Anyone making Kraut?

[omarick1948]

Cabbages did good this year and I have been shredding them up for Sauerkraut.

I usually try to make two 5 gallon crocks each late summer. Anyone else make it?

Rick

 

[Tallswife]

Sure do! Love the stuff! Had a bumper crop of cabbage 2 years ago and still have enough for another year so I won't be making any this summer.

 

[crockett]

I'm "kraut challenged". Everyone told me it was easy. Maybe the hot Florida weather but it never came out okay.

 

[BullRunBear]

Absolutely!! I make a gallon at a time in 2 half gallon Mason jars. It just sits on the kitchen counter until done then into the fridge. One jar gets caraway seeds, the other left plain. Love the stuff. I have been known to make a good meal from a baked potato covered in home made kraut. When the supply gets low, I just start another batch.

There is something appealing about sauerkraut. Two inexpensive ingredients, a container, and a little time produces food that is delicious and VERY healthy, stores for a long time, and is very versatile.

Jeff

 

[Nativearizonan]

How about some recipes from you guys for those of us that eat sauerkraut, but have never made it?

 

[Kansas Jake]

Here we go again on this stinky topic. I had a Reuben sandwich for lunch. We make kraut, but will have to buy the cabbages this fall. We made turnip kraut last winter.

I love kraut. All you need is a crock or other container, cabbage and salt. Shred the cabbage and add about a teaspoon of salt for each quart or so and press it solidly into the crock, plastic bucket etc. Wait a few weeks and eat.

 

[tenngun]

Rye bread, Limburger cheese, sauerkraut , sliced red onion .. A big stinky. Just don't take it for lunch at work :haha: unless you work alone.
Serve with black lager and hear the angles sing.

 

[omarick1948]

OLD FASHION METHOD: ___ I shred the cabbage with an old time Kraut shredder, but you can use a large knife after removing the cabbage core. Pack a little at a time in your plastic bucket (crock) and pound cabbage with the end of a large stick or old base ball bat to pulverize and bring out the cabbage juices, similar like churning butter. Add about 1 teaspoon of kosher or pickling salt per quart of shredded cabbage in crock. Continue adding cabbage and salt until crock is about 4 inches from the top. Fill 2-3 gallons of water in a good heavy cabbage bag and set on top of cabbage in crock to form a air seal. ___Place your crock of cabbage in a cool dark place and let it ferment for 5-6 weeks for best results. Take a peek every two weeks to see if you should add a little water if needed. Pressure can in jars for long storage, by following Pressure Canning instructions. Lasts for a couple years at least!

Rick

 

[tenngun]

You can just keep it in the crock with out having to can, it will keep at least a year. Or you can put it in to canning jars and just stick it in a refrigerator.

 

[Vaino]

When my Mother owned a restaurant she made her own sauerkraut in large earthenware crocks. The only thing I noticed was that she had round, flat wooden lids that were laid on the kraut w/ a fairly large rock on top. Does anyone do this and why?

When stationed in Austria w/ a few trips to Munich, I ate a lot of kraut but it wasn't as sour as American kraut and had caraway seeds. Also before they served it, the kraut was passed under a broiler which browned the top layer. Very delicious w/ various sausages or pork. The shredded kraut was also coarser.

Really enjoy kraut but have to stick around the ranch for awhile after eating it. Years ago bought canned kraut juice which I drank every AM to control my constipation....better than drug store remedies....Fred

 

[omarick1948]

You put that plate or wood disc and rock to weigh the Kraut down under the juice, The water bag I mentioned above works in the same way and keeps the air from entering.

Yep, you can leave it in the crocks, but with grandkids, pets and friends and relatives just having to look. I like to can it! Also is a less mess giving to friends.

Rick

 

[gearheart]

With German delis all over the town here in Kitchener, home of the world's second biggest Oktoberfest, it's easier to just go out and buy a jar when needed.

 

[NeilMacleod]

Do you consider only using Cabbage for Kraut?
I do buckets as well but I add shredded carrots too and some peppers. I also use natural apple cider vinegar to speed up the process and make sure the good bacteria have a head start.

 

[coloradoclyde]

If you are looking for crocks to make kraut.. This company is reasonably priced and American made. http://www.ohiostoneware.com/products.html

 

[Kansas Jake]

We've made kraut from turnips a few times. It makes a good kraut and had a tiny bit of bite to it. Turnips are often easy to get cheap in the fall in our area from farmers who plant them for a fall forage and cover crop.

My wife's parents often made turnip kraut years ago as a way to use an abundant crop.

We simply shred the turnips, add a bit of salt as we go along and cure it in a crock or food safe bucket in the same way as cabbage.

 

[NeilMacleod]

I also have used the natural whey from milk/yogurt to start ferments.

And Pumpkin ferment

 

[satx78247]

IF we had a REAL WINTER in South TX, I would make a crock or 3 of KIMCHI, which is a Korean cousin to Sauerkraut.
(Love the stuff but you need COLD weather to make it correctly.)

Fwiw, we had a total of FIVE (widely scattered) days this year, when the temperature was below 0 degrees F.

yours, satx

 

[Kansas Jake]

Come on up here to Kansas and I'll help and we will share. We might even make some kraut while we are at it. The hard part will be waiting to eat it.

We had a mild winter this year, but still enough cold days to make kraut.

 

[satx78247]

Do you have a dung-heap to bury it in, too? ====>CHUCKLE.
Most Americans in the RoK wouldn't even consider eating "homemade" Korean kimchi, IF they knew how it was aged.
(My friends in Korea swear that you cannot make "the REAL kimchi" without a BIG dung-heap to bury the crock in for the whole Winter & preferably longer than that.)

Nonetheless, I have several recipes for kimchi from Korean "exchange students" to ASTD at USAMPS.
(Several ASTD students "wrote home" to get their grandmothers to send "the black hats" an authentic recipe, so that we could make their "National Dish" correctly.)

yours, satx

 

[Billnpatti]

Rye bread, Limburger cheese, sauerkraut , sliced red onion .. A big stinky. Just don't take it for lunch at work :haha: unless you work alone.
Serve with black lager and hear the angles sing.

Tenngun, I absolutely have to try that sandwich. It sounds de-licous. :thumbsup: I make one a bit similar to that...rye bread or pumpernickel with limburger cheese, a couple of sardines and a big slice of onion. My beverage of choice that causes the angles to sing for me is a Shiner Bock. It is a pretty local beer and may not be available where you live. When my wife was alive, I had to enjoy my stinky sandwich on the back porch. Limburger has gotten to be pretty expensive stuff around here and not easy to find so I don't get to enjoy my stinky sandwiches as often as I would like.

BTW, I like your name "Big Stinky" for your sandwich.