Oh, this little tool, a cabbage crusher, can come in handy! But, do you know how to use it and are you going to buy the right one? If you are looking to make sauerkraut, having one will not only make your life easier, but it will also improve the end result. Making sure your cabbage is tamped into your container is paramount to making good sauerkraut. You can read all about making sauerkraut in my previous article. Whether called a cabbage crusher, sauerkraut stomper, sauerkraut tamper, or a sauerkraut pounder, the device is the same. You can view a more in-depth article here: cabbage crusher goes by many names.
This is the one I use! It’s the Sauer Stick by Fermentology.
Loose cabbage before using the cabbage crusher
You will need to cut, slice, or chop your cabbage. You will also want to knead, pound, stomp and “crush” it to make the best sauerkraut.
the cabbage crusher will be used when adding the cabbage to the fermentation container
After the cabbage is worked over really well, moving your loose cabbage from a large container into a fermentation vessel is much easier when you use a cabbage crusher.
Crushing Cabbage
You want to move a few handfuls at a time. After every few scoops, use the cabbage crusher to “crush” the cabbage tightly into the jar or crock. Don’t fill it too full, you need room for a weight and added liquid. Once the jar is nearly full, you want to add a weight or spacer to hold the cabbage down and then add the remaining juice. Be sure to leave about an inch of space at the top. Note* The primary reason for doing this is to minimize the air in the container. As you crush the cabbage and tamp the kraut, you are forcing the air pockets out of the crushed cabbage. This is important for the quality of your fermenting.
There are many available options for cabbage crushers
Take your pick!
