There is a glut of literature available about the benefits of fermented food, the real truth is that ferments are something that every chef should know but does not thanks to commercially packaged crap at the grocery store. Sauerkraut from the grocery store is NOT tasty. It is a bit salty and sour, which makes it good for a hotdog, maybe. But the kraut from the gas station and the kraut from the store are missing the valuable probiotics that you get from making it yourself.
The first time I tried to ferment sauerkraut I used a repurposed old crock pot from a slow cooker. I had the crock loaded with yummy cabbage and plastic bagss of water to weigh down the cabbage. Salted, I put the lid of the crockpot back on and put it in a corner of the kitchen to ferment. Big Mistake. Not realizing the jar needed to be mostly airtight to keep out the tiny black flies that occasionally come in the back door, I lifted off the bags a week later to find tiny fly larvae all over the edges of the cabbage. I was so disgusted I threw the entire crock into the trash!
Attempt number two: I decided to try a much smaller vessel this time, a jelly jar. I pureed the cabbage in the blender with some water and added about three teaspoons of sea salt, which is far more than is recommended but hey, this is the south, I want to inhibit most of those microorganisms, right? I put a coffee filter under the lid and put the lid loosely on the jar (thinking the flies should have trouble with that setup) and put it on my counter. Three weeks later, skimmed off the pinkish kraut from the top and it smells delicious. Success.
University of Alaska Saurkraut Guide
