Easy, Quick Sauerkraut (Fermented Cabbage) - One Quart at a Time!

I attended a healthy foods conference recently in Salina KS. Dr. Will Bulsiewicz, the "gut health MD", presented ideas for "Unlocking Ultimate Gut Health." As a practicing gastroenterologist, he offered ideas and advice . . . and was not trying to sell anything!

He offered practical ways to improve gut health including eating fermented foods and shared his rather unconventional method to create sauerkraut . . . one quart at a time.

In the past I've tried the old-fashioned method — slicing, salting, partially covering and leaving for weeks. However, I've never been able to get past the mold that forms on top; despite directions to remove and proceed . . . I've thrown it away and vowed never to try again.

Dr. B's method uses a covered jar that is "burped" daily to remove the excess gas — NO mold involved! He usually begins eating the "sauerkraut" after about a week but it can go longer; he keeps several jars at various stages of development. He prefers a crunchy texture and said that he's addicted to the stuff.

After leaving the all day conference, I went home and immediately started a batch! It took a couple of days for the green cabbage to begin bubbling but once it started, the mixture began to smell like kraut! After seven days I tasted it — still slightly crunchy, pleasantly mild vinegar flavor . . . and yes, it is addictive!

Since then I started a jar of chopped red/purple cabbage with sliced garlic for additional flavor. It began to bubble almost immediately so can't wait to taste and do more experimentation.

Dr. B's Sauerkraut Method with my comments

1. Chop the cabbage into whatever size pieces you like your kraut. (He likes thick so I've been doing that but will experiment with thinly sliced, too).
   
2. Pack into a 1 quart Mason jar (fill jar about 75% full of cabbage). Feel free to add cloves of garlic, caraway seeds, or spices if you like. It's fun to experiment.
   
3. Add a fermentation weight on top. (He orders "Pickle Pebbles" off Amazon. Instead, I folded a leaf of cabbage and placed over the cut cabbage and then weighted it down with glass marbles and decorative rocks that I secured in a sealable snack bag; this was at his suggestion.) 
   
   
   
   
4. Make a sea salt brine by mixing 1 cup of water (water should be boiled and cooled, or use distilled water to avoid chlorine) with 1 1/4 teaspoon SEA salt (do not use iodized salt). Taste the brine—it should taste salty but not so salty that you wouldn't take a sip.
   
5. Pour the sea salt brine over the top of the cabbage and weight but still leave a little "head" room at the top. 
   
6. Cover the Mason jar and then "burp" the kraut by opening the lid once a day to release pressure from the gas that builds up. Dr. B uses a "Pickle Pipe" that allows the jar to burp on it's own; available on the internet.
7. Place in cool location for 1 to 4 weeks to ferment. Once it's fermenting to your liking, begin eating and refrigerate at this point.

Recipe without photos . . .

Dr. B's Sauerkraut Method with my comments

1. Chop the cabbage into whatever size pieces you like your kraut. (He likes thick so I've been doing that but will experiment with thinly sliced, too).
2. Pack into a 1 quart Mason jar (fill jar about 75% full of cabbage). Feel free to add cloves of garlic, caraway seeds, or spices if you like. It's fun to experiment.
3. Add a fermentation weight on top. (He orders "Pickle Pebbles" off Amazon. Instead, I folded a leaf of cabbage and placed over the cut cabbage and then weighted it down with glass marbles and decorative rocks that I secured in a sealable snack bag; this was at his suggestion.) 
4. Make a sea salt brine by mixing 1 cup of water (water should be boiled and cooled, or use distilled water to avoid chlorine) with 1 1/4 teaspoon SEA salt (do not use iodized salt). Taste the brine—it should taste salty but not so salty that you wouldn't take a sip.
5. Pour the sea salt brine over the top of the cabbage and weight but still leave a little "head" room at the top. 
6. Cover the Mason jar and then "burp" the kraut by opening the lid once a day to release pressure from the gas that builds up. Dr. B uses a "Pickle Pipe" that allows the jar to burp on it's own; available on the internet.
7. Place in cool location for 1 to 4 weeks to ferment. Once it's fermenting to your liking, begin eating and refrigerate at this point.