Start out with, well, cabbage. I used two for this project because I made three different things at the same time from them.
Shred quartered pieces of the head of cabbage thinly with a mandolin or knife. As I slice quarter sections of the cabbage, I generously sprinkle NO IODINE salt on the shavings. Why no iodine? Iodine is fine however it makes the juices to be cloudy. Most of us equate cloudy with spoilage. Just not a happy thing to do for us non-professors. Last time I checked, it was 50 cents for a container of no iodine salt. No need to buy "canning salt".
Now comes the hard work.
Above is a shot of my "pounder" freshly rinsed off.
I love my meat tenderizer tool. The head is solid plastic. You won't find wood utensils in my kitchen, if they don't get sterilized in the dishwasher, I don't want any part of them.
Using the bottom of the tool I pound the shredded cabbage downward. The jagged side works well only for so long. The bowl I use is very old and was originally used in commercial food storage. (Finding great stuff in thrift stores makes me happy!) It's a flexible plastic that takes a beating.
Pound. Pound. Pound. Pound. Seriously. If your arm does not hurt you have not done it long enough. When there is definitely liquid in the bottom of your bowl, REST. You rest, not the cabbage.
Pack into jars (Ram into the jar with your CLEAN hands without breaking the glass is more direct to the point.) If you pounded properly with the "tool", no additional liquid should be required. Liquid from pounding should cover cabbage.
Here's what I am doing different from years past: utilizing wine making locks instead of babysitting and cleaning the foam off the top.
I bought them at Amazon here: http://amzn.to/1QhhXHl
But great ideas also here: http://amzn.to/1oEsPCE
and here: http://amzn.to/1oEtaFC
I'll let you know how they do in a few more weeks. So far, one week in, all is FANTASTIC.
Want to do it the "old fashioned way"?
I have done it the old fashioned way until this year. Carla Emery has been my guiding light for so many years in so many things. She mimeographed her hand-typed and hand-drawn pages then sent out updates to anyone who bought her "book". I have the multicolored mimeographed "book" (three hole punched papers) she made and cherish all the knowledge she shared with me in her writings. You can buy it the most recent book based on her teachings here: http://amzn.to/1PAavU5. My version is so old no one is selling it. Perhaps I own a "Picasso"?
