Homemade Sauerkraut

Is that Lawrence of Arabia?? Naw dogg it's just some sauerkraut krauting.

Cabbage is a crop we're only going to be seeing more of in the coming weeks, and homemade sauerkraut is a great way to make a delicious garnish that will last forever (ok, maybe like 3 weeks) in your fridge. It is also a very fun and easy pickling recipe for anyone who is new to pickling and wants to start with something less challenging.

I've found my homemade sauerkraut is always crispier and more flavorful than anything available in the grocery store, and it is as cheap as cabbage as the only other ingredient is salt.

Remember to clean everything really well: knife, bowl, jars, shot glasses. This is a pretty risk-free pickling recipe but you can never be too careful.

Ingredients:
-1 head cabbage
-½ Tbs salt

To make:
1. Quarter and core the cabbage. Slice the leaves as thin as possible, saving the thick stem parts and setting them aside. Place the leaf slivers in a large bowl.

2. Sprinkle cabbage with salt. Stir with your hands, then begin to punch, crush, and squeeze the leaves of as much fluid as possible for about 5 minutes.

3. Transfer cabbage leaves to canning jar(s). Pour in the excess cabbage juice from the crushing and squeezing step. Place the cabbage stems over the top of the leaves.
4. Invert a shot glass and put on top of the cabbage stems. Press down on the glass as hard as necessary to submerge all of the leaves under liquid.

5. Cover the jar with a cloth. Secure with twine or elastic. Let sit for at least a week in a warm dark place. This is honestly up to you, you can smell it and check it out periodically, it won't hurt anything, I like about 2 weeks.
6. Once it is "done," strain the cabbage leaves, clean out your canning jars, and put the newly made kraut back in the jar. Save up to 3 weeks in your refrigerator!