Sauerkraut

I have NEVER liked Sauerkraut, on anything. Until, that is, I made it myself. Now I'll eat the whole jar by myself in a few days, and be wanting more. Time to start growing cabbage - seriously.

Ingredients

• 1 head of Cabbage (2 lbs or so) - I prefer Purple
• 1 Tbsp Caraway Seeds
• 2 Tbsp Salt

Directions

Remove any broken or wilted outer Cabbage leaves. Cut the head in half and remove the core. Shred the cabbage however you want - a food processor is fastest, but a good sharp knife works just as well, and so does a mandolin (just don't slice off the tip of your finger - it hurts!)

Place the cabbage in a heavy duty gallon-size ziploc bag along with the Caraway and Salt. Close the bag leaving the air inside. Give it a good shake, making sure the seasonings are well distributed. Squeeze the air out of the bag and then place it inside a second bag - just to be safe. It's okay to split it into two separate bags, just split the seasonings between the bags as well.

Here comes the fun - Place the bag on a solid surface, like your cement front porch. Take a rolling pin or a meat tenderizer and just start beating the crap out of it - hard enough to break down the cabbage, but be careful not to break through the bags. Beat it until all the cabbage is releasing juices, and then keep beating it for a few more minutes.

Pack the cabbage into quart-size mason jars (it's easier to get it in the wide mouth ones), leaving about two inches at the top. Pack it down really well, and then slowly add a bit of water until the water/juice level just rises above the cabbage level.

Cover with a lid and store at room temperature for three days or so, then place in the refrigerator.