Saurkraut

[B.Habermehl]

Its that time of year again! The other evening we sliced and diced 50 lbs of cabbage and stomped it with kosher salt and a wooden baseball bat into a five gallon bucket. A layer af cabbage then some salt then a good stomping to liberate the juice, then repeat till we were out of cabbage. Then we added a few layers of outer cabbage leaves on top and layer a plate on top. The plate adds some compression and holds the top of the cabbage below the top of the brine, then i snapped the lid on the bucket. We should have fresh kraut for New Years. Hoo Hoo! BJH

 

[satx78247]

SOUNDS "YUM" to this "overage-in-grade" hillbilly.
(My best buddy/long-time is a 72YY lady out of Lancaster County PA's Mennonite culture & she makes GREAT Saurkraut & pork OFTEN during the holidays/Winter. = Looking forward to being invited to her table again this December-March!!!)

yours, satx

 

[Billnpatti]

Wow!! Just the mention of sauerkraut and pork started my mouth to watering. It's been a long time since I had a big plate of sauerkraut and pork. I have to go to the store today and I think I will pick up a package of pork and a jar of sauerkraut. It just ain't the same as home made kraut but the stuff that comes in a jar in the refrigerated section is pretty good...lots better than the stuff in a can.

 

[BullRunBear]

We had a thread about making sauerkraut some months ago and I tried it. So simple and SO GOOD. (I added caraway seed to mine.) Better than any commercial stuff because I let it sit until it was more tart than usual which is how I like it.

There's a 5 pound cabbage on the counter right now. Think I know what I'll be doing this afternoon.

Jeff

 

[satx78247]

Fyi, "my best buddy" makes LOTS of "Pennsylvania Dutch", Mennonite & House Amish specialties.
(You could "get the papers on her" from "The American Kraut Club", as she has more than 8 known generations of pure German blood = CHUCKLE.)

She makes Amish Funeral Pie, Snickerdoodles, homemade bread/rolls, home-corned beef & cabbage AND a "to die for" apple pie that has still-CRISP apples after it's cooked.
(That recipe is a "closely-guarded family secret", inasmuch as I asked her late & over 85YO mother & her late Aunt Emma & got about the same answers: Her Mom said, "I may tell you before I die." and the very sassy Aunt Emma said, "You don't know, do you?" = NEITHER ever told me how they did that "trick" & when I ask my buddy, she always offers to make me a couple of pies. - I ACCEPT!!!)

yours, satx

 

[bender20]

im fortunate to be pa Dutch. Dad's mothers madian name was Habecker. So grew up on all of this stuff. Most things got passed down but somethings like my great grandmother's molasses cookies died with her. No one can replicate her cookies. We even have her recipie. She had some trick that she took to the grave. All that to say make sure someone learns the trick before its to late.

 

[satx78247]

SPOT ON.

My Aunt Mary made her "own, original & personal secret" recipe for WONDERFUL beef/pork tamale pie, that was topped with cornmeal mush.
(She told me about 6 months before her untimely passing that she had written down her recipe & that it was to "come to me" at her death. - Her husband, who despised our whole family, destroyed her will & all the associated things less than 4 hours after her passing. The he took her china/crystal out into the yard & broke it all.- He then married "my dearest childhood friend" 18 days after her death, too. - NOT a "nice guy".)

Fwiw, I've tried but have NOT come close to duplicating that tamale pie.

yours, satx

 

[Tallswife]

I had a bumper crop of cabbage two years ago and I think I made enough kraut to last me another 10 years! Then a friend gifted me with more!!! I'm overrun!!

 

[satx78247]

SOUNDS: YUM.
Also, LUCKY YOU & FAMILY.

yours, satx

 

[Billnpatti]

Okay, tonight's the night for pork and sauerkraut. I was going to fix it last night but when I went to the store, I didn't pick up an onion. I thought I had some in the pantry but it wasn't so. So, this morning I ran back to the store and got an onion. Since I live alone, I cut the recipe down to my size. It will give me two meals. Here is the recipe that I am using. Let me know if it is the same as you use.

2 thick boneless pork chops (browned in a skillet)
1 small can of sauerkraut
1/2 apple (sliced)
1/2 medium onion sliced
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons of caraway seeds

Put browned pork chops in a baking dish and cover with the sauerkraut mixture. Bake at 350 deg. for 45 minutes.

I like either rye bread or pumpernickel bread with it. A nice cold dark beer is nice, too

 

[satx78247]

Sounds FINE, except I would never use canned kraut for any purpose, short of impending starvation.
(The "refrigerated case" at most any supermarket has FRESH kraut for sale & for CHEAP too.)

yours, satx

 

[Kansas Jake]

I just opened a freezer bag with turnip kraut a couple of days ago, and now you start me wanting to go on a search for some cabbage to make a batch of kraut..

 

[Kansas Jake]

BTW, how can you wait until New Years before sampling that kraut. We don't have that kind of patience at our house.

 

[Billnpatti]

When I went to HEB, they didn't have any of the refrigerated kraut. I, too, prefer it. Anyway, I substituted canned Bavarian style kraut. I like that stuff pretty well and it turned out to be pretty tasty when cooked up with the pork. Now, I want some smoked sausage and kraut with a side of German fried potatoes. My grandma used to fix that from time to time and I love it.

 

[bender20]

i think we had the same grandmother :metoo:

 

[Sean Gadhar]

FYI I was watching America's Test Kitchen and they said that the refrigerated had preservatives in them that the canned do NOT, It seems that because they can't be "sure" the kraut will stay cold enough they add "stuff" while the canned is normally cabage & salt. Nothing more.

 

[Black Hand]

Likely a better chance there is a complete seal for canned items while the containers with a screw-cap may not seal completely. Many canned items are also autoclaved/sterilized before being shipped from the manufacturer.

 

[omarick1948]

Its that time of year again! The other evening we sliced and diced 50 lbs of cabbage and stomped it with kosher salt and a wooden baseball bat into a five gallon bucket. A layer af cabbage then some salt then a good stomping to liberate the juice, then repeat till we were out of cabbage. Then we added a few layers of outer cabbage leaves on top and layer a plate on top. The plate adds some compression and holds the top of the cabbage below the top of the brine, then i snapped the lid on the bucket. We should have fresh kraut for New Years. Hoo Hoo! BJH

The secret is in the salt added to your cabbage. How much salt did you use for 50 pounds?

 

[Billnpatti]

No sooner asked than answered
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/21154...eferringContentType=recipe&clickId=cardslot 1

 

[Blizzard of '93]

describe 'german fried potatoes'?