PRESERVING a year’s worth of SAUERKRAUT (Don’t can it!)

Making and storing a years worth of sauerkraut!

Sauerkraut is one of our most important preserves— we grow dozens of cabbages every year and turn them into kraut for eating all winter long. Our goal is to put up around 5 gallons of sauerkraut every year. Here’s how we do it.

⛓ LINKS
Kraut Cutter

Ball Fermentation Lid & Spring Kit

Kraut Pounder

Celctic Sea Salt

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🎶MUSIC

[farmerdude]

I did a big batch of sauerkraut in 1/2 gallon jars. By the time I got to eat the last jar it was five years old. Never went bad as long as it’s under the brine.

[bullhead]

My wife and I filled a 12 gallon crock this past weekend. We used my family's old antique wood kraut cutter. We do it old school, it never fails.

[NINA]

Thanks for the video! I've been fermenting kraut for a few years now but I have never fermented a years worth.Even though I have a medium-sized garden I bought the cabbages so I just fermented a couple of times a year. But not anymore with the new food coating APEEL now on everything including organic food I'll be growing my own cabbages. AND increasing my garden size.

[susan-almosta_farm]

This was fantastic showing all the steps. I'm such a visual person. Thank you so much!!!

[Connie]

I started fermenting last year and have been learning on the fly. I SOOOO appreciate the half lemon juice/ half water tip!! I am now a new subbie!

[BoulderCreekSteve]

My German grandfather made about twenty 10-20 gallon crocks of kraut every year, from cabbage he grew. The smell of their house in the fall was just a bit sharp from all the crocks in their basement. The bulk of it was sold to the fraternal organizations, and my grandfather belonged to nearly every one you can name: Odd Fellows, Eagles, Elks, VFW, American Legion, Knights of Columbus. All these had New Years Eve parties, for which sauer kraut was a must. For them, it was raw. But by far, the most flavorful sweet stuff was what he canned. Unbelievably mellow and sweet. We kids would raid the root cellar and devour the quart jars as fast as we could, before being caught. The raw stuff may be more nutritious, but does not come close in flavor to that preserved by the water bath process. I never had to eat the crap store bought stuff till after he died in 1985, and after a ten year time of refusing to eat it from the grocery store, I learned how to make it from an old German woman. Mine is every bit as good as my grandfathers was - it’s not hard to make at all. I make a 15 gallon crock most years, and we can every bit of it. But I buy my cabbage, and have retired my grandfathers two wooden-framed kraut cutters that I inherited in favor of an all stainless steel one. It will outlast me, I think.

[averyshnowske]

I snagged a 4 lb cabbage at the farmers market today - perfect for a half gallon!! 😁 thanks for the excellent step by step!

[shuvanidev]

This is a great tutorial!! Very clear, concise and to the point. I have been making kraut for a long time in half gallon jars like you do and I actually learned a new thing here. For some reason I never knew to save the juice that leaks out of the jars!! And, I never knew that you should top off jars with low brine levels with lemon juice/water rather than salt brine. Thank you so very much for this!!!

[CatherineShoresHMN]

I don’t care for sauerkraut (my husband LOVES it though), but I find this FASCINATING!!! I wasn’t going to grow cabbage this year, but I am now!

[WS-bycl]

I have been fermenting cabbage for years now… love it! Cabbage has more vitamin C than oranges!
My dog loves “kraut making day” … one of her favorite snacks is crispy cabbage! 🐾

[waynehoffman]

I like to add a sweet onion and a few cloves of Garlic when I make my krout. I ferment in a 5 Gallon beer fermenter. (I no longer drink) and haven’t ever had an issue. Sanitize everything and always use a quality air lock. No chance anything can go wrong even if the temp changes.

[closeoutsaleusa]

Wow... this answered all my questions about preserving and keeping the health benefits of sauerkraut.

[thankfulmama]

You are such a great instructor! So clear and concise and a pleasant voice to boot! Blessings from North Dakota! ☺️

[Nhkg]

In central Europe, the preparation of sauerkraut in autumn is common. My grandfather used to pickle 50kg of cabbage in a wooden barrel every year. He would buy whole heads and grate them on a 2 metre long grater. It would take too long with the toy (kraut cutter) shown in the video.
I pickle 20kg in an earthenware container and buy the cabbage already grated. Some farmers and vegetable sellers sell cabbage already grated in the autumn here.

[dbssrcf]

I’ve been wanting to try this for a while. Today is the day. It’s salted and sitting right now. Thanks for the inspiration.

[Markds]

I grew up making kraut by hand from around the age of 10 (I’m 61 now). Yes you can get used to the salt as you tamp cabbage and end up adding too much. However, I learned to salt by taste and wait till tamping was almost done, then add salt as you finish tamping. (I used a scrap cut of 2x4 about 2’ long, tamp softly so you don’t break the crock) next, (Almost done is when liquid from tamping almost reached the top. Finish tamping is slightly more liquid over cabbage.) leave 3” headspace. In a 10 gal crock take a garbage bag, put another inside that with the seam 90 degrees offset and fill with water. Follow around the rim by hand and press out any air pockets and tie off the bags. Set near a basement floor drain because it will perk over. When ferment tastes sour to your liking, spoon into gallon size ziploc bags and press flat. Stack in freezer. Not saying you have to: this was the old way that was done for generations in case anyone wanted to know. Preserve the info. ;-)

[Bubblytubebob]

I'm tired of eating store bought sauerkraut where pasturising kills all the probiotics ! Thank you for your demonstration ! Well done !4 lbs is a perfect place to start !

[chriskoch]

One thing I learned was to keep in mind that the chlorine in tap water can kill a ferment, so use either non-clorinated water or boil the tap water and let it cool to remove it. That goes for water used to top off the jars, too

[karend]

That was great, Crystal 😁👍💚 Inspires me to go to the grocer for some cabbages! 😁

[sandrarice]

First time making kraut. Day 4 and looking perfect.
Thank you
Great lesson.