Pink Sauerkraut

We both love fresh sauerkraut, but it's surprisingly expensive at the store. I was shocked by how simple it is to make yourself!  I had also been very dubious about attempting it since I assumed it would stink up the house, but it didn't smell at all!

Ingredients:

• 2 small cabbages (I used 1 green, and 1 purple to get that pink color)
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons sea salt
• Optional: 1 Tbs of caraway seed or dill for flavor 

Chop the cabbage into 1/4" strips. (Put an extra outside leaf aside to put on top when finished.) Pile the cabbage and salt into a large bowl.

Now you will need to macerate the living daylights out of it. I initially tried using a wooden spoon to do this, but found that only chopped the cabbage. I ended up using a sturdy mug to 'punch' it. Don't punch it so hard that the mug breaks though! Once juices begin to form you can pack the mixture into container of choice (I used a 64oz Mason jar). Let this sit about 15 minutes and you will see more juice beginning to fill the jar. I needed to top mine off with a bit more brine (water & salt mixture) just to completely cover the cabbage. Put the extra leaf on top to keep everything submerged, then cover with a coffee filter or loosely tightened lid to allow gasses to escape.

That's it! Now wait at least a week or so until the sauerkraut is tangy enough for your taste. Once it tastes good to you, move it to the fridge where it will keep for several months. I ended up stopping mine at 10 days.