Make Your Own Kraut!

October 18, 2010 Edible Ohio Valley

Follow the instructions below to make your own sauerkraut or fermented vegetables at home. This is the same process used by Jennifer DeMarco and Jordan Aversman of Fab Ferments.

For the best results, use vegetables grown without chemicals. Choose ingredients that you don't have to wash, (the fluoride and chlorine found in some tap water can inhibit fermentation) if you need to wash your veggies let them dry completely before using. Look for a salt with minerals intact, like artisan sea salt, Fab Ferments uses Celtic Sea Salt. Jennifer and Jordan also hold kraut-making classes throughout the region – for more information, check their website, fabferments.com or your local Weston A. Price Foundation chapter website, westonaprice.org for more information and resources.

DIY Instructions for Fermented Vegetables

Start with the best vegetables you can find. If you are starting with a quart-size jar, you will need 2 - 2¼ pounds of vegetables or herbs. Chop your vegetables and herbs into a manageable size.
Place your vegetables in a large bowl and sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sea salt and allow to sit. In 15 minutes you will start to see water collecting at the bottom of the bowl - this is good!
Mash, beat, or massage your vegetables with a tool or with your hands. This will break down the salt crystals and the vegetables. You will start to see more water at the bottom of your bowl, and your 2 pounds of vegetables will be reduced to about ⅓ of its original size.
When you are able to squeeze a large amount of liquid out of your vegetables, it is time to jar! Use a clean and dry jar with a lid that you can hand-tighten. Pack the vegetables tightly into the jar in order to remove any air bubbles.
Fill your jar leaving about ¼ inch of headspace and set it aside in a cool place. For the first 4 days after packing, you will need to "burp" your jar. Unscrew your jar lid once or twice a day to release any excess gas. You may see some bubbling or the lid tightening - this is a good indication that you need to burp it, or it could explode!
After the first 4-5 days, you should not need to burp your jar. Set your jar in a cool, dark place for 4-5 weeks, checking on it often. After this time, your fermented vegetables are ready to eat. They can be refrigerated after opening and kept for a year (or more).

DIY Instructions for Fermented Vegetables

Start with the best vegetables you can find. If you are starting with a quart-size jar, you will need 2 - 2¼ pounds of vegetables or herbs. Chop your vegetables and herbs into a manageable size.

Place your vegetables in a large bowl and sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sea salt and allow to sit. In 15 minutes you will start to see water collecting at the bottom of the bowl - this is good!

Mash, beat, or massage your vegetables with a tool or with your hands. This will break down the salt crystals and the vegetables. You will start to see more water at the bottom of your bowl, and your 2 pounds of vegetables will be reduced to about ⅓ of its original size.

When you are able to squeeze a large amount of liquid out of your vegetables, it is time to jar! Use a clean and dry jar with a lid that you can hand-tighten. Pack the vegetables tightly into the jar in order to remove any air bubbles.

After the first 4-5 days, you should not need to burp your jar. Set your jar in a cool, dark place for 4-5 weeks, checking on it often. After this time, your fermented vegetables are ready to eat. They can be refrigerated after opening and kept for a year (or more).