Anyone make sauerkraut?

[erinszoo]

I am attempting to make sauerkraut this year from my abundance of cabbage for the second time. I tried once before when someone gave me a 15 lb head of cabbage but it spoiled on me before it got done. I didn't know that you had to skim it everyday then. This time I'm doing a smaller batch of 5 lbs. Funny thing is I don't really like sauerkraut by itself but I had an awesome sauerkraut salad at the Amana Colonies and decided that I would try to make some from scratch. Got some questions: 1) how long should it ferment before it's ready? Is it just a matter of taste or does it have to ferment for a certain time frame to make it suitable for canning? 2) When it's fermenting should it bubble so much that it pushes the weight out of the liquid and tries to bubble over the top of the crock? 3) Does it need to be tightly covered or left with air exposure for proper fermentation to happen? 4) Can I add more liquid to the crock over time?

 

[flewdacoop]

dont make it but love to eat it on hotdogs

 

[Balefire]

puhhhhhhhhhhhhhh let me think............I had a spec ceramic pott for it. You need to chopp it and mix it with a likkte salt and then I used a potatoamscher to get it really tide in the pott. After all was in, I covered the top with a fresh ironed cotton dishtowl and put the lit up. Filled water in to seal it and put it in the basement for 4 weeks, I think.......................Hope that helps a little, but I did it round about 20 years ago lol. So good luck

 

[gramakoko]

I made my first batch of fermented cabbage using the airlock system. The health benefits are off the charts, speaking of fermentation. Just go to a wine/beer making store and buy an airlock, $2.00 and use a jar. Make sure you pound the cabbage down under the juice and just use another lid or something sterile. Sandor Katz says you can use a boiled rock. The airlock system is cheap and effective. You can find recipes on line....Do you make cheese?

 

[Balefire]

I had a Gaertopf and I loved it *sigh*