Sauerkraut time

Well, I guess officially I can’t call this “sauerkraut” because it’s not made with green or white cabbage and I’m working with a half of a red cabbage. So we’ll just call it Red Cabbage Kraut.

I bought this little fermentation topper at the Homesteading Conference last month. This clever little fermentation lid converts a mason jar into a hands-off fermenting jar. As the vegetables ferment, the built-in airlock lets carbon dioxide escape while keeping outside air out, helping create the perfect environment for making sauerkraut and other fermented vegetables. So it’s high time I gave it a whirl!

I think this cap adapter is actually made for small batch beer and cider making.

Save half of the half of cabbage for dinner; slicing the rest up for kraut.

I didn’t have any rubber gloves around, so I just used the plastic produce bag to squeeze the salted cabbage.

Then you pound it some more in the jar, making sure enough brine has been produced to cover the cabbage.

I couldn’t find my small fermentation disks - I actually found them about 30 minutes AFTER coming up with this workaround - small glass tops to my Weck carafes - sitting on top of a cabbage leaf cover.

Seems to have worked!

Okay, now we see if that little contraption actually gets the job done. Unfortunately we will be heading on a roadtrip in only 5 days, so I guess I’ll put it in the fridge and hope it had enough fermentation time. If not, back on the counter it can go for awhile.

And now it’s time for some back deck hammock chair!