Preparing and Canning Fermented Foods Sauerkraut. Quality For the best sauerkraut, use firm heads of fresh cabbage. A simple recipe to make traditional, homemade sauerkraut using only cabbage and salt. Heres tips for making homemade sauerkraut including guidance on your vessel. Sauerkraut is one of the greatest probiotic foods. It stimulates the growth of good bacteria and this sauerkraut recipe requires just three ingredients. Your product will be shipped to its final destination to arrive in 2 business days or faster. If your order is placed before the 11 a. PST cutoff time, then it will. Sauerkraut is a great beginner fermentation project that you can do without any special equipment. We based our method for this distinctively sour fermented cabbage. Sauerkraut rich in dietary fiber, vitamin A, C, K helps boost circulation, immunity and protects heart health. Sauerkraut also helps improve vision and skin health. German Sauerkraut can be made at home and ready to eat in a few weeks with this simple recipe and a 1quart Mason jar. Sauerkraut. Recommended Varieties. Resistant Golden Acre, Danish Ballhead, and Late Flat Head are good varieties for sauerkraut. Early varieties are lower in sugar and less desirable for making kraut. Quantity. A 5. 0 pound bag of fresh cabbage makes 1. User-Completed-Image-Make-Sauerkraut-2015.11.05-20.32.44.0.jpg/670px-User-Completed-Image-Make-Sauerkraut-2015.11.05-20.32.44.0.jpg' alt='Sauerkraut' title='Sauerkraut' />Quality. To make good kraut, use disease free, firm, sweet, mature heads of cabbage from mid and late season crops. Prepare and start the fermentation 1 to 2 days after harvesting the cabbage. Containers for Fermenting Cabbage. A 1 gallon stone crock holds 5 pounds of shredded cabbage, and a 5 gallon crock holds 2. Sauerkraut' title='Sauerkraut' />Do not use copper, iron, or galvanized metal containers or lead glazed crocks. If you are unsure about the safety of a container, use an alternative such as glass or food grade plastic containers. Many restaurants receive foods and ingredients in 5 gallon plastic pails, which make ideal fermentation containers. Do not use garbage bags or trash liners. Preparation. Work with about 5 pounds of fresh cabbage at a time. Discard outer leaves. Rinse heads with cold water and drain. Cut heads in quarters, remove cores, and trim and discard worm and disease damaged tissue. Shred or slice cabbage to a thickness of one to two quarters, or 11. Filling and Packing the Container. Place 5 pounds of shredded cabbage in the fermentation container and thoroughly mix in 3 tablespoons of canning or pickling salt. Pack it with clean hands until the level of natural juices drawn from the cabbage covers its surface. Continue preparing and packing 5 pound quantities of shredded cabbage and 3 tablespoons of salt at a time until finished, or until the fermentation container is filled within 3 to 4 inches from its top. To avoid surface mold growth, keep the cabbage submerged at all times. If the juice does not cover the cabbage, add boiled and cooled brine prepared with 1 tablespoons of salt in a quart of water. Cover the cabbage with a plate just small enough to fit inside the fermentation container and weigh it down with two or three clean quart jars filled with water. An acceptable alternative is to fill a large, sealed, food grade plastic bag containing 4 tablespoons of salt and 3 quarts of water. The filled bag may be inserted into another bag and sealed for added strength. Plastic bags sold specifically for cooking turkeys are the right size for 5 gallon containers. Cover the top of the container with several layers of clean cheesecloth or a clean kitchen towel to reduce exposure to airborne mold spores. Fermentation Temperature, Time, and Management. Store the container at 7. F while fermenting. At these temperatures, kraut will be fully fermented in about 3 to 4 weeks at 6. F, fermentation may take 6 weeks. Below 6. 0F, kraut may not ferment. Above 8. 0F, kraut may become soft and spoil. Fermentation naturally stops because the acids accumulate to such an extent that further growth cannot take place. If you submerge the cabbage with a brine filled bag, do not disturb the crock until the normal fermentation is complete when bubbling ceases. If you use jars as weights, you must check the kraut two to three times each week and remove scum if it forms. Kraut should be to desired tartness, with firm texture, have brine that is not cloudy, and be free of any sign of mold or yeast growth. Do not taste if you see mold on the surface, feel a slimy texture, or smell a bad odor. Fully fermented kraut may be kept tightly covered in the refrigerator for several months, or it may be canned and frozen. Fermenting sauerkraut in jars is not recommended because fermentation is less consistent and keeping the fermenting cabbage properly submerged under the liquid in jars is difficult. Freezing Procedure. Dont freeze more than 2 pounds of food per cubic foot of freezer capacity per day. Fill pint or quart plastic freezer containers or tapered freezer jars. Allow inch of headspace, seal, and label. Canning Procedure. Wash jars. Prepare lids according to manufacturers instructions. If there is not enough juice to cover the cabbage in each jar, add boiled and cooled brine prepared with 1 tablespoons of salt in a quart of water. Preheat canner filled halfway with water to 1. F for hot packs and 1. F for raw packs. To Make a Hot Pack. Bring kraut and liquid slowly to a boil in a large kettle, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and fill jars rather firmly with kraut and juices, leaving inch of headspace. Wipe sealing edge of jars with a clean, damp paper towel. Add lids, tighten screw bands, and load sealed jars onto the canner rack. Lower with handles in the preheated boiling water canner, or load one jar at a time with a jar lifter. Add water, if needed, to 1 inch above jars and cover. When water boils vigorously, lower heat to maintain a gentle boil and process for recommended time Table 1. After processing is complete, remove the canner from the heat and remove the canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, carefully remove the jars from the canner with a jar lifter, and place them on a towel or rack to air cool for 1. Remove screw bands and check lid seals. If the center of the lid is indented, wash, dry, label, and store jar in a clean, cool, dark place. If lid is unsealed, examine and replace jar if defective, use new lid, and reprocess as before. Wash screw bands and store separately. Kraut is best if consumed within a year and is safe as long as lids remain vacuum sealed. To Make a Raw Pack. Fill jars firmly with unheated kraut and cover with juices, leaving inch of headspace. Fill and seal as previously described for a hot pack and process for recommended time Table 1. Table 1. Style of pack. Jar size. 0 1,0. Above 6,0. Hot. Pints. 10. 15. Quarts. 15. 20. 20. Raw. Pints. 20. 25. Quarts. 25. 30. 35. Prepared by Luke La. Borde, associate professor of food science, Nancy Wiker, senior extension educator and Martha Zepp, extension project assistant. Preparing and Canning Fermented Foods. Quality For the best sauerkraut, use firm heads of fresh cabbage. Shred cabbage and start. Yield About 9 quarts. Procedure Work with about 5 pounds of cabbage at a time. Discard outer leaves. Ny Times Cooking. Rinse. heads under cold running water and drain. Cut heads in quarters and remove cores. Shred or. slice to a thickness of a quarter. Put cabbage in a suitable fermentation container, see Suitable Containers, Covers, and Weights for Fermenting Food, and add. Mix thoroughly, using clean hands. Pack firmly until salt draws juices from cabbage. Repeat shredding. Be sure it is deep enough so that. If juice does not cover cabbage, add boiled and cooled. Add plate and weights cover container. Sauerkraut fermentation can take place under variable temperature and time combinations. For obtaining a good quality sauerkraut at home, the USDA recommendation is to store at 7. F while fermenting. At temperatures between. F, kraut will be fully fermented in about 3 to 4 weeks at 6. F, fermentation may take 5 to 6 weeks. At temperatures lower than 6. F, kraut may. not ferment. Above 7. 5F, kraut may become soft. If you weigh the cabbage down with a brine filled bag, do not disturb the crock until normal fermentation. If you use jars as weight, you will have to check. Fully fermented kraut may be kept tightly. Hot pack Bring kraut and liquid slowly to a boil in a large kettle, stirring frequently. Remove. from heat and fill jars rather firmly with kraut and juices, leaving 12 inch headspace. Raw pack Fill jars firmly with kraut and cover with juices, leaving 12 inch headspace. Adjust lids and process according to the recommendations in Table 1. Recommended. process time for Sauerkraut in a boiling water. Process Time at Altitudes of. Style of Pack. Jar Size. Above 6,0. 00 ft. Hot. Pints. 10 min. Quarts. 15. 20. 20. Raw. Pints. 20. 25. Quarts. 25. 30. 35. This document was adapted from the Complete Guide to Home Canning, Agriculture Information Bulletin No. USDA, revised 2. 01. Reviewed March 2. How do I Can. Cure Smoke. Make Jam Jelly. Store. Home. Publications. Seasonal Tips. Info Request.