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I make kraut all the time, but my recipe uses only salt and cabbage. It makes a ton of juice over time while it ferments and i use this liquid when I can it. I usually can it using my pressure canner, but have also done it with just the water bath. I prefer the pressure because of the extra level (in my mind anyway...lol) of safety involved. It does not get mushy at all, but is definitely not as "crispy" as it was prior to canning. It turns out more like a store bought kraut, but less salty and lots more flavorful. Good luck!
It smells better this morning. Maybe it just needed some inoculate. I think the cabbage that wasn't covered by liquid is what didn't quite smell like food. I removed the big cover leaves and tossed them.
My recipe was 1/4 cup salt for every 5lbs of cabbage. I just did not get the liquid I was expecting.
Do you wait for the sharpness that you prefer, or just can after two weeks?
Trying something new is so.~~~ uncomfortable, or nervous, or something. I don't want to kill anyone or make them so sick they wish they were dead, you know? It's like 'the first person who are an oyster' type of thing.
lol...I totally understand!
The first time I did kraut we all took a nibble and waited with baited breath to see if we would die instantly or something.
We didn't and now love the stuff. I ferment mine for 6 weeks. We like ours pretty strong and stout. You just taste as you go and when the taste is how you like it, run with it. I keep a calendar above mine and mark the days I taste and how it was. That way, in other batches I can kind of gauge when it might be close to what we like. It is never exact as temperature plays a big part in how fast or slow it ferments. Let me know how yours comes out!
ETA: I just remembered your salt amount...I use 3 Tablespoons of salt for every 5 pounds of cabbage. My recipe is from the Ball Blue Book of Canning. If yours tastes too salty for your liking, just reduce the salt and try again.
