Sauerkraut

I've noticed my titles are getting more and more boring. "Sauerkraut." I need to work on that.

But sauerkraut is pretty straightforward stuff. I shredded a whole cabbage, added salt, celery seeds and juniper berries, pounded the heck out of it until there was enough liquid to nearly cover, added a little whey drained from some local yogurt, and covered with cheesecloth. Over the cheesecloth I placed a plate and then another layer of cheescloth, with a heavy bottle on top to weigh it down. Several days later, I had sauerkraut.

Now, as kitchen alchemy goes, making your first sauerkraut isn't quite on the level of baking your first yeast bread or caramelizing sugar for the first time. But it's still mighty satisfying. This sauerkraut is mildly sour, not too salty, beautifully crunchy; over a success. I'm now emboldened to try variations: a little shredded carrot, some hot pepper. The sauerkraut sky is mine.