated water.  If you don't use all of the brine, it will keep indefinitely in the refrigerator.

Cover the exposed cabbage with the brine, leaving 2" headspace at the top.  If you are having trouble with the cabbage floating to the top, you can weigh it down with a glass weight or even wedge a piece of the cabbage core on top to hold it down.  Any cabbage that is exposed will need to be thrown away, but if you were going to toss the core anyway, it's no loss.

Add lid to jar and finger tighten.  Set aside in a room-temperature location out of direct sunlight for at least one week.

Place a small dish or tray under the jar as it will likely bubble up and overflow.  After a day or so, remove the lid to "burp" the jar and release any pent-up gasses, then replace the lid again.

(I found this part of the process incredibly fascinating - there were lots of bubbles rising to the surface, and you could tell something very good was happening!!)

Taste and smell your sauerkraut after a week.  If it's tangy enough, move it to the refrigerator for storage.  If you like more tang, simply allow it to ferment a bit longer.

(This is the part I still haven't figured out - I'm still not sure exactly what it should taste like!  If you've had the luxury of tasting someone's homemade sauerkraut, then you know what flavor you are aiming for!)

And that's all there is to it!!

:)

Note:  It takes nearly the same amount of effort to make a large batch of sauerkraut as it does to make a small batch, so go ahead, take the plunge, and make a big batch!!

Skillet Sausage & Cabbage

Probably one of the things I miss the most after switching to healthy eating is sausage.  I LOVE sausage....  But, I just discovered that the farmer down the road sells pork products from pigs that are fed things I can sleep at night over, so I have been happy to make some of my previous recipes that call for pork again.  :)  This is one of my favorite cabbage recipes.  In this case, I used half the amount of sausage that the recipe called for to keep my meat consumption down as well as save some money.  The flavor in this recipe is best with kielbasa, but I managed nicely with some simple pork sausage plus garlic for seasoning.

Source:  Southern Living, January 2001

1 (16-oz.) pkg kielbasa sausage, cut into 1" pieces

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 green bell pepper, cut into strips

6 c. coarsely  chopped cabbage

1 c. chicken broth

1/2 t. caraway seeds

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

Saute sausage in a large heavy skillet over medium heat until browned; drain on paper towels.

Add onion and bell pepper to skillet; saute 2-3 min.  Add cabbage and cook, stirring often, 8 min.  Add sausage, broth and remaining ingredients.  Reduce heat to medium-low and cook 10 min. or until cabbage is tender.  Serve immediately.

Yield:  4 servings

Dublin Potato Salad

Made with freshly-dug Yukon Gold potatoes, green onions and a freshly-picked head of cabbage, it just doesn't get any better than this!!

Source:  Mother

2 T. vinegar

1 t. celery seed

1 t. mustard seed

3 medium-large potatoes

2 t. sugar

1/2 t. salt

2 c. finely shredded cabbage

1 12-oz. can corned beef, chilled and cubed*

1/4 c. finely chopped dill pickle

1/4 c. sliced green onion

1 c. mayonnaise

1/4 c. milk

1/2 t. salt

Combine vinegar, celery seed and mustard seed; set aside. Meanwhile, pare (optional) and cook potatoes in enough boiling, salted water to cover for 30-40 minutes until done. Drain and cube. While potato cubes are still warm, drizzle with vinegar mixture.  Sprinkle with sugar and the first 1/2 t. salt; chill thoroughly. Before serving, add cabbage, corned beef, pickle and onion. Combine mayonnaise, milk and the second 1/2 t. salt. Pour over corned beef mixture; toss lightly.

* Note - roasted chicken breast works nicely as a substitute for the corned beef. 

Braised Cabbage with Spicy Croutons

This is a nice, fairly easy way to prepare cabbage, and it has a lovely presentation (if you don't burn it like I did!).  Click on the Better Homes & Gardens link below to be inspired by their picture:

http://www.bhg.com/recipe/vegetables/braised-cabbage-with-spicy-croutons/

Source:  adapted from Better Homes and Gardens magazine, December 2010

2 T. olive oil

1 T. butter

2 c. hearty bread, torn into coarse croutons

1 clove fresh garlic, minced

1/4 t. crushed red pepper

1 small head green cabbage, cut in 6 wedges

salt

pepper

1/2 c. water

snipped fresh parsley

Lemon wedges

In a very large skillet, heat 1 T. olive oil and butter over medium-high heat.  Add bread, garlic, and red pepper.  Cook and stir 3-5 minutes until golden brown.  Remove croutons from skillet with slotted spoon and cool in a single layer on paper towels.

Add cabbage to skillet, overlapping wedges if needed.  Season with salt and black pepper.  Add water, bring to boiling.  Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 15 minutes or until tender.

Place cabbage on platter; drizzle with remaining olive oil.  Serve topped with croutons, parsley, and lemon wedges.

Serves 6.