Makin' Homemade Sauerkraut

I know I've been a little quiet on my blog lately -- lots going on since my hubby lost his job.  I've been wanting to write about my sauerkraut making, and so here I am!  I found online a contraption for making it, and ordered one several weeks ago.  I've been reading online about fermented (cultured) foods, and how healthy they are, and so I was determined to give sauerkraut a try.  It turned out so delicious!  We call it "Happiness" because it makes us happy to eat it!  I wish you could taste this stuff... YUM-O!  Here are some pics I took from the process:

First I chopped up green and purple cabbage in the food processor, then pressed it with my juicer tamper to get the juices flowing from the cabbage.

I added some water and salt, and then packed it tightly in the fermenting jar.

Here it is topped off with water so no air is above the cabbage, and the top on with "air lock" in place.

After the first 24 hours, the juice starts to escape the jar.  This means it's fermenting!

I forgot to take more pictures of the process, but here is the finished product!  Notice how it turned from purple to bright pink!  It took 7 days to ferment to the taste we liked.  (We started checking it after the 5th day.)  I moved it into pint size jars and it's now in the fridge.  It will keep for months... if it lasts that long.  I doubt it!

This is VERY different from the sauerkraut you buy in the store.  What you find there has been heated, and therefore does not contain the living enzymes and probiotics that this fresh, raw sauerkraut is loaded with!

Do some research and you'll be amazed how good cultured foods are for you.  To make sauerkraut, you don't need a special jar like I bought... from what I understand, you can make it successfully with any glass jar. There are plenty of tutorials on the internet.

Give homemade sauerkraut a try! :)