sourkraut

[KingofDerby]

nope, it's just water and flour, nowt else, rolled by hand into thin worms, chucked in to the stew or soup to boil. Tasteless, dense as rocks, slimy on the outside. Yet everyone else in the family loved them. :shake:

 

[Loyalist Dave]

OH....

.....YUCK

:barf:

LD

 

[zimmerstutzen]

Sounds almost like the thick home made noodles our Polish neighbor made. I never cared for those either.

But I loved the Pieroshkis even those stuffed with sauerkraut.

 

[George]

My sauerkraut project has been running for 1 month, so I switched gears, declared it finished, took it out of its room-temperature fermenting jar and put it into the refrigerator. I'm pleased with it, it's somewhat softened and tan in color, mild in taste and not too salty. I would like it to be a little more sour, but it will do. I had not a single problem along the way, no mold or discoloration, and I'm looking forward to trying it in various dishes. This first batch was just a test, only a couple of cups, but I won't hesitate to brew a larger batch next time. Good stuff, cool process.

Spence

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I'm headed to the brewshop today to get a couple of smaller plastic containers rather than use a 5 gallon fermenter bucket for the kraut...and also going to do some kim chi.

LD

 

[BullRunBear]

Spence10, Thanks for letting us know how the experiment went. You inspired us to try making our own kraut. Folks I deal with on another forum told me their homemade kraut and kimchi was a lot better than commercial stuff. The wife and I like to try new things in the kitchen and this will be one of our projects. If there is space in the garden next season we may try growing a few cabbages. Tomatoes, bell peppers, squash and herbs always have priority.

By the way, I tried that squash, lima bean and corn recipe from your Notebook, substituting fresh pumpkin for the squash. The result was exquisite, just as good as you said. Had it as a side dish with a good steak, a combination that worked REALLY well.

 

[George]

I've been trying my kraut on a few dishes and am very pleased with it. I have a new batch chopped and ready to go in the jar. Would't want to run out. :grin:

BullRunBear, glad that recipe worked for you. I'm not a big pumpkin fan, but I can see it would make a good substitute. About time for the fall squashes, you've got me hankering for a pot of that, myself. With a side of kraut, of course. :wink:

Spence

 

[Kansas Jake]

I think we used that last of our homemade kraut last night, so it is time to get some cabbage to make some more. We had it with kielbasa and potatoes all cooked together.

We brown the sausage, add the sliced potatoes raw and get that started frying. When the potatoes start to soften we add the kraut and let it all steam together. It is an easy to make good dish.

 

[BullRunBear]

That dish works with any kind of good wurst or sausage. I like to slice up the meat and brown it in butter before adding it to the kraut and spuds. (Carrots work great in the mix as well.) Don't forget to dab some good German mustard on it. Good eating! Now I know what I'm having for dinner. The Great Kraut Experiment starts this week. :thumbsup:
Jeff

 

[zimmerstutzen]

I was just cleaning up e-mails including junk emails. Came across an email from Mother Earth News that had a recipe for sauerkraut in Mason jars., but indicated that nearly any veggie could be included. Beets, green cabbage, chinese cabbage, red cabbage, carrots, etc. Not sure about brussel sprouts, broccoli and/or cauliflower. Their recipe was three tablespoons salt to five pounds shredded veggies. A lot less salt than I figured.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

BTW, if anyone gets to Lancaster County, PA in the next few weeks, Cabbage normally goes dirt cheap at the produce auctions, like Schuler's at Roots south of Manheim (Tues evenings), or even the Amish produce auction near Sunnyburn in York County. Last October, I saw a 4 x 4 orchard crate of huge heads of cabbage go for 50 cents. Not each,,, the whole crate.

 

[Kansas Jake]

That sounds like a great deal on cabbage. I know what I would be putting in the 20 gallon crock we have in the basement.

 

[BullRunBear]

I was also surprised at the relatively small amount of salt needed for kraut and other veggies prepared the same way, compared to usual pickling. I'm under the impression that salt was a precious commodity in colonial days, especially on the frontier. That would be a big advantage using the lacto fermentation process which, if the internet is to be believed, also provides more health and nutritional benefits even over pickling.

As a side matter, checking into kraut and other traditional, even ancient, methods of processing foods makes me wonder if our ancestors got a lot more benefit from their food compared to today. I'm not suggesting that there weren't food borne problems back then but I wonder how much we are losing with modern methods.

Jeff

 

[George]

I have no idea kraut ever showed up in an 18th century camp, although many of the early longhunters and settlers were of German extraction. They were a large influence on the development of the longrifle, of course, and I know they brought many, many other things of German culture with them, but kraut in camp? Anyone have anything on this?

I posed that question to Jon Townsend on his 18th-century food blog, and he had some interesting info to offer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMh6lXWYEyk

Spence

 

[George]

The civilian reference Jon provided was too late for my purposes, and in Canada. I'm hoping someone can give us one to the Kentucky/Ohio river frontier during the 18th century.

In the modern world I've tried my sauerkraut several ways and am enjoying it quite a bit.

Spence

 

[BullRunBear]

Glad you started this thread. I just finished making my first quart of kraut, aged about 12 days. Big hit! Lots of good tart flavor and it still had a little crunch since it wasn't over processed. Some grilled bratwurst cut up in the heated kraut, dabs of German mustard, and a slice of home made sourdough rye bread made a heck of a meal. I'm starting the next batch this weekend.

Keeping with the forum's historical aspect, the whole meal could have been made in colonial days. :thumbsup:

Jeff

 

[George]

BullRunBear, my first small batch was allowed to ferment at room temperature, averaging about 70°, for 4 weeks and then put into the refrigerator about a month ago, so it's about 2 months old, now. I've been trying it on various dishes, and there is still a little of it left. As described in some of the recipes, it seems to have continued fermenting at a lower rate after being chilled, and has developed a nice sour taste, which I like.

I like eating it raw, because of the live bacteria it contains, very good for your gut. I've put it on hotdogs and hamburgers, on lentil burgers, in a pasta salad, plain as a side with other dishes, mixed in some homemade thousand island dressing... like Ensign Pulver, I'm looking for marbles all day long! :wink:

I started another small batch about a month ago and plan to let this one stay at room temperature for 2 months, just to see which works best.

Spence

 

[BullRunBear]

I'm definitely going to ferment the kraut longer with the new batch. Got impatient to try it. The more sour the better. I've been adding it to my vegetable soup, on baked potatoes, and as a side dish by itself. I've been known to 'sample' it a couple of times a day to check for quality of course. It sits well on my stomach, helps with the diabetes readings, and just tastes great. I'm learning to make real sourdough bread, preferably rye, and the kraut goes great with it. Greek yogurt, which is the same process, works as well.

Our ancestors apparently knew what they were doing with this fermentation process.

Jeff

 

[Kansas Jake]

We just started a small batch this afternoon with 3 heads of cabbage. I was thinking about bringing back this thread and here it is without my starting it again.

Kraut is good stuff. Now if I can find a farmer that planted turnips for fall grazing. Maybe I can get some cheap turnips before the ground freezes and process them.

 

[Kansas Jake]

This fall crops stuff reminds me, I need to dig some horseradish and get a bunch of that ground up for garnish on roasts etc. I'll bet that would be real good on a venison roast.