Sauerkraut

I’m making sauerkraut right now and I’m both a) amazed at how simple it is and b) intimidated by the process. Conceptually, I know it’s simple: shredded napa cabbage, 2% by weight kosher salt, massage, and put in a jar for two weeks to ferment. But emotionally, I’m inexperienced. What if it’s too warm? Or too cold? What if it’s exposed to oxygen? Will it taste good? Will I get diarrhea?

Maybe.

But doing stuff, trying and failing and sometimes succeeding but mostly failing, shines a light into the shadows of inexperience and, where you once thought there were boogeymen, you see there is nothing.

Except when it comes to sauerkraut. The directions said to keep it in the dark.