Fermented cabbage....

[bakerjw]

Is it that time of the year again. The crocks in the house are blurping regularly.
We make Sauerkraut almost every year. Usually just the typical kraut but we do variations as well.
We have a crock with 15# of cabbage going with cabbage hearts, carrots and cucumbers.
The smaller one has 8# of cabbage with hearts, carrots and cucumbers as well as Korean red pepper and garlic similar to Kimchi.
I'll pick up another big crock soon and start another batch in another couple of weeks.

What makes all of the difference in the world is using salt that has not been processed and has a lot of minerals in it. The bacteria love it. We use pink Himalayan salt.

Anyone else make sauerkraut?

[Oily]

What is 8# of cabbage with hearts?

[Oily]

Similar to kimchi sounds awesome to me as well as the home fermented sauerkraut. A friend of my grandfather gave me a pint of his sauerkraut and I wish I had that recipe! As a youngster I hated sauerkraut as my mother used it from the can. Ive learned to like bavarian style from the can but it does not compare with that older recipe.

[M-Tecs]

Sauerkraut is the easiest of pickling or fermenting. Slice add 3 tablespoons of non ionized salt and ferment.

[abunaitoo]

Have you tried hawaiian salt????
How about black salt?????
We use hawaiian salt on everything that needs salt.
Not as salty as table salt, but it's purer.
Never used black salt.
It's a little expensive.

[Walks]

Why am I glad that I can no longer eat any kind of cabbage ?

If my Grandmother were alive today she would do nasty things to anybody that mentioned Sauerkraut & kimchi in the Her House. She thought kimchi was the root of all evil.

She made the Best Sauerkraut in the History of the World.

I know that if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all. But Geez...................................

[bikerbeans]

I know that if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all. But Geez...................................

Maybe you should follow your own advice.

BB

[smithnframe]

I love homemade sauerkraut! I had a neighbor in PA that used to make a few 55 gallon drums of it every year!

[MATT HELM]

I live in Pa. A friend of my Mom ( Ukrainian born) made a Homemade sauerkraut using a European recipe.
Then when she cooked it with Kielbassa & country pork ribs, seasoned with Dill & Caraway . ( onion & celery ) mixed in to her perfect proportions.
I wish she could be back with us, at least, one more time to make her own Pork & Sauerkraut !

[bakerjw]

What is 8# of cabbage with hearts?

It is the cabbage hearts. We cut the hard cores out the cabbage heads before shredding the cabbage and toss the hearts in to ferment as well. So the small fermenter got 8# of cabbage with everything else thrown into it.

Both fermenters are happily doing their thing so we play the waiting game. I've only tried traditional pickling salt and the Himalayan salt. We noticed that the Himalayan was much better. I'll have to try some Hawaiian salt in the next batch. As long as the salt is not overly processed it should work. I would expect that other salts with differing mineral makeups would alter the flavor to a degree. It is well known in beer brewing that yeasts will impart different flavors on beer depending on the minerals that are in the water.

I did the Kimchi style a couple of year ago but we let it go too long and it got all mushy, so I ended up dumping it out. What I didn't realize was that the bottom half was like normal kraut. We kept a small bit of it and it was very good. We have a local Korean place and their KimChi is to die for.

Our church used to have a Septemberfest every year. One of our priests was German and he'd rinse the brine from canned sauerkraut and cook it with pork neck bones and caraway seeds. I don't like caraway seed flavor but cooking it like that really softened it up.

One other thing to add. The probiotic nature of sauerkraut really helps the digestive system.

Now, Vietnamese fermented fish sauce... I will pass on that.

[MaryB]

Rib tips and kraut in the crock pot, thicken the juices with a little instant mashed potato and serve over mashed with butter... no this is not a healthy meal!

[Wag]

I've love sauerkraut since I was a little kid. Just started making it for the first time a year or two ago and never looked back. Best food on the planet, especially home made.

Ya gave me a craving there!

--Wag--

[abunaitoo]

Never tried to make it.
I'm the only one that eats it, so I just buy the can type.

[Hardcast]

Sauerkraut cooked in a crock pot with pork ribs served over mashed potatoes is one of my all time favorite meals. Just made it about a week ago. Never tried home made. I buy Frank's Sauerkraut with caraway seeds in 32 ounce jars.

[elmacgyver0]

I love homemade sauerkraut! I had a neighbor in PA that used to make a few 55 gallon drums of it every year!

Bet he didn't have any constipation problems.

[reloader28]

It amazes me how store bought kraut does NOT taste like real homemade kraut. Not even close. At least nothing I've had.
When people say they don't like sauerkraut, 90% of the time its because they've had nothing but the cheap imitation store bought garbage.

[MaryB]

Franks in the bag in he meat section of the grocery store is close to homemade in flavor.

[biffj]

German Granny used to make saurkraut and it was wonderful. I've not found any in the US I could eat besides hers though. The wife thought I was full of crap until we went to Germany and she tasted some real Kraut. Might have to look into making our own. I never got grannies recipe as she thought men should not be permitted in the kitchen and threw things at me when I tried to watch. Usually they were sharp things....

Frank

[HangFireW8]

It amazes me how store bought kraut does NOT taste like real homemade kraut. Not even close. At least nothing I've had.
When people say they don't like sauerkraut, 90% of the time its because they've had nothing but the cheap imitation store bought garbage.

Not amazing at all. Vinegar and cabbage is not the same as fermented cabbage that makes its own vinegar.

[Lance Boyle]

I live in Pa. A friend of my Mom ( Ukrainian born) made a Homemade sauerkraut using a European recipe.
Then when she cooked it with Kielbassa & country pork ribs, seasoned with Dill & Caraway . ( onion & celery ) mixed in to her perfect proportions.
I wish she could be back with us, at least, one more time to make her own Pork & Sauerkraut !

Nice, I have also done the variation of onions and apples in lieu of the spices. Lots of black pepper though.


It’s a good meal done in a Dutch oven while you’re in the woods hunting. Get home and fill your bowl to tender country ribs.