Sauerkraut is a natural side to use with smoked pork. Years ago I made some sauerkraut in a five gallon crock. My Dad had given me some homegrown cabbage to use. It was good but I had to listen to my wife complain about the smell in the house.
I was inspired to try sauerkraut again from the Homemade Sausage Making site (Wedliny Domowe). If you want you can spend about $100 or more US dollars for a fermenting crock, there are several nice ones on the market. I chose the cheaper route and bought a gallon jar that came with a lid with a grommet in it and a plastic airlock. It also came with three glass weights to hold down the sauerkraut under the liquid. I bought it for $26 from culturesforhealth.com and that included the shipping cost.
It came so I went to the grocery and bought two heads, about 5 lb., of cabbage to get a batch started. I used a head and about a third of the second one. I got it sliced and in the jar, salted and stomped with water to cover. I have water in the air lock and it is on its way to becoming sauerkraut in about 30 days.
The air lock keeps any smell from being noticed so I let it set on the kitchen cupboard.
The standard for fermenting cabbage is 3 TBS. of kosher salt per 5 lb. of cabbage and they recommend using filtered water. I started my kraut on Jan. 06. After 4 days the cabbage was all floating to the top in spite of the glass weights. I was told to get it back down and use a water filled baggie on top if needed. That’s what I did. This is where the fermenting crocks probably work better since they come with stone weights to hold the cabbage down.
I checked it after 3 weeks; it smelled like kraut and tasted good but I decided to let it go another week. I left the water bag out and it stayed down well. Wednesday it will be 4 weeks. I am going to use some by Friday to cook with some smoked Polish sausage and maybe some of my wife’s Knopfles, drop noodles.
Whatever is left will go into glass jars and in the fridge.
Fermenting jar, airlock and glass weights
Shredding the cabbage
Ready to ferment
Day 4 when it went to the top
About ready, I took this today
Smokin Don
