Sauerkraut tips please!

[littlepieces]

I've been thinking of attempting to make sauerkraut for ages but terrified of poisoning myself... have you made it, did you survive and do you have any tips? I thought you had to sterilise the s**t out of everything you use to make it, but lots of recipes and YouTubers don't mention anything like that?

Hi there, it's basically made by fermentation. I don't think you can poison your self as it will not be edible if goes wrong, worst case you end up throwing it out. I attempted it many years ago with no success, however, recently I tried to make fermented beets with a very good result. I did not sterilise anything, simply used clean jar and thoroughly washed vegetables and herbs -you need some natural bacteria to ferment. The only difference this time I used spring bottled water instead of the tap. Good luck

my dh makes it regularly. super easy.
now he has a special container with a weight and a lid, then a special pestle.
5 lb cabbage, good knife, table salt and time on the counter. we then put the sauerkraut in jars and we keep it in the fridge.

www.bing.com/videos/search?q=ohio+stoneware+sauerkraut+recipe&&view=detail&mid=CEB8A007479E595B64F3CEB8A007479E595B64F3&&FORM=VRDGAR&ru=%2Fvideos%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dohio%2Bstoneware%2Bsauerkraut%2Brecipe%26FORM%3DHDRSC3
this is the video he follows.

I've been making sauerkraut regularly for a few years now I never sterilised anything I don't even wash the cabbage I just take off the outer leaves and then shred it as it is, all the microbes that you need are on the cabbage the only ingredient that you need is salt it's just salt and cabbage and time
No water necessary with sauerkraut
Remember the important thing is to keep everything under the brine, nothing will go mouldy as long as it's under the brine.

we also do bean sprouts all that's even easier!!

You could even go on and ferment the bean sprouts...😁

I have been making it for years, even before the fermented food hype.

I don't sterilise the jar but certainly wash it very well with hot water and I empty the kettle in it.
I do wash the cabbage, because my best friend growing up had a farm and sometimes I would help out and see the seasonal workers, and nobody will lose 15 min of work to go to the toilet, people do their business in the field.
So, yes , wash your cabbage, even after removing the outer leaves.

To make sauerkraut, you need to make the cabbage cry. 1/2 cabbage will make a mason jar.
So after you cut it very thinly (I prefer to do it by hand), put the cabbage in the biggest salad bowl you have, add a teaspoon of salt, pull your sleeves up, and make the cabbage crack with your hands. Massage, squeeze, turn, for a good 15 to 20 min. By that time, whenever you lift the cabbage, liquid will just pour from your hands.
Put it into a mason jar, empty the liquid on top, push the cabbage under liquid and I usually use an egg holder as a weight that will keep the cabbage submerged once I push the lid against it.
Keep for two weeks on kitchen counter covered with a dark tea towel.
After two weeks, it is ready and needs to move to fridge.

No water, no liquid, not even spices, mustards seeds or herbs .

I grew up on homemade sauerkraut - remember sometimes it was a bit ‘fizzier’ than others. Wonder if this is something I need to review when fondly missing my lovely old much missed mum !!
I have a huge bag of dill seeds used for Dilly bread and you’ve given me another thought for using them !
Good luck op.