I grew up in Pennsylvania, and lived in Philadelphia as a child. In a neighborhood full of Germans, Poles, Czechs, Ukranians...a lot of cabbage goin' on. Everybody made their own 'kraut, and I watched and learned. Fifty years later, I still make it the same way, in a five gallon stoneware crock. Put in a 2" layer of shredded cabbage, sprinkle with coarse salt and caraway seed, and repeat until the crock is nearly full. Then I lay a piece of cotton twill (I actually use mattress ticking) and insert a wooden lid that fits inside the crock, so that the cloth protrudes around the edge, and put a rock on the lid. Then cover with another piece of cloth. Every couple of days I take the rock, lid and cloth out, wipe the lid and exposed portion of the crock interior with a damp cloth, rinse and wring the ticking and replace it all. In two weeks...sauerkraut! It was always a winter food back east, and was kept on a back porch or fire escape to stay anywhere from cool to cold. I don't remember anyone canning it, as it kept well as long as it was kept cool. Serving it uncooked also preserves its' abundance of beneficial enzymes. Of course, each to his own.
Would you like beans with that?
