How to Make Sauerkraut at Home

That sour cabbage you find in a hot dog. I used to assume it had been steeped in vinegar. Learning that sauerkraut is simply cabbage salted and turned sour by natural lactic fermentation set off a growing urge to make some. Sourdough with sauerkraut and bacon and plenty of mustard is also about as good as it gets. So let's try making sauerkraut. Will it work?

What you need:

• Cabbage
• Salt (about 2–3% of the weight of the cabbage)

Shred the cabbage, sprinkle over salt at 2–3% of its weight, and massage it lightly so the salt is evenly distributed. Once liquid begins to come out of the cabbage, transfer it to a container and put a weight on top. Then leave it. Let's see what happens.

Use a container with a wide opening, so the weight sits easily. Put a plate slightly smaller than the inside of the container on top of the salted cabbage, and the weight on top of that. I found a jar of Semi-Dried Tomatoes in Olive Oil was exactly the right size, so I am using that as the weight.

— Day 2

Plenty of liquid has come up. I tried a little: no acidity yet at all, just salty cabbage.

— Day 3

The liquid is at about the same level as yesterday. There is a faint acidity to the smell now. I took the weight and inner lid off and tasted a little. Yesterday it was salty cabbage; today there is some pickle-like acidity and savour coming through.

Wash the inner lid and weight, put them back, and wait for tomorrow. It should be about ready to eat from then. I am looking forward to it.

— Day 4

Still slightly under-pickled, but properly acidic. It is sauerkraut. Salt it, weight it, leave it — that is genuinely all it takes to have good sauerkraut, and I find that rather moving.