Sauerkraut
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the cabbage
Discard the outer green leaves, decayed or bruised leaves, and the core of the cabbage.
Shred the cabbage using a slaw cutter or sharp knife.
Pack the shredded cabbage immediately in a water‑tight container.
Salt and press
Add 1 pound of salt to the 4 pounds of cabbage and mix well.
Press the cabbage down firmly and cover with a cloth, board, and weight.
Ensure the weight is sufficient to raise the brine above the board.
Ferment
Place the container in a warm location until fermentation is complete.
Remove any scum before adding a layer of paraffin if necessary.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Cabbage
- Provides the sugars and bulk that fermentation converts into the sour flavour and texture.
- Salt
- Draws water out of the cabbage to form brine and keeps harmful microbes in check during fermentation.
The step that matters
Press the cabbage under brine. The cabbage must stay submerged in its own brine so air cannot reach it. Exposed cabbage can spoil or grow surface mould, so the weight must be heavy enough to keep the brine above the board.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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