Stone Jar Sauerkraut

Shred and salt 5 lbs. of cabbage at a time. (Remove and discard outer leaves of firm, matured heads of cabbage. Wash, drain, cut in halves or quarters. Discard core. Shred with shredder or sharp knife.)

1. To 5 lbs. cabbage shredded, add 3 1/2 T salt. Mix thoroughly by hand. 2. Pack firmly and evenly with a potato masher into a stone jar or crock that has been washed in soapy water, rinsed and scalded. 3. Repeat shredding and salting cabbage until jar is filled to within 5 in. of top. Press firmly (do not pound) with masher to extract juice to cover cabbage by the time the jar is filled. Keep cabbage covered with juice. 4. Cover with 2 or 3 layers of white, clean cloth, tucking edges down against inside of jar. On top place a scalded heavy plate that just fits inside jar. Weight it down with a fruit jar filled with water (or with a stone, not limestone, or paraffined brick) so that juice comes over the plate. 5. Fermentation will begin the day following the packing. It works faster at high temperatures, and the kraut is more likely to spoil at a high temperature. The best quality product is made at room temperature 70 degrees F. 6. Give the kraut daily care. Remove the film as it forms, and wash and scald the cover cloth as often as necessary to remove mold and film. 7. When bubbling stops (in 2 or 3 weeks, or 4 weeks in cold weather), tap crock gently. If no bubbles rise, fermentation has ended. 8. Pack into clean quart jars to within 1 in. of top. Cover with sauerkraut juice. If you need more juice, add a weak brine (1 1/2 T salt to 1 qt. water). Set jars in pan of cold water. Bring water slowly to a boil (water should extend to shoulder of jars). Remove jars. Wipe off jar rims, adjust lids. Process in boiling water bath (212 degrees F). Process quart jars for 30 min. Remove jars from canner and complete seals unless closures are self-sealing type. (40-50 lbs. cabbage makes 15-18 quarts of sauerkraut.)