Yes, 2012 Sauerkraut is in the crock!

This Mandolin slicer was put into service again this year as I packed 15 pounds of cabbage into my wonderful 4 gallon crock.

At this point in the process, I had just pounded down the first 5 pounds of cabbage.  I work in 5 pound mini-batches to ensure that I salt everything evenly all the way through.  5 pounds of cabbage gets 3 tablespoons of salt.  I repeated this process 3 times. I had room in the crock for 20 pounds, but I was frankly very tired of slicing.

I weighed down the cabbage and now I just leave it sitting in a cool corner until it becomes sauerkraut.  All I have to do is check it once in a while to see if it’s done and if there is any mold floating on the surface of the brine.

That gallon jug has a big dinner plate under it. I’m using this as a weight to ensure an anaerobic environment for fermentation.

Then just cover the whole thing with a towel that your aging children are too embarassed to take to the community pool.  In a week or 3 the kraut will be done bubbling and ready to eat or can.

Bushel of Cabbages

If you’ve been paying any attention at all to my blog, you should remember what this bushel of cabbage means.  Stay tuned later today for more details….