Sauerkraut, Kefir, And Other Goings On

I decided to start making kefir and sauerkraut.  I have never made sauerkraut before.  I looked at a lot of different ways to make it.  I wanted to make it in a jar and keep it raw.  I took a head of cabbage and shredded it and then put it in a big bowl with 2 tablespoons of salt and 1 tablespoon of caraway seeds.  I stirred it around and covered it with a towel.  I let it sit for about 30 minutes and then stirred it again.  I sterilized jars for the sauerkraut and the kefir.  I packed a quart jar with the shredded cabbage. 

There was a lot of juice.  I had a little left over and put that in a pint jar, but it is only half full.  I read to put the lids on tight, put the lids on loosely.  I chose to do it loosely.  Tomorrow I will check on them and I read to open the lids and let the gas out.  It is suppose to sit in the cabinet for 3 days, but others said up to 7-10 days, so I guess I will just check it each day and see what I think.  It can be stored in the refrigerator for months.  I am not sure how long a quart will last us, so I am not sure how often I will be making it.  I want to make some for my brother too, so the next time I will be using 2 heads of cabbage.  I bought 2, but I made coleslaw with the other.

I have made kefir in the past and I used raw milk.  I bought raw milk and kefir starter.  I did not want to heat the raw milk and found a place on line that used cold milk. You just put the milk in a jar, and put the package of powder in the milk.  I used a half gallon jar and 2 envelopes of the powder.  I stirred it up and put a paper towel on the top. 

It will sit for at least 12 hours and then I will use fruit I have in the freezer to flavor it.  I have blackberries, cherries, raspberries, strawberries, and huckleberries in the freezer.

I am going to make a new recipe I found for zucchini bread.  It is called lemon zucchini bread and I will make that tomorrow. 

The bok-choy is up, but I think I planted this too early.  The cabbage is up and some of the onions.  I think the last onions I planted are too warm, so I am going to move them out of the greenhouse.  The sweet potatoes have a lot of roots developing now.

I wish I had saved my milk jugs I had last year.  I had tried the winter sowing and I had good luck with spinach.  I could have used them for the bok-choy.  I have one milk jug, so I think I will plant something in one tomorrow.