Peel off the outer layers of the cabbage leaves. The first 2-3 leaves should be fine. And cut out the core from the cabbage.
Weigh out the cabbage you intend to use for your sauerkraut and then rinse your cabbage to be sure it's clean of any dirt and debris.
Finely slice the cabbage (or use a food processor) and then transfer the sliced cabbage into a bowl.
For every pound of cabbage that you're turning into sauerkraut add 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt to the cabbage in the large bowl. For example, 3 pounds of cabbage would be 4 1/2 teaspoons of salt.
Toss the cabbage and salt around and let it sit for approximately 10-15 minutes to allow the cabbage time to release its juices.
Give the cabbage a good massage and then transfer it to a clean (pre-washed) mason jar.
Pack the cabbage into the mason jar with a cabbage tamper or wooden spoon. Make sure to get out all of the bubbles and to press the cabbage down so that the juices come to the top.
Once all the cabbage is in the jar and pressed down top the cabbage with any juices left in the bowl and add the fermentation weight (place a rock in a sanitized Ziploc if you don't have a fermentation weight).
Secure a coffee filter with a rubber band over the top of the mason jar to keep any debris out of the fermentation.