When I first started making sauerkraut I had several failed batches and I was nearly ready to give up, but I reached out to a few instagram experts who told me that they liked an airlock lid system.  I found these kraut kaps and I loved that they could fit on any size wide mouth mason jar, which was appealing since I own TONS of mason jars!  I followed the recipe that came with the jars and I have been making my own kraut ever since.  I checked with primalkitchencompany.com and they told me I could share the recipe with all of you….this is my very slightly modified version. BTW, they also offer kraut kaps for regular size mason jars if you prefer those.

Easy Sauerkraut (makes 1 quart)

1 small head of cabbage, purple or green

4 ounces of filtered water

13 grams (about 1 scant Tablespoon) of regular grind natural sea salt

1. Core the cabbage and remove any wilted outer leaves.  Tear off one small chunk of outer leaf for later use and set aside.   The cored and cleaned cabbage should weigh 1 pound, 4 ounces total. ( I am never that exact)

2.  Using a sharp knife, slice your cabbage into fine shreds, as consistent as possible.  I use a cuisinart and the 1 mm or 2 mm blade to shred faster…the key is that they need to be thin.

3. Place the cabbage in a large bowl, pour in the water and sprinkle with the salt.  Let the mixture sit for a few hours to naturally draw out the moisture.  (or you can use a sauerkraut tamper or meat pallot to pound out the juices if you prefer)

4.  After the cabbage has wilted and is swimming in it’s own brine, use tongs or a wooden spoon to pack into a clean wide mouth 1 qt mason jar.  Leave at least 2 inches of headspace at the top, making sure to allow room for a fermentation weight that will weigh the mixture down before sealing.  The liquid brine should top the shreds by at least 1 inch.  If you are short on brine you can mix up extra..1/2 tsp salt in 1/2 cup water.

5.  Place your reserved cabbage leaf on top of the shreds and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.  Then top the leaf with a Crock Rock Mason jar weight (or other weight), and press down until the shreds and the weight are FULLY submerged under brine.

6. Screw the Kraut Kap very tighly onto the jar, making sure the silicone seal is properly set.  Insert the airlock about 3/4 of the way up the stem.  Fill the airlock with distilled water to the fill line.

7. Place the jar in a dark place at room temp.  Let the kraut sit…they say 4 to 12 weeks, but I find it may be ready in as little as 3 weeks.  Make sure to check on it periodically.   You want the kraut to stay below the water line to avoid moldy overgrowth.

8. Once the kraut is ready, remove the Kraut Kap, top with a storage cap and move to the fridge.

Notes:

✅ Use unrefined sea salt without additives for best results.

✅ Use only water that is chloride and fluoride free.

✅ To avoid overflow don’t fill the jar more than 3/4 full.

✅ Don’t disturb the ferment except to check the airlock water level    occasionally.

✅ If the brine overflows the airlock, wait until after the first week before removing the airlock.  After 1 week you can clean out the airlock and fill it again with fresh water.  Continue fermentation as before.

✅ I always put a pan under my jars in case of overflow…hotel pan is a handy option.