Homemade Sauerkraut

We love homemade sauerkraut!  Its crunchy and pickly and sooo good for you, plus its easy to do.  The kids helped me make a batch last night (hence the dark photos...).

Slice a whole organic cabbage and put it in a large bowl.  Sprinkle 1 Tbs salt over top and mix well.  Find some kids to help you mash and pound the cabbage.  (We used a meat tenderizer tool.)

After a while the cabbage and salt will start to produce a bit of juice.  Pack the cabbage tightly into one or two canning jars.  I used a fairly large cabbage this time and got one large jar and one small one.  You do want to cram it in there as tightly as possible, packing it down as you go.

Press the cabbage down firmly enough that the juice rises and covers the top.  If you need to, you can add a bit of filtered water with a pinch of salt stirred in.  (I never have though.)  Cover your jars loosely and leave them on the counter for 3 days.  I check mine again the next morning and press it all down, being sure the liquid is still covering the top.

After three days, close the lids tightly and store in the refrigerator.  Leave your sauerkraut alone for 1-3 months to allow the flavor to develop.  Serving a bit of sauerkraut along with your meals is a great way to add some healthy bacteria to your diet.  Yum!  This is also a huge money saver - a small jar of raw sauerkraut is $10 at the health food store, but cabbage is fairly inexpensive.  Try it and let me know how it goes!