Kraut 2.0

I put some kraut in the crock around Labor Day. and I had been concerned about it.  The cabbage had never generated enough of its own brine, so I had to add some.  This hasn't happened to me in all my years of kraut making; usually the cabbage is so juicy it will make its own with just the added salt.  Maybe it is because of the drought this year....I wasn't sure.   Then, it never really grew the grayish scum so common in wild fermentation; instead the brine took on a brownish hue.   So I gave it up for dead, and I bought a giant head of cabbage last weekend at the Dexter Farmer's Market for $2.  

My "root cellar" is actually the laundry room on the lower level of my Brady Bunch style split level....



The house used as the Brady house in L.A.

 

I never got around to starting my kraut over the weekend, and the giant head of cabbage was laying in the downstairs hallway.   Even though I was dead tired, I decided something needed to be done, so I started shredding.  When I went to dump the old kraut out, I decided to sample it and it was the BEST KRAUT EVER MADE!  NECTAR OF THE GODS! ! I am so glad I didn't throw it out I packed it into a couple half gallon jars and put it in the fridge and I put the new kraut down for the ferment.  Like the earlier batch, it seemed dry but I won't worry this time and I'll add some brine tomorrow if it hasn't made it's own.   (1  teaspoon canning salt per 1 cup water) Curious about how to make your own kraut?  It's the easiest pickle a novice can make....check out my blog post about how to do it.