How To Make Homemade Sauerkraut in a Mason Jar

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http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-homemade-sauerkraut-in-a-mason-jar-193124 How To Make Homemade Sauerkraut in a Mason Jar

Sauerkraut is often one of the first fermentation projects recommended to curious DIY-ers, and with good reason: It's beyond easy to make, it requires very little special equipment, and the results are dependably delicious. All you need to do is combine shredded cabbage with some salt and pack it into a container — a crock if you have one and want to make a lot of sauerkraut, but a mason jar will do just fine for small batches. The cabbage releases liquid, creating its own brining solution. Submerged in this liquid for a period of several days or weeks, the cabbage slowly ferments into the crunchy, sour condiment we know and love as sauerkraut.

Probiotics -a microorganism introduced into the body for its beneficial qualities.

What You Need
Ingredients
1 medium head green cabbage (about 3 pounds)
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt

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I'm a big fan of sauerkraut, I grow red cabbage because its a little sweeter than the green, I would use the red cabbage if any thing just for the color.
 
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Huh. I had no idea sauerkraut was just cabbage and salt! For some reason I always thought vinegar was involved. That's good to know!
 
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Vinegar is used with most of the commercial sauerkraut. Apparently all the the beneficial probiotics are destroyed, but the taste is there. If the sauerkraut is kept in the refrigeration section it is still healthy, if on a room temperature shelf it is a condiment only. Hence make your own lacto-fermented sauerkraut and know what you are getting.
 
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http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/the-crucial-difference-between-pickled-and-fermented/ The Crucial Difference Between Pickled and Fermented

How does this homemade pickled cabbage compare to the pickled cabbage in a jar in the supermarket?

So don’t be fooled by unhealthy supermarket pickled versions of homemade fermented foods. These modern foods are the product of high heat and pressure which destroys nutrients and do not in any way enhance health. The one exception to this rule are the various fermented foods in the refrigerator section of many healthfood stores. These products are actually fermented and pickled. The only drawback is that these gourmet items are rather expensive compared to the pennies per ounce it costs to make them yourself.
 
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I love sauerkraut and this recipe is simple enough for me to try! I have never even attempting to do this as I thought the process is much more complicated than this. Thanks!
 
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I always thought you had to use vinegar too, now I am really curious to make a jar of my own. My husband loves sourkraut and he has been bugging me to learn how to make it. I may have to surprise him with a jar now.
 
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This is probably better than a bubbler.
http://fermentacap.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7&Itemid=125

A jar does NOT need to be airtight to create an anerobic environment!

Proper fermenting requires that only one criteria be met:

Brined foods need to stay under the brine.

I am working on developing cheaper system both to allow a pseudo anaerobic environment and a hold down to keep the product under the brine in the lacto-fermentation container. I think I have it using readily available low cost products. Still under review.
 
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I'm excited to see how your system progresses. In the meantime, I need to find myself an empty mason jar and get to work! :D A friend of mine told me about how she ferments cabbage a while ago and it sounded easy, but I didn't get the recipe, so I'm excited to try this now that I know how easy it really is.
 
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Do you need to introduce a culture to get the bacteria started? Or does it just generate on its own?
 

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