Sauerkraut

So you remember that Fermenting Crockpot from a previous post?

Well, we've finally put it to good use. The water seal on these works really well....except for the periodic "bloop" of gases escaping from what you're storing in the crock. After a couple of days it stops.

I gotta say, I had to block the Missus form actually opening this too soon to "to just have a peek" or to "make sure it isn't rotting". You just have to chill and let nature do its thing.

I could get all scientific on you, but lets just say this turned out real well.

As a whole 6 grams per kilo of kosher salt massaged into finely sliced cabbage. We packed it tightly into the crock. We used food service gloves for the task. We placed the stone weights on the well packed cabbage and pressed down firmly. The Missus didn't feel real comfortable with the amount of liquid. Luckily we had that covered. We had boiled up a liter of purified water with 6 grams of kosher salt which we then cooled in a sterilized container. We used this to top off the liquid, making sure to fully cover the cabbage. The temps seemed right the last couple of weeks.

10 days later I was sterilizing Ball Jars and packing tightly with cabbage......viola, sauerkraut. For some reason, the Missus loves this stuff...to the tune of a large jar a week! Me, well, I like it on something like the beer braised-seared bratwurst on a pretzel bun with whole grain mustard.....

The Missus? Well, She's keeping a tight reign on our inventory and is itching for our next fermentation project. This was a fun first project. What's next? Suan Cai perhaps?

Thanks for reading!

Comments

[Lynnea]

oh yum, that looks delicious. I'm with the missus on this, eat sauerkraut all the time =)

[Cathy]

The cabbage still has the green color- that's a good kraut...a really good one. You're going to have to time the next batch so the SUan Cai is done just as the last kraut jar is finished.

[Kirk]

Hi Lynnea - She's already finished two jars!

Hi Cathy - Yes, we'll have to time it before this batch is gone.....

[Ed (from Yuma)]

That kraut looks wonderful. My family ate a lot of sauerkraut but did not make (at least those who lived in the US). I love pieces of pork slow braised in rinsed kraut for a few hours until the cabbage becomes golden and sweet. . .

[Kirk]

Hi Ed - That sounds like one of my favorite dishes suan cai dun fen tiao.

[kat]

ooh wow that looks great!

[Kirk]

Thanks Kat! It turned out well.

[janfrederick]

I really like the color on that. I need to get fermenting.

[nhbilly]

Yum, that seems like forever.

[SL]

Good idea for saurkraut is to then cook it in a slow cooker with cut up pieces of bacon and a diced up apple for 4+ hours. Gives it a completely different taste then whay you find in msot restuarants.

[Kirk]

You need to Jan.

LOL Billy!

Hi SL - That sounds great.

[dan]

Kraut is made with no water added and put in a cool basement. You might try adding some napa cabbage. The thicker juicier parts near the bottom of napa to bring more water to your recipe. Juniper berries are a classic German add in

[Kirk]

Thanks for the suggestion Dan, but we;re happy with what we have. Sadly we have no basement......don't know of many places within the city of San Diego that have. As for Napa, we'll be making Northern style suan cai soon which is napa cabbage.

[Dan]

You are making some great looking 'kraut and using in the classic way. To help balance and cut through animal (pork) fat. Also if raw they bring good bacteria to the intestines for digestion. North East Asians classically needed these type fermented foods to get the maximum nutrition from rice, their staple food. Those pro-biotic bacteria help digestion of it which is important when (classically) they ate little animal derived food and lots of rice and vegetables. Beans too.

Napa Chinese cabbage makes a good kraut just by itself. Just cut up napa and salt and find a way to press it down. It will let out *too* much water. Might be best to air dry the leaves before fermenting. If you add hot pepper and other kim-chee ingredients then you will get close to kimchee.

But this way is good too but using larger pieces than I do. http://www.highdesertgarden.com/2011/12/napa-kraut.html