Sauerkraut

My family headed to the mountains this past weekend for apples.  The leaves were beautiful, and the weather was crisp.  I have loads of apples to can in the next few days.  At Grandad's Apple Orchard these beautiful cabbages caught my eye!  They were huge!

I had been reading about the health benefits of sauerkraut, and decided to give it a try.

First, I talked to my Mom and got her recipe!  I started by chopping those big cabbages into strips.

I stuffed the cabbage into quart jars that had been sterilized.  I pressed the cabbage down with a spoon to get a lot in the jar.  I also added caraway seeds and fennel seeds to some of the jars.  I topped off the jars with 1 teaspoon sea salt and 1 teaspoon sugar.  Boiling water was poured into the jars. I put the lids on and turned the jars upside down to release the air bubbles.  (I had read that part on several blogs, and it appeared to work.)  

I am storing the jars in a dark place for several (3) weeks to ferment.  I will check to make sure the cabbage stays covered in the brine. At the end of fermentation, I will seal the jars  in a water bath so they will last.  I sure hope this works out!  I am making plans for a nice Reuben sandwich next month.