The Week Long Reuben

He says:
   My quest for fermented foods continued last week with a batch of sauerkraut. I've been reading for months, probably even years, about how easy sauerkraut is to make at home, but I never took the plunge and started a batch because I felt I didn't have the right equipment or a good enough plan for it. So last week I threw caution to the wind and started some sauerkraut. It began with me roughly chopping up a head of cabbage (next time will probably be a much finer chop) and salting it. 

The Science Section: 
   The salt draws out the water from the cabbage which helps make up the brine, and it inhibits the growth of the nasty bacteria while allowing the growth of friendly bacteria. I let the cabbage sit for a bit, and then I transferred it to a glass jar and compacted it as much as I could with my fists. The compaction acts as way to draw even more moisture from the cabbage and as a way to keep the food below the liquid level where mold and other nasty bacteria cannot reach it. One piece of equipment I was missing was a proper weight to keep the cabbage submerged throughout the fermentation.  Some people use stones or plates but my glass jar has a small mouth so nothing really fit except for a Ziploc bag filled with water. 

Started on St. Patrick's Day with just cabbage and salt compacted in a jar

   About five days into the fermentation I began sampling the kraut since I didn't want it to get too sour. The perfect balance came around day seven. Abby and I were having some pretty powerful cravings for some Reubens what with all the talk of delicious sauerkraut, so we decided we would christen our first batch with some corned beef and thousand island dressing. The sandwiches were delicious as was the kraut by itself (although the latter is something that only I think is accurate). I've been enjoying the kraut as a side dish for lunches, and I'm already looking forward to making my next batch.

The delicious end product (plus a few other ingredients)