1 head of cabbage1 tablespoon sea salt 1 teaspoon caraway seeds (optional)
Remove core from cabbage. Cut in half and finely shred. Place cut cabbage in large bowl and sprinkle salt on top. Using your hands, knead the salt into the cabbage, squeezing firmly to help release liquid from the cabbage. You can also use a potato masher to pound the cabbage until it begins to break down. When the volume of cabbage appears to have reduced by half, add the caraways seeds and work them in.
Pack the salted cabbage into the quart jar in layers, firmly pressing it down each time before adding more (the entire head cabbage should fit into a quart jar). Press cabbage down firmly in the jar, so that liquid bubbles up over the surface of the jar.
Loosely cap the jar and place it in a cool, dark spot. Check every other day, removing any bloom and pressing cabbage down if it has floated above the liquid (be warned, it will be a bit stinky. That’s normal). After two weeks, taste the sauerkraut. If you like the flavor, place the jar in the refrigerator. If you want something a bit stronger, let it continue to ferment until it pleases you.
Notes: The more thinly you shred your cabbage, the better. Sharpen your knives before getting started or use a good, serrated bread knife. The warmer the environment, the faster the sauerkraut will progress. Find a corner of your home that stays between 60° and 70°. This means that you might need to stash your sauerkraut in a closet or near a window.
Check the sauerkraut every other day. Skim off any bloom and press the cabbage back down (with clean hands, please) if it has started to float above the surface of the liquid. Once the sauerkraut reaches a level of pucker that you like, simply pop the jar in the fridge. This is the point at which you could start another jar, should you want to keep the kraut flowing.