From Elena’s Kitchen
Fermented foods don’t have to be complicated. Sauerkraut is one of the simplest places to start because all you really need is cabbage, salt, a clean jar, and a little patience.
This is the way I like recipes—simple ingredients, inexpensive to make, and easy to adjust depending on how many people you’re feeding.
Farmhouse Batch
Ingredients
• 2 pounds green cabbage
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon non-iodized salt
What You'll Need
• 1-quart wide-mouth mason jar
• Large mixing bowl
• Knife or cabbage shredder
• Fermentation weight, or a small clean food-safe item that will keep the cabbage submerged
• Loose-fitting lid, fermentation lid, or DIY fermentation lid
How To Make It
- Prep the cabbage. Remove any damaged outer leaves. Set aside one clean outer leaf for later. Quarter the cabbage, remove the core, and slice or shred it thinly.
- Add the salt. Place the cabbage in a large bowl, sprinkle with the salt, and work it into the cabbage with clean hands.
- Give it a little time. Massage and squeeze the cabbage until it begins to soften and release its own liquid. This may take several minutes. Letting it rest for 10–15 minutes can help draw out even more liquid.
- Pack the jar. Transfer the cabbage into a clean quart jar a handful at a time, pressing it firmly down as you go. Pour any liquid remaining in the bowl into the jar. That liquid becomes your brine.
- Keep the cabbage submerged. Place a piece of the reserved cabbage leaf over the shredded cabbage and add your fermentation weight. The cabbage should stay below the brine. This is one of the most important parts of the process.
- Cover and ferment. Add a fermentation lid, DIY fermentation lid, or loosely fitted regular lid that allows fermentation gases to escape. Keep the jar at room temperature and out of direct sunlight.
- Taste as it develops. Start checking it after several days. Fermentation time varies with temperature and personal preference. When it has the tang and texture you like, move it to the refrigerator.
Elena's Kitchen Note
Fermentation doesn’t have to look perfect every day. Bubbling, a sour smell, and changes in color or texture can be normal signs that fermentation is happening. But if something smells rotten rather than pleasantly sour, develops obvious fuzzy mold, or simply doesn’t seem right, don’t take a chance—discard it and start over.
Firehouse Batch
For a Larger Crew Batch
• 5 pounds green cabbage
• 3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon non-iodized salt
The Firehouse Method
Follow the same basic process as the farmhouse batch, but use a large food-safe bowl or container to massage the cabbage and salt together.
Once the cabbage has released plenty of liquid, pack it firmly into clean jars or an appropriately sized food-safe fermentation container. Keep all of the cabbage submerged beneath the brine throughout fermentation.
Firehouse Tip: You don’t necessarily need one enormous container. Dividing the batch among several quart mason jars can make it easier to manage, refrigerate, and share around the station.
Why Fermented Foods?
Fermentation isn’t just an old-fashioned way of preserving food. Fermented foods can contain live microorganisms, and regularly eating a variety of fermented foods may help support a diverse gut microbiome. Sauerkraut also gives you a simple way to add vegetables and plenty of flavor to a meal without spending much money.
Keep in mind that not every store-bought sauerkraut contains live cultures. Heat processing can kill the microorganisms produced during fermentation.
From the Farmhouse to the Firehouse
At home, this is an inexpensive little project that turns cabbage and salt into something completely different. At the firehouse, it’s also something the crew can make together, check on over several shifts, and eventually put on the table.
Sometimes good food doesn’t need to be complicated.
— Elena