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Sauerkraut, Lehman’s Style

Lehman's
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Make homemade sauerkraut? Yes, you can! It’s not only delicious, it also contains many more beneficial bacteria, enzymes and nutrients than most store-bought kraut. It’s really, really “good for your gut.” In this article, one of Lehman’s own shows you just how easy it is:

Doug Hamelink’s homemade sauerkraut is a popular dish here at Lehman’s! His wife, Kathleen, is a long-time customer service rep for Lehman’s. Doug has come in to help out during seasonal rushes. They’re definitely part of the Lehman’s family. Our warehouse staff took Doug’s recipe and made kraut last year, using products right off the shelf, including fermenting crocks and stompers.

Doug has been making sauerkraut the old-fashioned way for over 30 years. “When my wife and I moved to the farm back in the ’80s, an older fellow that was a neighbor out there taught me how to make kraut.”

Doug’s kraut is highly sought after here at Lehman’s. He took some time to describe his methods for foolproof fermented goodness.

Sauerkraut, Lehman’s Style

Author: Lehman's

Ingredients

5 pounds cabbage (about 1 large head, or several smaller heads)
3 tablespoons salt per 5 pounds of cabbage

Directions

Wash the cabbage thoroughly.
Remove any limp outer leaves.
Cut the cabbage into quarters.
Cut out and discard the core.
Shred the cabbage.
Weigh the shredded cabbage until you have 5 pounds.
Place the shredded cabbage into a fermenting crock.
Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of salt evenly over the cabbage.
Stomp or pound the cabbage to release its juices.
Continue shredding, salting, and stomping additional cabbage in layers until the crock is nearly full.
Press the cabbage down firmly until the released juice completely covers the cabbage.
Place a plate on top of the cabbage.
Weight the plate down with a clean water-filled jar or crock weights.
Cover the crock with a clean towel.
Allow the cabbage to ferment for 5–6 weeks.
Check the crock weekly.
Skim off any scum or mold that forms on the surface.
After fermentation is complete, remove any remaining surface scum.
Transfer the sauerkraut to freezer containers.
Freeze for storage, or enjoy fresh directly from the crock.