Kefir Kraut

I love live fermented kraut! I love it the way my friend Debbie taught me with her big old kraut cutter and crock. For smaller families or if you are the only one who loves kraut you can make as little as one quart at a time in a jar...on your counter. This recipe is one that was common when I lived in Southeast Alaska so I can't give proper credit to any one person. I added the whey after reading Sally Fallon's "Nourishing Traditions" although it is different from her Kraut recipe. Her's is good too.



First cut your red or green cabbage into long julienne strips. If you happen to have a TK original chef's knife as I do, this job becomes a thrill!



Now turn your cabbage 90 degrees and chop again until you have small rectangles, much the size you would want for slaw.



Now that your cabbage is properly cut, find something to pound it with. I have a piece of a bed, but any blunt, cleanable wooden pestle will do.



Put your cabbaqe in a deepish unbreakable container and pound it until it changes color and liquid begins to appear. Pound until it makes a sucking sound when you pound it.


Place your pounded cabbage and juice into a quart jar and top with one teaspoon of non iodized salt.



Fill with kefir whey until the liquid covers the cabbage by about 1 inch.



Cap the jar loosely and let it set on the counter. Some people weigh the kraut down in different ways. I just push the kraut down under the level of the liquid once or twice per day with a spoon. I begin to taste on the third day and when it is tart enough, I put it in the fridge. It can be canned but I don't do that, as I want the live probiotics that are in the raw fermented kraut. If you have only had canned kraut this will taste fresher and brighter, but should still smell like kraut.

If a white grainy growth appears, it can be skimmed off, but I rarely have that in this process. If your kraut smells sweetish or not like kraut, you might want to try again, making sure your jar, knife and hands are very clean. I hope this recipe blesses you.