Fermenting Cabbage into Sauerkraut the Easy Way

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Disclosure: I received this productSO free through the Homeschool Review Crew

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Fermenting Cabbage into Sauerkraut the Easy Way

I have fermented carrots. I have fermented onions, cucumbers, and a lot of other veggies over the years. The problem has always come when I have tried to ferment cabbage.

I would get super excited every single time I decide to make sauerkraut. I was always certain this would be the time my fermented cabbage would turn out.

I would envision myself eating this healthy sauerkraut on a daily basis, then BAM!

Reality would hit and I would always find molded cabbage in my jars.

My hopes of eating healthy, homemade sauerkraut would be dashed yet again.

That is why I was so excited when the TOS Review Crew offered me to do a review on Fermentool’s starter kit.

I couldn't wait to give fermenting sauerkraut a try again!

**Fermenting Cabbage into Sauerkraut the Easy Way**

Fermentools’ Starter Kit

One Stainless Steel Lid

One Glass Fermentation Weight

One Air Lock

One Rubber Stopper

One Rubber Canning Gasket

Himalayan Powdered Salt

An Instruction Guide and Basic Sauerkraut recipe

The kit comes with one stainless steel lid that’s made out of 304 surgical stainless steel. This is a corrosion-resistant steel lid that will last a lifetime.

It includes a glass fermentation weight that is made to fit inside of a standard widemouthed Mason jar perfectly. It won’t react with your food like other weights on the market tend to do.

The kit also contains one airlock, one rubber stopper, and one rubber canning gasket to keep air from getting to your fermentation.

The kit also comes with Himalayan powdered sea salt. Himalayan sea salt is an ancient salt that contains over 80 trace minerals. It is ground fine enough to easily mix with cold water.

And, finally, the kit contains an easy-to-understand instruction guide and a much-coveted sauerkraut recipe.

Steps to Fermenting Cabbage into Sauerkraut

Step One:

Cut the cabbage finely. Do your best to make the pieces as uniform as possible.

Step Two:

Add in the recommended amount of the Himalayan powdered sea salt that was included in the kit.

Step Three:

Pound the cabbage down to extract its natural juices. I used a French rolling pin with flat ends.

Step Four:

Put the cabbage into a Mason jar. I used a half-gallon jar. Press down until all of the cabbage is covered with liquid. Add in the glass weight to hold the cabbage under the liquid.

If there is not enough natural liquid from the cabbage, you can add in a little salt water solution, but don't use chlorinated water, or it may kill the fermentation process.

Step Six:

Fill the airlock container halfway with water.

Step Seven:

Set the jar into a cool, dark spot during the fermenting period.

Step Eight:

Taste test your fermentation. It is ready once it tastes the way you prefer. There is really no right or wrong when it comes to this part.

Simply follow the picture directions from the pamphlet included in the kit to set up the Fermentools.

When is My Sauerkraut Ready?

Fermented foods don’t have an exact timing to be considered done and ready to eat.

I checked mine at the one-week mark.

The first thing I noticed was the airlock tool at the top still had water in it. I seriously thought it would have all evaporated at this point.

The next thing I noticed was that the jar lid wasn’t bulging, and there was no issue opening the top. It didn’t pop or exploded, and it didn’t overflow the jar during the fermenting process.

I pulled out the glass top that was holding the cabbage under the liquid.

Everything smelled very pleasant.

It looked amazing!

After taste-testing it, I decided it was done.

Cover and store your fermented foods right in the refrigerator to slow down the fermenting process.

Foote Family Homestead

I love to make my own ferments on our homestead. The Fermentools starter kit has made this process super simple and way less messy.

I didn’t have to check my ferment multiple times a day. I didn’t have to burp my jars. I didn’t have to clean up the overflow from jars that got forgotten. And best of all, I did get an edible product at the end of the fermenting process, rather than finding a molded mess that got forgotten in the back of the pantry!

I highly recommend the Fermentools starter kit!