Growing Chefs! Ontario Sauerkraut
Sauerkraut
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Ingredients
Equipment
Directions
Get Organized!
Gather your mise en place; get together all of the equipment needed for the recipe and gather your ingredients.
Get Prepped!
Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage and set aside for later use.
Cut the cabbage into quarters and remove the core. Shred the cabbage finely.
Weigh the shredded cabbage, and calculate 2% of that weight. Weigh that number out in kosher salt.
Get Cooking!
In a large bowl, combine shredded cabbage, kosher salt and caraway seeds. Using your hands or a wooden spoon, knead this mixture. Don’t worry about being gentle, we want to break up the cabbage and work in the salt. This should create some brine as the salt begins to break down the cabbage.
Pack the cabbage into a sterilized jar. Press down firmly with a wooden spoon so the cabbage is packed in as tightly as possible. Ideally, there should be enough brine from the cabbage just to cover it. If not, add a small amount of salted water until the cabbage is submerged. Place the outer cabbage leaf reserved from earlier directly on top of the shredded cabbage and press down once more.
Place the lid on the jar and leave at room temperature for 48 to 72 hours. Make sure to open the lid slightly each day to release any gases that form, and close it back after. Once there is activity in the cabbage and you can see bubbles, place into the fridge and allow to continue to ferment until desired level of sour. If needed, push the cabbage back down to ensure it is always submerged under brine.
The sauerkraut is ready when it is quite sour, which can take anywhere from 3 to 6 weeks, depending on your preference. Throw out the sauerkraut if it becomes discoloured, slimy, or malodorous. (Some sulphurous smell is natural, but anything truly offensive is a bad sign.) Refrigerate in sealed containers for up to 6 months.
Growing Chefs! Ontario Recipe
Sauerkraut
Ingredients
Equipment
Directions
Get Organized!
Gather your mise en place; get together all of the equipment needed for the recipe and gather your ingredients.
Get Prepped!
Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage and set aside for later use.
Cut the cabbage into quarters and remove the core. Shred the cabbage finely.
Weigh the shredded cabbage, and calculate 2% of that weight. Weigh that number out in kosher salt.
Get Cooking!
In a large bowl, combine shredded cabbage, kosher salt and caraway seeds. Using your hands or a wooden spoon, knead this mixture. Don’t worry about being gentle, we want to break up the cabbage and work in the salt. This should create some brine as the salt begins to break down the cabbage.
Pack the cabbage into a sterilized jar. Press down firmly with a wooden spoon so the cabbage is packed in as tightly as possible. Ideally, there should be enough brine from the cabbage just to cover it. If not, add a small amount of salted water until the cabbage is submerged. Place the outer cabbage leaf reserved from earlier directly on top of the shredded cabbage and press down once more.
Place the lid on the jar and leave at room temperature for 48 to 72 hours. Make sure to open the lid slightly each day to release any gases that form, and close it back after. Once there is activity in the cabbage and you can see bubbles, place into the fridge and allow to continue to ferment until desired level of sour. If needed, push the cabbage back down to ensure it is always submerged under brine.
The sauerkraut is ready when it is quite sour, which can take anywhere from 3 to 6 weeks, depending on your preference. Throw out the sauerkraut if it becomes discoloured, slimy, or malodorous. (Some sulphurous smell is natural, but anything truly offensive is a bad sign.) Refrigerate in sealed containers for up to 6 months.