The Amish Cook from Oasis Newsfeatures

Thank you for this recipe!! My dad and I would make this same simple recipe for kraut but I couldn't for the life of me remember it til now!! I can't believe I forget something so simple to make. Thank you very much!!!

My uncle gave me a 2 gallon crock but this year we are going to try and do it in the jars.  My friend did it this way last year...and she said none of the kraut spoiled.  She is going to teach me how she did hers next week.  I will let you know how she does hers.  Her grandmother taught her.  I think she used more salt than you mentioned. She rattled off how we were going to do it so fast that I am not sure what she said.

I never heard of this, but I don't know why it wouldn't work. It is the same principle as with a crock,after all,fermenting is fermenting! Just a smaller amount!!! Thanks, Karen!

No problem!! My dad ,who will soon be 81, is our "teacher". We use approx. 50# of cabbage(sounds like alot,but when you weigh it,it isn't..cabbage is dense), and 4# of salt(not iodized). This will fill a 12 gal. crock. But you could use 2  -5 gal. buckets. You should be sure they are food safe. You just shred the cabbage,maybe 5# per layer(a Guess) and add an even layer of salt. Stomp it down. We use a wooden stomper dad made, but in a pinch a potato masher would do. Repeat the process until your container is about 3 inches from the top. You have to leave room, because it gets juicy!! To cover, a dinner plate and a brick work great(to weigh it down) ,then cover with a clean cloth to deter insects. You want the juice to keep above the cabbage(the reason for the weight) so it doesn't mold. It takes abt. 6 weeks for fermentation at a temp. of 50 degrees or so. You want it warm enough to "work", but not too warm , or it will spoil. A cellar is perfect, but I don't have one so I put ours in a cooler back room. Every few days after it starts to ferment,(you will smell it!), scrape off any mold that may form. After 4-6 weeks, taste it..it won't hurt ya!..and if you deem it ready, can it. Just put it in jars, and cold pack it for 20 minutes.  As for where I got the crock..my folks had several, so I had access to them. However, Lehman's hardware in Ohio sells them,and I bet if you look around at estate sales you could find them . I hope this helps, and if I can be of further help, please ask! I have done this my entire life, and it would be easy to leave something out when trying to tell someone. So please, feel free to ask, and don't feel sorry for doing so!!! I am not sure where you live,but here in NW PA, we make kraut in late Oct. or early Nov. Then it isn't too warm. Also, some years cabbage has a higher water content, so your crock may run over. If so, just remove the excess juice..only leaving enough to cover the kraut. If mold does form(some most always does), just scrape it off every couple of days or so. It is just natural fermentation, it won't hurt anything. Good luck!!