Sauerkraut

I'm not going to explain sauerkraut. I'm not posting a recipe either. This is for people who already make sauerkraut. You are doing it wrong.

Most recipes written in English have got it wrong. It seems all English speaking people making sauerkraut are trying for the first time, and are all copying off of each other, instead of studying from a reputable source.

Ok, seriously, it's pretty much impossible to get sauerkraut wrong. Essentially it's just shredded cabbage and salt, pressed down below the level of expelled liquid, and a few weeks or more of waiting... with a possible regular cleaning if you're not using a water sealed crock. Just about any method will work. So what am I on about?

Well, here is where I think many people trip up. Shred the cabbage very thinly. Get a cabbage shredder especially for this purpose (or if you know me and live nearby, you can borrow mine). If you just rip it with your hands, or chop it with a knife, you'll never get it thin enough. Some people use a food processor but I haven't seen very good long thin threads come out of a food processor.

Why thin? Here is why thinner is better:

Thin shreds break open more tissue cells, allowing more liquid to be expelled.
More natural liquid being expelled means you do not need to bruise the cabbage to get the liquid out, meaning the cabbage can stay firmer and crispier. All you need is about 4 shredded cabbages, enough salt, about 15 minutes of time to let the salt work its magic and draw out the juices, and a firm down-pressing.
Natural liquid expelled is all you need. There is no need to add any brine water.
More naturally expelled juices due to finer cuts means you can use less salt. Traditional receipes run around 1.6% salt but as low as 0.5% salt. Most receipes in the USA call for > 2% salt, which is not healthy and simply tastes too salty. In fact, more salt does not improve the safety profile... salt inhibits the beneficial bacteria more so than it inhibits the pathogenic ones. Salt is used to preserve crispness. In terms of safety, what you need to do is ensure the cabbage is below the water line, and if you can, use a water sealed crock.
Thinner cabbage completes the ferment faster, because the acids and bacteria have less tissue to penetrate, meaning you can ferment your cabbage at colder temperatures (which normally take longer) for a better flavor.

I should add a bit about temperature. Colder is better, IMHO, but after the first week (the initial Leuconostoc mesenteroides phase) sauerkraut will not ferment below 17C. You need to keep it just warm enough for it to continue to bubble out CO2. Also, you should do your best to hold the temperature steady. Most sources recommend 23C for three weeks, but the more reliable sources recommend 21C. One source other than myself recommends 18C, and most recommendations for long term storage of sauerkraut recommend 18C. Several sources state that colder is better, without giving specific temperature details. My tests show 17C to be the lower limit to maintain consistent fermentation. Taste testing shows that running at 18C produces an excellent tasting sauerkraut.

In summary, here is how to improve your kraut:

Thinner shreds of cabbage
Less bruising
Less salt (I recommend 1.5% rather than 2.0%-2.25%)
A water-sealed crock for less chance of spoilage
Colder ferment temperatures. I recommend 17-19 C rather than 23C.
Longer ferments

There are plenty of things you can add for flavor including. Traditionally juniper berries, caraway seeds, fennel seeds, white wine, and onions are all very common in German style sauerkrauts. I've tried peppers, beets, and tomatoes and in my opinion these flavors don't improve the kraut, they mess it up. But horseradish, turnip, carrots and parsnips are okay, as are the cabbage hearts (of course).