Main Ingredients:

See below ingredients and instructions of the recipe

Cooking Preparation of the Recipe:

See directions

If your grandmother made sauerkraut, it is likely that she used
this recipe or one very close to it. Huge stoneware crocks of
sauerkraut were a common sight in spring houses and cellars on farms
in the past, and farm children were assigned the task of skimming bad
kraut and scum off the tops of these crocks.

Select 15 pounds of firm, green cabbage. (This will yield about
thirty quarts of shredded cabbage.) Let stand at room temperature for
one day. Wash, quarter, remove cores. Cabbages should be dry before
grating for sauerkraut. Shred or cut about the thickness of a dime.

Thoroughly mix 3 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. salt (use pickling/canning
salt) with each 10 quarts of shredded cabbage. As each batch is
salted, get ready 4 to 6 quart crocks. Pack the cabbage firmly, but
not tightly, into the crocks, pressing down with a wooden spoon or
paddle.

Lay a clean cloth over the cabbage with a plate on top that fits
just inside the crock. It is important that the cabbage is covered
by the tight fitting plate; it may spoil otherwise. Weight with a
stone or a gallon jar filled with water. The weight should be heavy
enough so that the liquid just reaches the bottom of the cover. To
vary the weight, use heavier or lighter stones or fill or empty the
jar as needed as fermentation increases.

Allow cabbage to ferment at room temperature (68 to 72) for 9 to 14
days. (The lower the temperature, the slower the fermentation.)
Change and wash the cloth, adjust the weight, and skim off the scum
daily. Fermentation has ended when bubbles stop rising to the
surface. Taste at the end of a week and can when taste suits you.

To can your kraut, use hot, scalded quart jars. Bring kraut to
boil with 3 quarts water. Pack lightly into jars, filling spaces
with liquid. Process in boiling-water bath for 15 minutes.

(6 quarts) From: Alan Burgstahler Date: 03-15-95
Submitted By JEFF PRUETT On 06-11-95

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