Here is a short history of the shredded wonder. A brief history of sauerkraut Sauerkraut is an age-old food and did not originate in Germany, as is commonly believed. It dates back to the building of the Great Wall of China, when the laborers ate it to combat deficiency diseases resulting from a diet consisting almost altogether of rice. Originally the Tartars introduced the acid cabbage from the Orient into eastern Europe, and from there kraut went to Germany, Alsace-Lorraine, and France. Crisp kraut is a delightful accompaniment to spareribs, sausages, wieners, ham or pork.
Salt draws out the cabbage juice, which contains sugar.
This the bacteria ferments, and lactic acid forms, produces that faint tangy flavor and distinctive texture that stimulates the appetite and makes kraut so well liked the world around. If you want to make sauerkraut from scratch then here are 2 nice web pages that tell you how. Here is a slovak sauerkraut recipe page. A nice sauerkraut page , explains the use of a stomper. Cream together the butter and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy, using an electric mixer set at medium speed.