Fall Food Preservation: Sauerkraut
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Collapse ▲As temperatures are cooling down and fall crops are starting come in, let’s make the most of our seasonal produce, like cabbage! Fermenting cabbage helps to break down components of the plant matter to make the vitamins and minerals in cabbage more easily available for absorption. Sauerkraut is a good source of potassium, iron and calcium.
This below recipe yields about 9 quarts of sauerkraut. Feel free to scale this recipe down. Roughly 2 heads of cabbage will yield 1 quart of sauerkraut.
Sauerkraut
- 25 lbs cabbage
- 3/4 cup canning or pickling salt
Quality: For the best sauerkraut, use firm heads of fresh cabbage. Shred cabbage and start kraut between 24 and 48 hours after harvest.
Yield: About 9 quarts
Procedure: Work with about 5 pounds of cabbage at a time. Discard outer leaves. Rinse heads under cold running water and drain. Cut heads in quarters and remove cores. Shred or slice to a thickness of a quarter. Put cabbage in a suitable fermentation container, see “Suitable Containers, Covers, and Weights for Fermenting Food,”, and add 3 tablespoons of salt. Mix thoroughly, using clean hands. Pack firmly until salt draws juices from cabbage. Repeat shredding, salting, and packing until all cabbage is in the container. Be sure it is deep enough so that its rim is at least 4 or 5 inches above the cabbage. If juice does not cover cabbage, add boiled and cooled brine (1-1/2 tablespoons of salt per quart of water). Add plate and weights; cover container with a clean bath towel.
Sauerkraut fermentation can take place under variable temperature and time combinations. For obtaining a good quality sauerkraut at home, the USDA recommendation is to store at 70º to 75ºF while fermenting. At temperatures between 70º and 75ºF, kraut will be fully fermented in about 3 to 4 weeks; at 60º to 65ºF, fermentation may take 5 to 6 weeks. At temperatures lower than 60ºF, kraut may not ferment. Above 75ºF, kraut may become soft.
If you weigh the cabbage down with a brine-filled bag, do not disturb the crock until normal fermentation is completed (when bubbling ceases). If you use jars as weight, you will have to check the kraut 2 to 3 times each week and remove scum if it forms. Fully fermented kraut may be kept tightly covered in the refrigerator for several months or it may be canned as follows:
Hot pack – Bring kraut and liquid slowly to a boil in a large kettle, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and fill jars rather firmly with kraut and juices, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.
Raw pack – Fill jars firmly with kraut and cover with juices, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.
Adjust lids and process according to the recommendations in Table 1.
| Table 1. Recommended process time for Sauerkraut in a boiling-water canner. | |||||
| Process Time at Elevations of | |||||
| Style of Pack | Jar Size | 0 – 1,000 ft | 1,001 – 3,000 ft | 3,001 – 6,000 ft | Above 6,000 ft |
| Hot | Pints | 10 min | 15 | 15 | 20 |
| Quarts | 15 | 20 | 20 | 25 | |
| Raw | Pints | 20 | 25 | 30 | 35 |
| Quarts | 25 | 30 | 35 | 40 | |
This document was adapted from the “Complete Guide to Home Canning,” Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA, revised 2015.
Looking for a hands-on class? Join us at the Etowah Library on Thursday, November 21st from 10-11 a.m. Register online
Stay tuned for more fermentation classes in the future!