Psst, hey you. Yeah, you. C’mere kid, I got a nugget o’ wisdom to share contigo. Have you ever wanted to make homemade sauerkraut (or “sourkrout”, as you might spell it) from cabbage, but you sadly thought, “Ain’t no way I can make that, it’s probably tricky as heck”?

Welp chin up, ’cause it’s really easy to make it, AND you get to experience the magic of lacto fermentation. Basically that just means the carbohydrates in the cabbage get turned into lactic acid, which breaks down food and makes it easier to digest. Eventually you end up with tasty, crisp, homemade sauerkraut that’s bursting with digestive enzymes and beneficial bacteria. Good for your digestive system and your taste buds.

Anyhoo, enough chit chat. Let’s get down to this super simple recipe to make homemade sauerkraut.

What You Need to make Homemade Sauerkraut

1. Crockpot or big pot
2. Cabbage (2 heads – get ’em locally to cut down on transportation pollution!)
3. Salt (about 3 and a half tablespoons)
4. Plate that tightly fits inside the crockpot
5. Weight, to place on said plate
6. Time (about two weeks)

How to make Homemade Sauerkraut

1. Shred the cabbages.
2. Mush the shredded cabbage down into the crockpot.
3. Sprinkle the salt on it. Mix it into the cabbage.
4. Add a cup o’ water into it.
5. Put plate inside crockpot and on top of cabbage
6. Put weight on plate so it presses cabbage down below water level.
7. Put the crockpot (with plate and weight) in a cool area where you can leave it for about two weeks.

After that, just check it every two or three days. The cabbage should stay pressed beneath the water level.

If you see any white scum at the top of the water, skim it out. I don’t recommend eating the scum.

After a couple days, you should see some bubbling from the lactic fermentation, and it should start to smell more and more like real sauerkraut.

You can stop it earlier or later, but I wait two weeks before I store the fresh sauerkraut in the fridge in mason jars. You might want to add a little water and salt if you want to keep it covered.

How to Enjoy your Fresh, Homemade Sauerkraut

I recommend that humans enjoy this with their mouth. You can’t go wrong with a classic hot diggity with sauerkraut:

For a healthier option, I tried some homemade bread with Lusty Monk mustard, roast beef, Swiss cheese, and a local tomato from DoorStep Produce. Here, take a gander at this bad boy:

So it turns out homemade sauerkraut is easy as HECK to make, and I plan on doing so again as soon as I get some more local, organic cabbage. Any other ideas on good recipes for homemade sauerkraut?