Basic Sauerkraut

Shred cabbage, rinse in a colander, then drain and transfer to a bowl. Sprinkle cabbage with salt; toss well, cover, and let stand 1 hour. (It will begin to wilt and start to release liquid.)

Add cabbage to a 1-qt. canning jar, filling 3–4 inches at a time; pound after each addition to compress the cabbage and extract more liquid.

Keep 4 inches of headroom at top of jar. Weight cabbage down and add a small amount of lightly salted water to cover cabbage, if needed.

Cover jar with a canning lid; label and date. Let kraut stand at room temperature (70°) and out of direct light for 10 days to ferment (longer if refrigerating). With a normal canning lid, pressure will build in the jar. If you see the lid expanding, periodically open the jar to relieve the pressure. Kraut is done when pleasingly sour and crisp-tender, 10–30 days.

Kraut Variations

Blaukraut

1 head red cabbage (1½ lb.), cored, rinsed, and shredded
1 small Pink Lady apple, cored, quartered, and thinly sliced
1 small white onion, thinly sliced
1½ Tbsp. kosher salt

Combine cabbage, apple, and onion; sprinkle with salt, then follow same procedure above.

Hot & Smoky Kraut

2–3 jalapeño, Fresno, or mini sweet peppers, seeded and sliced
1 head green cabbage (1½ lb.), cored, rinsed, and shredded
1 small white onion, thinly sliced
1½ Tbsp. hickory or alder wood smoked salt

Place enough jalapeño slices to cover bottom of a 1-qt. canning jar.

Combine remaining jalapeño slices, cabbage, and onion; sprinkle with salt, then follow same procedure above.