Sauerkraut

I have NEVER liked sauerkraut, on anything. Until, that is, I made it myself. Now I'll eat the whole jar by myself in a few days, and be wanting more. Time to start growing cabbage, seriously.

Ingredients

1 head of Cabbage, just over 2 lbs or so - I prefer Purple

1 Tbsp Caraway

2 Tbsp Salt

Directions

Remove any broken or wilted outer Cabbage leaves. Cut the head in half, and remove the core. Shred the cabbage any way you want - food processor is fastest, but a good sharp knife works just as well, and so will a mandolin (just don't slice off the tip of your finger - it hurts!).

Place the cabbage in a heavy duty gallon-size ziploc bag, and dump both the caraway and salt in with it. Close the bag, leaving the air inside. Give it a good shake, making sure the seasonings are evenly distributed. Squeeze the air out of the bag, and then place it inside a second bag, just to be safe.

Here comes the fun. Place the bag on a solid surface, like your cement front porch. Take a rolling pin or a meat tenderizer and just start beating the crap out of it - hard enough to break down the cabbage, but gently enough to not break through the bags. Beat it until all the cabbage is releasing juices, and then keep beating it for a few more minutes.

Pack the cabbage into quart-sized mason jars, leaving about two inches at the top - it should fill two jars. Pack it down really well, and then slowly add a bit of water to the jars until the water level just rises above the cabbage level.

Cover with a lid, and store at room temperature for three days or so, then place in the refrigerator.

Verdict

I really love this stuff! It satisfies my salt craving, and it's good for me. It's great on a pastrami sandwich, on a slice of rye bread with some mustard, or even just by itself.