Sauerkraut

[RonA3597]

A 2nd for Boar's Head. My wife is Russian, says Boar's Head is not as crunchy as kavashanaya kapusta from home, but she likes it better than any other kraut she's had here.

 

[Brewdude]

I'll check out Boar's Head. Thanks DAB.

I'm also familiar with Bubbies Bread and Butter Chips. Good stuff!


Cheers,

RR

You bet.

All this talk of Sauerkraut inspired me to make another batch. I was almost out anyway. Here's a pick of me making it and the crock I use. The crock has a water reservoir on top so you can create an air lock, which obviously you are quite familiar with.

This time I used a little carrot. Sometimes onion and garlic are nice. But the cabbage alone turns out great on its own. The most important ingredients are very fresh cabbage and high quality non-iodine salt.

So you just slice/chop it by hand then eh? Guess I figured one needed a fancy food processor or some such. There again my old co-worker probably chopped all his up by hand. And no doubt that was how it was made way back when.

Really need to look seriously into making this at home. I can see lots of possible additions in the way of onions, garlic, habaneros, etc. Just need to find a local source for an enamel crockpot. Maybe I'll look on craigslist or something.




Cheers,

RR

 

[stan41]

If you want really good sauerkraut, you will have to make your own.

This recipe came from an old Aunt of mine. I have used it many times:
Sauer Kraut
Makes 15 pints.

15 pounds shredded cabbage. Chop however fine you like.

3/4 cup pickling salt (or 1/4 cup salt per 5 lbs. cabbage) (16 Tablespoons are in a cup)

Mix cabbage and salt. 5 lbs. cabbage & 1/4 cup salt at a time

Mash & bruise cabbage until some juice appears.

Pack salted cabbage in 3 or 4 gallon crock or plastic bucket.

Weight down with a plate & something to hold plate down.

Cover with cloth & large rubber band.

Let it set 14 to 18 days in room 60-70 degrees. Check often to be sure cabbage is in juice.
Stir up from the bottom a few times.
Stan

 

[DrumsAndBeer]

So you just slice/chop it by hand then eh? Guess I figured one needed a fancy food processor or some such. There again my old co-worker probably chopped all his up by hand. And no doubt that was how it was made way back when.

Really need to look seriously into making this at home. I can see lots of possible additions in the way of onions, garlic, habaneros, etc. Just need to find a local source for an enamel crockpot. Maybe I'll look on craigslist or something.




Cheers,

RR

Yep. Good ol' hand slicing. 5 pounds is a pretty quick chore. Any pickling crock will do. The Harsch crocks are nice because they eliminate the babysitting and the scum-skimming. :evil:

 

[DrumsAndBeer]

If you want really good sauerkraut, you will have to make your own.

This recipe came from an old Aunt of mine. I have used it many times:
Sauer Kraut
Makes 15 pints.

15 pounds shredded cabbage. Chop however fine you like.

3/4 cup pickling salt (or 1/4 cup salt per 5 lbs. cabbage) (16 Tablespoons are in a cup)

Mix cabbage and salt. 5 lbs. cabbage & 1/4 cup salt at a time

Mash & bruise cabbage until some juice appears.

Pack salted cabbage in 3 or 4 gallon crock or plastic bucket.

Weight down with a plate & something to hold plate down.

Cover with cloth & large rubber band.

Let it set 14 to 18 days in room 60-70 degrees. Check often to be sure cabbage is in juice.
Stir up from the bottom a few times.
Stan

Stan,

I'll give this recipe a shot next time. It's interesting what changing the ratio of salt to cabbage does. 1/4 a cup a salt is pretty high compared to most recipes you run into. Typically you see 3-4 tbsp per 5 pounds of cabbage. I have never gone past that, but who knows perhaps 1/4 cup gets you into that mega-great flavor realm.

 

[user 2031]

If you want really good sauerkraut, you will have to make your own.

This recipe came from an old Aunt of mine. I have used it many times:
Sauer Kraut
Makes 15 pints.

15 pounds shredded cabbage. Chop however fine you like.

3/4 cup pickling salt (or 1/4 cup salt per 5 lbs. cabbage) (16 Tablespoons are in a cup)

Mix cabbage and salt. 5 lbs. cabbage & 1/4 cup salt at a time

Mash & bruise cabbage until some juice appears.

Pack salted cabbage in 3 or 4 gallon crock or plastic bucket.

Weight down with a plate & something to hold plate down.

Cover with cloth & large rubber band.

Let it set 14 to 18 days in room 60-70 degrees. Check often to be sure cabbage is in juice.
Stir up from the bottom a few times.
Stan

Stan,

I'll give this recipe a shot next time. It's interesting what changing the ratio of salt to cabbage does. 1/4 a cup a salt is pretty high compared to most recipes you run into. Typically you see 3-4 tbsp per 5 pounds of cabbage. I have never gone past that, but who knows perhaps 1/4 cup gets you into that mega-great flavor realm.

4 Tbsp = 1/4 cup. :lol:

 

[stan41]

If you want really good sauerkraut, you will have to make your own.

This recipe came from an old Aunt of mine. I have used it many times:
Sauer Kraut
Makes 15 pints.

15 pounds shredded cabbage. Chop however fine you like.

3/4 cup pickling salt (or 1/4 cup salt per 5 lbs. cabbage) (16 Tablespoons are in a cup)

Mix cabbage and salt. 5 lbs. cabbage & 1/4 cup salt at a time

Mash & bruise cabbage until some juice appears.

Pack salted cabbage in 3 or 4 gallon crock or plastic bucket.

Weight down with a plate & something to hold plate down.

Cover with cloth & large rubber band.

Let it set 14 to 18 days in room 60-70 degrees. Check often to be sure cabbage is in juice.
Stir up from the bottom a few times.
Stan

Stan,

I'll give this recipe a shot next time. It's interesting what changing the ratio of salt to cabbage does. 1/4 a cup a salt is pretty high compared to most recipes you run into. Typically you see 3-4 tbsp per 5 pounds of cabbage. I have never gone past that, but who knows perhaps 1/4 cup gets you into that mega-great flavor realm.

This recipe works fine for me. I don't want to change it at all.
Stan

 

[Frozenthunderbolt]

If your keen on making your own get a copy of "The art of Fermentation" by Sandor Ellix Katz.
It's fascinating and rather brilliant.
Fermented foods are meant to be brilliant for health (particularly that of the lungs!) and taste great - I figure they help cut the damage that the baccy will do AND i love eating them.

 

[Brewdude]

Speaking of sauerkraut, here's one of my all-time favorite soups. It's hearty enough to have for supper with a big wedge of crusty dense German Rye bread-



GERMAN SAUERKRAUT, POTATO, AND SMOKED SAUSAGE SOUP

1 pound cooked smoked sausage, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2 inch slices
4 cups frozen loose-packed diced hash brown potatoes with onion and peppers
3 cups sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
3 TBL stone ground mustard
3 cans chicken broth
2 TBL garlic powder
2TBL onion powder

Combine all ingredients and cook on low for 5 hours or high for 2 hours

Voila!

Cheers,

RR

 

[tech2576]

You guys are killing me. My grandma Graphenhien always had a wooden barrel in the basement full of 'kraut. I miss that stuff something fierce!

 

[DrumsAndBeer]

Speaking of sauerkraut, here's one of my all-time favorite soups. It's hearty enough to have for supper with a big wedge of crusty dense German Rye bread-



GERMAN SAUERKRAUT, POTATO, AND SMOKED SAUSAGE SOUP

1 pound cooked smoked sausage, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2 inch slices
4 cups frozen loose-packed diced hash brown potatoes with onion and peppers
3 cups sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
3 TBL stone ground mustard
3 cans chicken broth
2 TBL garlic powder
2TBL onion powder

Combine all ingredients and cook on low for 5 hours or high for 2 hours

Voila!

Cheers,

RR

This sounds great!. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Brewdude]

One can substitute other fresh cooked potato, but it should be diced up pretty well first. The idea is to keep the potato as a thickening agent and not be at the forefront if you see what I mean. Of course your tastes might dictate otherwise.

This is one of my favorite soups.



Cheers,

RR