Homemade Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut takes little more than cabbage, salt and some patience. Pick up a few firm heads at the market and let them ferment on the counter for a week or two.

What you'll need

• Fresh green cabbage
• Salt, about 1½ teaspoons per pound of cabbage
• Caraway seeds, grated apple or grated carrot (optional)
• A large glass jar or crock
• A gallon zip-top bag, to use as a weight

Making the kraut

1. Cut the cabbage into quarters so the core is easy to remove, then slice it as thick or thin as you like. A mandoline or kraut cutter gives you fine shreds.
2. Start packing the sliced cabbage into your jar or crock. Once it's about half full, begin adding salt, about 1½ teaspoons for every pound of cabbage.
3. Work the salt into the cabbage with your hands, squeezing and kneading. It will soften, shrink and give off liquid, which becomes your brine.
4. Keep adding cabbage and salt in layers, kneading as you go. Mix in caraway seeds, grated apple, carrot or other additions if you're using them.
5. Fill a gallon zip-top bag with water, slip it inside a second bag so it can't leak, and set it on top to press the cabbage down below the brine.

Fermenting and storing

• Keep the jar in a cool spot. It gets fragrant, so a spare room or basement is a good choice. Check on it every 4 to 5 days.
• After about a week the kraut is lightly fermented. Taste a little then if you like, but give most of it around two weeks for fuller flavor.
• When it tastes right to you, skim off any foam and discard the top layer, then pack the kraut into jars and keep it in the fridge.

Tips

• Salt helps keep unwanted bacteria in check. After a few batches, adjust the amount to suit your taste.

Adapted from a method shared by Jennifer Kongs of Mother Earth News.