Wow, that sounds pretty easy. I know my grandmother used to make her own kraut, but I don’t remember ever watching her actually make it. I don’t know why I never tried to do it myself before. I have a lot of German ancestry, so sauerkraut is something I have eaten and loved all my life and it should have been something I learned how to do growing up. I guess my mom never made it because my grandmother always gave us some of hers, so I never learned how to make it myself. I do remember her homemade kraut tasted far better than the stuff you buy in the grocery store, but I guess I always assumed it was something that was really complicated to make.
I love the quote you included in your post. I can just imagine that being said in some old cookbook! I remember as a child my German great grandfather got his hair cuts when the moon was at a certain phase, but I don’t remember exactly why or exactly what the phase of the moon was when he got his hair cut.
We are getting ready to start moving to a new residence in the middle of November just before Thanksgiving, so I will probably wait until after the move to make it. I know I have an old crock somewhere in one of the storage rooms here, so I will make sure to remember where it gets packed so I can get a batch started after the move. We can buy cabbage pretty much year round here, so I should be able to make it any time I want some as long as the moon is growing old! LOL!
A friend of ours uses garbage bags and water to seal his kraut. He puts one bag inside of the other. The first bag is put in the crock and pressed against the kraut and draped over the sides to seal out the air. He puts water in the second bag, ties it with a twist-tie, and places it in the crock over the first bag. He makes sure the water fills any air gaps. The weight of the water helps, too. I guess the purpose of using two bags is in case the water leaks.
My husband bought me a fermentation jar that I just love. It has a ridge around the top that the lid fits in. After you put the lid on, just fill the ridge with water to seal out the air. You can see gas bubbles escape as it ferments.
Good luck with your kraut!