Saturday, August 24, 2013

Cabbage and Sauerkraut!


The purple cabbage is such a beautiful plant.  I love harvesting it.  I search for the stem beneath the leaves and cut the head of cabbage off with "crunch" and feel the 3 pounds of weight in my hands.


I made Sauerkraut for the first time.  I needed 5 pounds of cabbage, 3 TBS of salt and a crock (you can make your own with glass jars and a plate).  Fermented Sauerkraut (verses cooked sauerkraut) stays crunchy and because of the fermented process the good bacteria called Lactobacilli grows which aids in digestion.  A little bit of fermented food a day is very good for you.


I chopped up the cabbage and sprinkled the salt on each small layer of cabbage.  The salt helps the cabbage ferment rather than rot.  I also pounded each layer tight in the crock to help force the water out of the cabbage.


Then I placed the weight on top and pressed on the weight throughout the day to help force out the water.


This is what it looks like 2 days later.  The salt has drawn the moisture from the cabbage.  And the fermenting begins!  It can take up to 2 weeks more or less depending on how you like it to taste.


Smells so good!


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