# Tips for Homemade Sauerkraut



## SeaBreeze (Dec 1, 2014)

For those who make their own homemade sauerkraut, here's a few tips that may be worthwhile...http://healthimpactnews.com/2014/three-tips-for-better-homemade-kraut/  Anyone making their own want to share your advice?


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## Ina (Dec 1, 2014)

Sea, I have my grandma's recipe for sauerkraut, and it is a special treat for many in my family.  I have my  grandma's crock, stamper, stone, and the round board she used.  I do admit to cuttiing the recipe in half nowadays, we just don't need that much anymore.  :wave:
*
Old-Fashion Sauerkraut*

15 heads of cabbage
2 & 1/2 pounds of salt
24 tart apples, (if desired) 
A round board
A small square of cloth
A heavy stone
An 8-gallon stone crock

First off, do not use metal container to ferment sauerkraut, as it tends to distort the taste of the kraut.  Select large heavy cabbages, remove and reserve outer leaves, cut into quarters, remove and discard cores, and slice quarters very finely.  Place 5 pounds of the finely cut cabbage into a large pan. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of salt, mix thoroughly, and then place into crock.  Add a cup of finely cut apples, if desired.  

Pound and stamp down cabbage with wooden stamper, until brine flows and covers  the cabbage. Mix and do the same actions as above placing mixture in the same crock until all the cabage is used.

When all the cabbage, apples, and salt mixture are placed into the crock, cover with the uncut outer cabbage leaves. Then place a fitted square of cloth over the mixture. Next weight all down with fitted round board, and a heavy stone to keep contents under brine. Leave enough space in crock to allow for swelling of fermenting without overflowing.

Put filled crock in a warm place to ferment.  In two weeks lift off stone and board, and carefully remove the  square of cloth by all four corners so that it scoops up all the built up scum that has formed in the fermenting process.

Wash the stone, board, cloth, and the insides of the crock wall. Cover the mixture with the cloth, board, and stone again, and remove the crock into a cool place. After a week sauerkraut is ready to use.  Follow these actions weekly until you have used up all the sauerkraut. 

Or the fermented kraut may be packed into quart jars. Cover with the brine, and heat thoroughly in a hot water bath and seal with the jar lids. If there is not enough brine to cover the cabbage mixture, mix 1/4 cup salt to one quart of water, and top off each quart before the heating process.

I hope you enjoy my grandma's recipe.
:neat::yes:


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## SeaBreeze (Dec 1, 2014)

Thanks for the share Ina!


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