There are few ferments as easy or as likely to be successful as sauerkraut. You may be surprised at how quick (and cheap) it is to make enough sauerkraut to last a very long time. To make a larger or smaller quantity, weigh your cabbage on a scale set to grams and calculate 1.5 percent of its weight. The result is the amount (in weight) of salt you should add. So, for example, if you have 10 pounds or 4,535g of cabbage, multiply 4,535 by 0.015—a smart phone helps with this for the unmotivated or math-impaired—and the rounded result is 70g, which is the weight of salt needed for that amount of cabbage.

Before you begin, wash your cutting board, any utensils you plan to use, and the bowl in which you will be mixing the sauerkraut.

Quarter:

Cut out the cores and thinly shred the cabbage. Dice or julienne the cores and add them to the shredded cabbage as well. Place the cabbage in a large bowl with:

Massage the cabbage with your hands to release its water. Continue until there is enough water in the bowl to cover the cabbage once it is packed into a crock or jar. This may take as little as 15 or as long as 30 minutes.

Pack the kraut into a small ceramic crock or a half-gallon mason jar. Press down firmly to submerge the cabbage beneath the brine. If the cabbage has not released enough liquid to stay submerged, make a brine of:

Pour this brine over the cabbage to cover it. Weight the cabbage to keep it submerged beneath the brine. You can use a freezer-safe zip-top bag (freezer-safe bags are more durable) filled partially with brine of the same strength as you used for the cabbage, above. The bag will conform to the shape of the container you use and is easy to manipulate. Or use specially made fermentation weights or a whole cabbage leaf. Cover the crock or vessel to keep out flies, but make sure it can breathe. You may use a square of kitchen towel secured with a rubber band or string, or use specially made fermentation airlocks. If using a crock with a water moat and lid, simply place the lid on top and fill the moat with water.

Check the kraut every couple days. Within a few days, it should start to bubble—this is an indicator that fermentation has begun. Stir or compress the kraut regularly (the carbon dioxide generated during fermentation often pushes the kraut above the brine if it is not heavily weighted). If scum forms on top, simply scrape it off and discard, then press the kraut beneath the brine again. When the bubbling slows, start to taste the kraut (you can taste it before this point, of course, but this is when the kraut becomes noticeably more sour). When you really like how it tastes, it’s done. To store, see here.