How to Flavor Sauerkraut in a Jar

Sauerkraut makes an ideal topping for hotdogs.

Sauerkraut is a pickled dish that is served as a side; or as a topping to hot dogs and hamburgers. The food is highly nutritious as it is composed mainly of cabbage. The micro-organisms in the food improve your immune system, according to Pickled Planet, a website dedicated to sauerkraut. You can add various flavorings to the dish to customize it to your taste, though there are some flavors that work especially well. Does this Spark an idea?

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10 cups cabbage, shredded
10 juniper berries
1 tsp. yellow mustard seeds
2 tsp. hot sauce
2 tsp. pickling salt
2 tsp. white pepper
1 or 2 canning jars and lids

Instructions

- 1
  
  Mix the cabbage, mustard seeds, berries, hot sauce, pepper and salt together in a bowl. Let the mixture rest for at least 15 minutes -- or up to two hours -- to allow the cabbage to absorb the flavors.
- 2
  
  Boil the jar and lid for 10 minutes to sterilize them; then pat them dry.
- 3
  
  Pack the sauerkraut into the jar, pushing it down with a spoon. Mix 1 tsp. of salt for every cup of water. Fill the jar to the rim with the water. Cap the jar with the lid. Store the jar at room temperature, no less than 65 degrees Fahrenheit and no more than 70 degrees Fahrenheit, for up to six weeks.
- 4
  
  Open the lid -- after the bubbling has stopped -- then add salty water again, up to the rim. Skim off white areas from the top. Store the sauerkraut in the refrigerator.