Spicy Sauerkraut

If you are familiar with making sauerkraut then this will be another fun recipe to try.  If you are unfamiliar in the art of making sauerkraut then click HERE for a little more information about it.

I was at a friends house and they had just finished a Kim chi recipe.  The taste reminded me of a nice spicy sauerkraut. Since I still haven't attempted Kim chi, feeling a bit overwhelmed with all the ingredients, I decided to create a spicy sauerkraut.

Ingredients

1 medium head of cabbage

1 tablespoon salt

3 small hot peppers

1 small head of garlic

Before you chop everything up and add it to the bowl, read this!

 Chop up the cabbage first and add the salt.  Massage the cabbage like you are making regular sauerkraut.  Massage the cabbage until you get a nice wet mixture.

Now chop up the peppers and garlic and add them to your massaged cabbage.  you don't want to get your hands into the mixture now, the peppers are hot!  I used a mixing spoon to incorporate everything at this point.

Next you add the spicy sauerkraut mixture to your jars. I use the outer leaves of the cabbage and a cut piece of the thick middle stem to hold the cabbage mixture down.  I have an airlock system.  You can just use the metal ring and lid.  If you use the metal lid make sure you burp it every day as it off-gasses, and place the jars in a bowl because the liquid coming out will stain.  

I let this sit for a few days. As the bubbles rise all the liquid seems to come to the top.  Since it is summer and the temperatures are pretty hot around here I test for doneness after five - seven days.

  It is done when it tastes pickley and sour! Take the air-lock and lid off and cover the jar with a canning lid.  It helps to write the date on the lid so you can keep track of your saurkraut age. Put your sauerkraut in the frig.  It keeps for a long time.  I just broke into a sauerkraut I made a year ago.  SUPER TANGY!

This Spicy Sauerkraut turned out super good!  My husband even likes it, and he doesn't like sauerkraut!  I love to eat this with my green salad, hot dogs, and over chili beans! It isn't too spicy with the hot peppers. The peppers give it a mild salsa flavor.  This might be a way to introduce newbies to the sauerkraut world!