Small-Batch Pink Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut and oranges: no scurvy in our house!

My sauerkraut is running out, and I am proud to say I started a new batch before I ran out.  That's usually not the case. Sauerkraut takes around two to four weeks to ferment depending on the temperature.  I only had two pounds of cabbage, and usually the rule of thumb for sauerkraut is five pounds of cabbage to three tablespoons of salt. Instead of doing my math, I wondered if there was a small-batch sauerkraut recipe on the internet, and of course there was, and it was by one of my favorite preservers, Marisa from Food in Jars. It was from a series on pickles on Serious Eats that Marisa was writing. If you want to make sauerkraut, but are put off by the large quantities that you usually see in recipes, check it out. Marisa is always keeping things real and new, and I appreciate that. And I just heard via Twitter that she's working on a new book, this one's about small-batch preserving, and it will come out in Spring of 2014. I can't wait!

Do you wonder how to eat all that sauerkraut once you've made it? I love sauerkraut and crave it's tangy crunch. I'll have it on a sandwich with greek yogurt and a drizzle of olive oil, and if I have it I'll add some avocado. You can't believe how good it is. Of course, it's good with some pork chops or a pork loin. Or on a grilled cheese sandwich. I really love it on top of rice and sprinkled with sesame seeds. It's a pretty special treat. And it comes in handy when you are craving sweets. I learned this tip from a book I always turn to when I'm trying to cleanse my system, The Self-Healing Cookbook.  For some reason, the salty sourness---eating the opposite of what you crave---stops you from craving sweets. Yet another reason to have amazingly healthy, real sauerkraut in your fridge.