Sauerkraut

[dirtsailor2003]

Wow Case, not sure how I missed this thread ! Awesome ! Thumbs Up

Thank you Justin! Good stuff!!!

 

[ironhorse07]

Kraut looks good. MrT's process is my go to also, good stuff.

 

[dirtsailor2003]

Kraut looks good. MrT's process is my go to also, good stuff.

Thank you! Tasty stuff! I want to add a few things next batch.

 

[bdskelly]

Im on this....  Been on the road doing trade shows since Wednesday. But doing some USDA studying too. When I get Home i'll be a cabbage chopping fool. B 

 

[dirtsailor2003]

Im on this....  Been on the road doing trade shows since Wednesday. But doing some USDA studying too. When I get Home i'll be a cabbage chopping fool. B 

It's good stuff, and good for ya too! I'm going to need to make some more sausages soon. Maybe kielbasa or linguica.

I used our mandolin to cut the cabbage. Made quick work of it.

 

[chef k-dude]

I have been making pickles and kimchi for years and just started making kraut earlier this year.

None of the three ever turn out as good a store-bought. All very edible and good in their own rite, but I can never get the same results as what I can buy.

My kraut comes out with a darker color than store-bought, and it's actually a little sweet, and all I use is salt. My mom swore I had put brown sugar in it when she tasted my last batch.

I found a kraut cake recipe that is pretty good I'm still tweaking. For a different way to use kraut, check it it out. I just found a few recipes with a web search. Kraut and potatoes together make a great fried cake too.

I'm back to buying kimchi from the Asian market here. They just have that flavor down pat that I love. I end up using most of my homemade kimchi in kimchi soup and kimchi fried rice with...and I know this really hurts on a smoking site...tofu...I'm sorry, but the Asian market has this fresh soft tofu for 35¢ a block that is just fantastic. You fish it out of a bucket of swill with your hand wrapped in a plastic bag! Sounds gross, but fantastic stuff. I'm very partial to Asian food...and tofu kind of comes with that genre if one is to really experience the full spectrum.

But I digress...back to the kraut...                

Do you use just the salt?

How does your kraut compare to the various canned, bagged and jarred stuff?

I like kraut to be really tangy and not sweet at all. Don’t care for the German caraway sweet versions. We actually prefer the Walmart canned stuff over some of the more expensive ones!

I squeeze the juice out and save the juice…well actually I usually drink it on the spot…great pro-biotics in that stuff for the guts. Kraut juice makes a great twist on a martini too…kind of like a dirty martini. About 1 part vodka to 2 parts kraut juice, shake with crushed ice and strain just like a proper martini.

Not for everybody…but then I’m one of those weird people that saves pickle juice and takes a nip on it here and there, as well as add to recipes like potato salad and deviled eggs.

OK…I’ll shut up now!

 

[dirtsailor2003]

Just salt. Never noticed it to be sweet. Sometimes I'll add caraway seed, and sometimes onions.

Salt wise I use 1 tablespoon of pickling salt per 3 pounds of cabbage.

 

[GaryHibbert]

Great post Case.  I've always been curious about making 'kraut, so this has been real interesting for me.  So Thank You. 

One question that has been bothering me.  If you got your wife to bring home 6 pounds of cabbage, how did you end up with 9 pounds after shredding it???

POINTS

Gary

 

[dirtsailor2003]

Great post Case.  I've always been curious about making 'kraut, so this has been real interesting for me.  So Thank You. 

One question that has been bothering me.  If you got your wife to bring home 6 pounds of cabbage, how did you end up with 9 pounds after shredding it???

POINTS

Gary

Thanks Gary!

Yeah about that. There wasn't a scale at the store she went to so she guessed!! Hence the extr three pounds.

 

[bdskelly]

My crock came in while I was at the home office in NY. (Thanks Amazon)  I'll be a cabbage chopping fool this weekend. Great post Case. Very motivational. B

 

[dirtsailor2003]

My crock came in while I was at the home office in NY. (Thanks Amazon)  I'll be a cabbage chopping fool this weekend. Great post Case. Very motivational. B

I hope yours turn out fantastic! I know ours is great. Give time to do its thing it gets better thenlonger it sits once it's in the fridge. I'm saving out two jars that I won't touch until one hits 6 months and the other at a year.

 

[dirtsailor2003]

Down to two jars! Going to have to make more as I want these two jars to age longer. Kraut just keeps getting better every day!

 

[bdskelly]

Down to two jars! Going to have to make more as I want these two jars to age longer. Kraut just keeps getting better every day!

My plan is to chop cabbage tomorrow and use that new cook you inspired me to buy. b

 

[dirtsailor2003]

My plan is to chop cabbage tomorrow and use that new cook you inspired me to buy. b

Get on it I'll be looking for your thread!

 

[mosparky]

Ok, you guys got me itching to give this a try. I'm the only one here that will eat the stuff, so small batches (about 1#) are in order. I have questions.

 what temp needs to be maintained during fermentation ? Some of the web recipes say you can just keep it at room temp and move to fridge when done.Fridge will halt or slow the process. 

 Secondly how big a jar will I need for such a small batch ? The cabbage at my store avg about 1 1/2 lbs, so I'm guessing a little over a pound cored

 

[dirtsailor2003]

Ok, you guys got me itching to give this a try. I'm the only one here that will eat the stuff, so small batches (about 1#) are in order. I have questions.
 what temp needs to be maintained during fermentation ? Some of the web recipes say you can just keep it at room temp and move to fridge when done.Fridge will halt or slow the process. 
 Secondly how big a jar will I need for such a small batch ? The cabbage at my store avg about 1 1/2 lbs, so I'm guessing a little over a pound cored

For that small a pint jar... I know it sounds like a hunch but the minimum I'd do is 6 pounds. That would give you 2-2 1/2 quarts finished product.

 

[bdskelly]

For that small a pint jar... I know it sounds like a hunch but the minimum I'd do is 6 pounds. That would give you 2-2 1/2 quarts finished product.

Like Case said.

I bought a one quart Ball Jar and 2 heads of cabbage.  Salted the cabbage and scrunched it up with my hands for a while until the water came out of it and packed the jar with about an inch of cabbage water on the top. I stuck a  cabbage leaf down in the water to hold the chopped stuff under water. Put the lid on loosely.

I'm still trying to figure out what black magic occurred that allowed 2 heads of cabbage to fit in that jar! But it did! b