This reminds me of my younger days. My father would always make homemade Kraut and I would help. No recipe, just a large crock jar, large plate and a clean rock. I can remember slicing it on a old Kraut cutter and he would add salt then I would tamp it in with a wooden tamper. Usually a old cut off broom handle that had been cleaned up. When we had it done he would put a plate upside down and put the rock on it to hold down the cabbage. The rock would always be cleaned, usually a good scrubbing with a brush, with soap and water then rinsed very well. The cabbage was usually grown in his garden or sometimes he would purchase large heads from the local Hutterite Colony. He would always try to keep it in a different room because the smell after awhile gets tiresome but it was always the best Kraut!! Never had a mess up. Once you eat homemade Kraut it is hard to go back to the store bought kind. Also today Jan 12 would have been his 95th birthday!
