Source: bcmom's kitchen
Taste: 5 (out of 5)
Difficulty: 1 (out of 5)
Ingredients:
- 1 small cabbage, about 1 lb (120 cal)
- 1/2 tbsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp caraway seeds (optional)
Total: 120 cal, 4 servings, 30 cal / serving
Directions:
1. Wash the cabbage, remove and reserve outer leaves and shred the rest.
2. In a large bowl, toss cabbage & salt together and knead the mixture for a minute or 2. If using, mix in the caraway seeds too.
3. Let sit for 5-10 minutes. The cabbage should soften, become limp and start releasing juice.
4. Pack the cabbage in a glass jar as tightly as possible. Try to eliminate air bubbles and keep the cabbage submerged in the juice.
5. Cover the cabbage with the outer leaves and press down once again to keep the outer leaves also submerged.
6. Cap the jar loosely and leave in a dark place at room temperature.
7. Check on your cabbage every 2-3 days, release the air if it's too bubbly, remove the bloom, if needed, and press the cabbage down to keep it submerged in the liquid. The cabbage should be ready in 1 week, but it tastes better after 2.
8. Keep the ready sauerkraut in refrigerator.
Afterthoughts:
- This was the first time for me making sauerkraut. I was skeptical and thought it would turn out coleslaw-like. But it turned out AMAZING! Crunchy and salty and perfect! It completely exceeded all my expectations.
- I will skip the caraway seeds next time and maybe add garlic.
- This post was my SRC assignment. Just in case you don't know yet, SRC, or the Secret Recipe Club is a group of over a hundred food bloggers, who are assigned a "secret" blog each months. Then they choose a recipe from that blog, make it and post it on their own blog on a given reveal day. Then there is a big party, where you hop from one blog to another and check what everyone's been cooking. Lots of fun! And terrible for your diet ;-) I want to thank Amanda, Jane and April for making it all possible!
- bcmom's kitchen, my SRC assignment for July, is a great blog with lots of delicious recipes. Desserts and breads immediately caught my attention, but these days I am trying to watch calories, so I opted for a practically calorie-free cabbage recipe. You should visit that blog and check out the other goodies therein :-).
Wow, I've never made sauerkraut before. I bet this would make a fantastic Reuben sandwich.
ReplyDeleteI've made kimchee, but never sauerkraut! Now, I will definitely give it a try. Thanks for the inspiration.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant recipe choice!
ReplyDeleteMy husband has been asking for years to make our own sauerkraut but I've always said no because I've pictured trash can-sized vats of smelly cabbage all over our apartment. But this is much more manageable. I'm going to print out the recipe and show it to him tonight!
ReplyDeleteA favorite of my husband's! Very nice.
ReplyDeleteSauerkraut is not something I ever would have thought to make, although I have attempted fermented red cabbage before. Fermented food is so healthy for your insides, too!
ReplyDeleteHope you saw what recipe I decided on. Sorry for my chaos on your FB page!
http://www.vanderbiltwife.com/2013/07/brioche-loaf-brioche-french-toast-secret-recipe-club/
I had never tried sauerkraut before (I had always imagined the jarred stuff at the store was pickled for some reason) and a few months ago fermented my own with a very similar recipe and it turned out amazing! I can't believe how great homemade sauerkraut is!
ReplyDeleteThis looks great! I don't like store-bought sauerkraut, but I LOVE homemade - yours looks fantastic! :)
ReplyDeleteIt is simple, isn't it? I can't believe I never made sauerkraut before this.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness! I adore sauerkraut and I've never made it from scratch. This sounds fantastic!
ReplyDeleteWow, that's pretty cool. I always thought vinegar was involved somehow. I'm not a sauerkraut fan, but my husband loves it, so I'll have to try this out sometime.
ReplyDeleteIt's fun fermenting stuff, isn't it? I don't often, partly because of the salt and partly because I've lived in a lot of top-floor/attic places where I don't have a cool place to let it ferment, but I've played a bit here and there...
ReplyDeleteI loveee homemade sauerkraut, and recipe is simple yet delicious! Thanks for sharing and have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteBy the way some of us were wondering are you gone from the Pinterest, because we can't find you?
I am wondering if one could safely add fresh dill and/or sweet red pepper (thinly sliced) to this? Maybe even some scallion greens?
ReplyDeleteI would appreciate any help you can give me on this, as I seem to be craving all of these lately.
Sorry, more questions:
ReplyDeletehow thinly should cabbage be sliced (I see cabbage shredders on AMZ -- do I need to buy one) & how many outer leaves to set aside?
&
what is "bloom" and how do you remove it? Must it all be removed or can a little bit be left in - - is it edible?
&
How long does it keep?
Thanks for your exceptional patience with my questions. I am new to this.
Hi Joy,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for reading this recipe in such detail and for your questions. Here are the answers, I hope they help. This recipe turned out to be so simple, that I am sure there is not much that can go wrong with it and you will have wonderful results no matter what :-)
Can I add peppers? I believe you can add peppers, garlic and dill, but I have not tried it.
What is bloom? I read the word “bloom” in another recipe, and from what I saw, I think it refers to small bubbles of air that form at the top of the liquid. I just scooped most of them with a spoon, but some of them were left.
How finely to shred the cabbage? I shredded my cabbage in a food processor, but you can also slice it with a knife, like for coleslaw. It does not make any difference: even the whole cabbage leaves that I placed on top tasted the same as the shredded ones.
Hoe many whole leaves to set aside? I made a small batch this time, so for me one whole leaf was enough to cover the top of the jar, even twice. But even if you are using a large jar 1-2 leaves should certainly be enough.
How long does it keep? The recipe that I used says 2 weeks in the fridge. But my small batch did not last a week .
Brilliant, something I love to eat, but never had the guts to attempt.
ReplyDeleteThe SRC sounds really cool, will have to get posting some recipes. Thanks for letting me find out about it on your blog.
nice by rajs
ReplyDelete