Special Equipment:
Ceramic crock or food-grade plastic bucket, one-gallon capacity or greater
Plate that fits inside crock or bucket
One quart jar filled with water or rocks
Cloth cover (dish towel or large cloth napkin works fine)

Steps

1. Clean and scald the crock or bucket. Set aside.
2. Remove outer leaves of cabbage, wash heads and dry. Chop or grate cabbage finely, about ¼ inch in thickness. Place cabbage into a large bowl and mix with the salt. Pack cabbage firmly into the crock. (Don’t be gentle with the cabbage; pack the crock firmly.) Once crock is packed, put plate and weight on top.
3. Check crock after a few hours. The cabbage should have exuded liquid. If not, remove plate and weight, add brine (1½ tsp per quart water) to crock then put plate and weight back. Store at 70 to 75 degrees. Check every other day or so and remove any bloom that may have formed. Kraut should be fully fermented in 3-4 weeks. Once fermented, place in jars ensuring that kraut is covered by at least ½ inch of brine.