My Uncle Bill made homemade sauerkraut for years but there was never a written recipe for it.  A few years ago, asked Uncle Bill to show me how to make his sauerkraut so that I could learn how he made it.  The recipe is so easy that I understood why no one had written it down.  But I was afraid that if it wasn’t written down, no one would know how to make it.  I am so thankful that I asked him to show me how to make it, because he passed away in 2018.

• 5 lbs shredded cabbage (I suggest making this with pre-shredded cabbage, which can be purchased in bulk from a food distribution store.  Locally, I have used Gordon’s Food Service.)
• ¼ c Kosher salt

• Ceramic sauerkraut crock (or air tight container such as a 10 gallon bucket with no holes or cracks)
• Food Tamper – can be wooden, metal or heavy plastic.  My husband made the one I was using in the photo.

1. Place shredded cabbage in a clean crock.  Sprinkle Kosher salt over top of the cabbage. 
2. I used a 10 gallon crock for 30 lbs of cabbage, which filled the crock half full.  For whatever container you choose, leave some headroom at the top of the container so it can be sealed properly to ferment.
3. Use a tamper to bruise the cabbage very well (but don’t overdo it).  This helps the Kosher salt to draw out the moisture from the cabbage and will eventually turn into the juice for the sauerkraut.
4. Once all of the cabbage is in the crock, place a large round plate that is slightly smaller than the mouth of the crock.  Then place a heavy plastic bag on top of the plate and fill it with water so the bag completely seals the crock.  Leave the crock in a cool place for 7 weeks. 
5. My Uncle Bill said that was the magic number of weeks, “not 6, not 8…7.” 
6. After that time has passed, remove the plastic bag and the water.  Place the kraut in plastic zip lock baggies, gently squeeze out the excess air and store in freezer.
7. For best flavor, use within 6 months (if it lasts that long).
8. When you want to use, remove from freezer to thaw in the sink or some other container so that any liquid that escapes the zip lock baggie will be caught.
9. You can eat the kraut cold, once thawed, or reheat in a crock pot or in the oven.
10. Check out my future posts for a recipe for Barbequed Kraut.