Tasty Spanish Sauerkraut
Fermenting cabbage for sauerkraut!
Equipment
- 1 Stock pot
- 1 Kitchen funnel
- 1 1/2 gallon mason jar With lid
- 1 Fermenting weight
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Butcher knife
- 1 Coffee filter Just something to cover the jar during fermentation
Ingredients
- 2 Heads of cabbage Any color is fine
- 2 Carrots Peeled & grated
- 1 Small onion Diced
- 2-3 tbsp Fresh oregano Chopped
- 2 tbsp Salt I use a good sea salt or pink Himalayan salt
Instructions
- Rinse, peel and shred, grade or dice all your veggies & oregano. Reserve 3-4 of the outer cabbage leaves for later…
- Mix all the ingredients together in a large stock pot.
- Add your 2 TBS of salt & massage the mixture REALLY well. You really want to make sure that salt is well incorporated throughout so that it draws the moisture out. This is where your brine comes from.
- Let it rest covered on the counter for 30 min to an hour.
- Pack your jar (tightly). Really shove that cabbage mixture down! All of the mixture should make a 1/2 gallon of sauerkraut. If it doesn't, you're not packing your jars tight enough!
- Using the reserved cabbage leaves, place them over the mixture as a "cover" pushing & ensuring the mixture is COMPLETELY submerged under the brine. Tuck those leaves down good on the sides to keep the mixture from rising up.
- Remove any floaters that are not submerged or they might grow mold.
- Add your fermenting weights on top as a secondary assurance to keep everything submerged during fermentation.
- Add the coffee filter on top to keep the bugs out & just set the lid on top (don't screw it down) the gases need to be able to escape during fermentation or you could have a mess on your hands. I set the jar lid on top loosely as it helps keep the smell of the fermenting onions IN the jar instead of throughout your house!
- Date your jars, place them on a plate or pyrex dish just in case there's any leakage/spill over during fermentation & place them in a room temp area for at least 7-10 days. We like our sauerkraut really tangy…so I allow mine to ferment on the counter for 3 wks!
- Once the fermentation is done, remove the weights & large cabbage leaves. Place a lid tightly on your jar & place it in the fridge immediately.
- It will last for MONTHS in your fridge. Once it's placed in the fridge, you don't need to worry if the sauerkraut is submerged under the brine. In fact I find that my cabbage usually soaks in most of the brine over time & the sauerkraut is just fine.
- Make sure you check your sauerkraut often when it's fermenting on the counter. If you see any cabbage pieces float to the top, pick them out so they don't mold. If you notice that you're running low on your brine, no worries! You can make a simple brine by mixing 1 quart of warm water with 1 TBS of salt. Allow it to cool completely & then pour over your cabbage to ensure everything is submerged.
