[blam]

"Do you keep it canned (as from the store) or is there a better way to long-term storage? "

Canned, from the store. Properly stored it will last over thiry years in the can.
The only concern for long term storage in the cans is that BPA will leak out of the coating that is inside the can. In 5-20 years from now, if I'm having to eat out of those cans...BPA will be the least of my worries.

BPA Should You Worry?

[CottonBall]

Thanks for the link and info.

In a campaign called "Cans Not Cancer," the Breast Cancer Fund urges canned food manufacturers to substitute BPA with something safer -- a feat Campbell's Sanzio said is easier said than done.

And whatever it is replaced with will cause something else. There's no substitute for good ol' mason jars (if you're strong enought to carry 'em and careful not to break them.)

[editor-surveyor]

Buy your kraut in glass jars, and be sure that it is not pasteurized. If it has been heated, it has no value whatsoever.