I would just convert it. 5-6 tsp aprox. Or tar cancel in a 4 cup pyrex. My scale has trouble with small amounts.

How many days before you leave? We usually get fermentation action by day 3-4. Maybe go 5-6. Our kitchen is 65ºF this time of year. We fridge it as the fermentation will continue though it slows down.

My kraut batch last night made 3 quarts.

Same with kimchi. We made 3 quarts last weekend. One is gone/consumed. We used a lot this past week. We like both fresh ferments and 'half-sour'. Probably go through a quart of each tomorrow with a small gathering. And a last quart from a batch started around the new year. We'll have choices. Fresh, half-sour, and sour.

Why I like small batches. Always one ready anytime. The chop prep is quick.

(Brad is so much fun, lol)

I use mustard seed as well.

I do slice my cabbage a bit fine. Probably speeds up the fermentation breaking down the cell walls.

Maangchi does the same with her 'emergency' kimchi. Enjoys right away and lets it ferment.

Here's how it looks this morning, after about 15 hours in the jars:

I did see bubbles in the cabbage and at the top. There are glass weights at the top - that is not all brine that you see, and I think they work very well. I also put a whole cabbage leaf under each weight, to help keep stray bits of cabbage from getting out from under the weights.

Yes, I always put them in a container in case they bubble over. I use a square plastic box that has plenty of room and 2" sides.

I only have four glass weights, but that will probably be enough. I don't want to make more than I can eat in a reasonable amount of time. I also do like that I can see through the glass, and nothing is sticking out of the brine.

I did not think that I was chopping mine very finely - I only made long strips, but I think they got smaller when I was massaging them in the bowl.

Yeah, I was referring to Brad and others that ferment giant slices, whole quarter cabbages. Our HMart has about 20 varieties...from fresh to funky. Most made in-house and many others. Fine diced and one with big cubes of daikon...dh tried one that was big 12 inch garlic chives. (no love for that).

Alex....(love this guy)

I repurposed a restaurant sized pickle jar for making sauerkraut. Wash cabbage, cut into quarters, remove core and weigh it. I go with around 2% salt...erring on the side of less than more. Cut the cabbage into fine shreds and massage with salt to release the liquid. I usually add a pinch or so of caraway seeds. I use the tamper to my Vitamix as well. Pack it firmly and you should have enough liquid to cover the cabbage unless it's not a very fresh one. I use a brand new ziploc bag filled with water or brine to keep everything submerged. Cover with folded cheesecloth (a few layers) and secure with elastic band. Leave it for at least a week and check to see if it's developed enough flavour...lots of people leave it for considerably longer. It also depends on the temperature of your house.

I did get a very good and fresh green cabbage, and I was a bit surprised to find one as large as I did. I forgot to check where it was grown, but I bought it at Bristol Farms, a local southern California chain.

I would have used the Ziploc bag filled with water if I did not have the glass weights, but I'm glad now that I do have the weights - they're just easier to use and can be reused. However, they would not work with a much larger jar. Since you cover yours with cheesecloth instead of a sealed lid, I wonder if I could do the same. I keep cheesecloth on hand although I seldom use it.

I've never had any issues with using cheesecloth but some people complain about the smell that can result from fermenting cruciferous vegetables (a lid might be better at containing that). The cheesecloth I use is at least four layers and washed so the knit is tighter than when it's new...this might be a consideration if there are gnats or fruit flies nearby.

Yes, we do have a year-round problem with fruit flies to some extent because we never have frost. In fact, we still have apples on our apple tree. Also, I think I would want to avoid the smell 🌪️.

Lars, from your photos it looks like you are missing the air-lock attachment. The airlock also keeps out fruit flies, etc. because there is a water filled cylinder as part of it.

https://www.amazon.com/Fermentation-Kit-Wide-Mouth-Jars/dp/B075LRMRDQ/ref=asc_df_B075LRMRDQ/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=198078807540&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=17486018227348755053&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031142&hvtargid=aud-802037562948:pla-376270326219&psc=1

No, the lids I am using are vacuum sealed. I have different lids with the air-lock attachment, but I decided to use the new vacuum sealed lids instead, using an air pump.

MAy i ask why the vacuum sealing?

Vacuum sealing is not necessary for this, but I did it anyway. I thought it might help to get rid of the oxygen above the weights, but the lids have one-way air valves that allow air/gas to escape but not come in.

I'm getting a lot of bubbles from the fermentation now, and so it seems that the lids are working properly. I'm going to let them ferment for the 17 days, although I think I could probably stop it a bit sooner. I just don't want to take the jars with me when we go to Palm Springs.

Why "stop" your fermentation at 17 days, and how are you going to do that?

I would stop the fermentation so that it would stay crunchy. To stop it (or at least slow it down), I would put it in the fridge. I've not made this before, and so this is an experiment for me. As I said before, I've made kimchi many times, but never sauerkraut. I put kimchi in the fridge generally after about one week, but it does get softer and less crunchy over time in the fridge.

I did not bring the jars with me for our vacation, and so I will not be able to check them again until Monday. I think they should be done by then, but I can open one jar to find out. If it is not fermented enough, then I will leave the other jar alone, but I will put the jar I open in the fridge, as I think it will be fermented enough.

I tasted the sauerkraut today, as we just got back from vacation, and it tasted a bit salty - mainly because I was unable to measure the salt accurately. In the future, I will make sure to add exactly the right amount of salt, and now that I have a jeweler's scale, I should be able to.

The flavor was otherwise very good, especially with the caraway, and it had a fair amount of sour flavor to it, but I think it could have gone a bit longer. It has a very nice crunch to it. Anyway, I added a bit of distilled water to the jar I opened to dilute the salt flavor a bit and stored it in the fridge. I'm letting the other jar go for a few more days. It will probably take me a while to eat this much sauerkraut, and I do not want to keep it in the fridge all that long. I do like it a lot and am looking forward to making more fermented vegetables. It should not have taken me this long to start making this!

Lars, my sauerkraut is pretty salty, I usually rinse it right before I eat it and that cuts out a lot of the salt.

I was pretty sure you'd like it, you like those intense flavors, like chocolate habaneros and such. (grin) Oh, and my habs are up, thanks for the seeds!

Annie

Glad to hear the seeds came up - I have not planted mine yet, but I will do that this week-end. Good luck getting chilies from the seedlings. I would recommend keeping at least one plant in a pot that you can bring into your porch area (where your refrigerator is) when it starts to get cold. Otherwise, it is best to give that pot as much sun as possible, but once it gets fully established, it can handle a bit less sun.

I did rinse a bit of my sauerkraut off, and then I decided that I liked it better salty. So I added a tiny bit of distilled water to the jar, and that rectified the situation. I've already eaten half of the first jar, and so I think I need to start another batch.