Sauerkraut

duajones · July 29, 2009

My brother purchased me a picklemeister which is basically a glass gallon jar with an airlock on it. I plan to try and make sauerkraut with it and would appreciate any tips fellow tv members might have. For my first batch I plan on using just green cabbage and sea salt, with the amount of salt used being 2 percent of the weight of the cabbage. And since the inside temperature of my house is ranging between 78 and 80 degrees. I plan to use an ice chest with frozen blocks of ice in plastic to try and maintain around 68 to 70 degrees as I am afraid the temps would be too high for proper fermention otherwise. Anyone here make kraut?

Moonglow · July 29, 2009

Hi, Duane. When I watched this Good Eats episode, I wanted to make Sauerkraut! I think Alton Brown breaks cooking down to science.

Annapet

DeanRIowa · July 30, 2009

I have made sauerkraut a couple of times and it is good.

Since I have a basement holding the proper temps was easy for me. I used a food grade plastic buckets, old pickle buckets, and a weighted down dinner plate over the cabbage, with a kitchen towel over the top of the bucket.

It did take a month or so for the Kraut to ferment and get the flavor I was wanting.

I thought that you needed to give the cabbage access to the air to get some wild yeast for the fermentation process?

Good Luck and let us know how it goes.

Dean

montanamato · July 30, 2009

I have made saurkraut in crocks and in jars...It has been about 20 years since I used a crock, but I kept it in the basement for temperature control and odor....It worked out well.

I have since switched to making it in quart jars...It is easier ans quicker for me ....

I won't have any saurkraut woes this year ,as the grasshoppers have just polished off 12 heads of savoy and 8 heads of purple cabbage....

I am contemplating pickling grasshoppers though....

Jeanne

There is a lot of info on the net about kraut...I can't recall the temps but I know our basement does not get over 65-68 in the summer and that is where I have fermented it ...

duajones · July 30, 2009

The picklemeister supposedly eliminates the skimming of yeast. Not sure how it will work but I will find out soon enough. I would really love to have a Harsch crock

duajones · July 30, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeanRIowa

I thought that you needed to give the cabbage access to the air to get some wild yeast for the fermentation process?

From what I have read in vegetable fermentation the cultures come from the vegetables and do not need air access to ferment. Using the airlock I am hoping to avoid surface molds

Barbee · July 30, 2009

Just wanted to throw in the mix that a friend of ours is getting jalapenos from me to put in his homemade kraut. According to him, it tastes great.
I've never made it, but I am pretty sure he uses canning salt in his crock.

velikipop · July 30, 2009

I love saurekraut and pickled cabbage. The link below is great in providing some basic info on how to do it.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-...auerkraut.aspx

amideutch · July 31, 2009

http://www.manufactum.de/Produkt/193...pfKeramik.html

http://www.shop2.meyers-muehle.de/in...-Zubehoer.html

organichris · July 31, 2009

Anyone ever eat kim chi? Its Korean sauerkraut. My understanding is that sauerkraut actually originated with the Koreans and kim chi. Kim chi is spicier and is made from Chinese cabbage. I like sauerkraut, but I really like kim chi. You can eat it with just about anything.

duajones · July 31, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by amideutch

http://www.manufactum.de/Produkt/193...pfKeramik.html

http://www.shop2.meyers-muehle.de/in...-Zubehoer.html

The Harsch crock (1.3Gal) sells for a little over a hundred dollars here in the states

velikipop · July 31, 2009

Love Kim Chi, especially when it is fresh and crunchy. I usually buy it at the local Korean supermarket, but will try making it this year.

I am also put off by the price of ceramic crocks. I'm sure that the quality is great...but. I picked up a cheap two gallon glaze clay crock at a canning equipment store for under $20.00.

Alex

Colorado_west · August 9, 2009

I use to make sauerkraut and I used just wide top gallon glass jars. All I had and could afford. Then I did pressure can it into pints. I packed the jars with my hand pressing down with knucles and careful not to break the gallon jars. I would suggest rubber glove as hand got sore from salt and juice. I used the gov pamplet wt the cabbage and measured the salt. Canning salt. No air locks. Material/cheese cloth over the jars maybe. Been years. It was good and not strong. My husband had informed me he did not like sauerkaraut and I told him kids and I could eat and be something else on table he could eat. He did not order me to not make it. Cabbage needed to use used. He tasted it first time on table and said it is not sour like the boughten canned. I told him no as home made. Yeah, he would eat it. Next day to make left over kraut different I added some caraway seed and little brown sugar. Barvaian . Mine sat on the floor in kitchen under the table. No cooler in this house. My dad made his in a wooden barrel and just left set. Canning it it will last and not get any stronger.

I have never tated Kim Chi. No Korean store here in this area. How to do they make spicer? Just a different cabbage? Some where on here some one had put you can do turnips shredded in to a kraut.

I know cabbage and stuff made in to pickle relish is good.

Structure · August 9, 2009

I make 2-3 batches of kraut each winter. I make it a little differently though. More of a southeastern Europeans style. Basically, I put 12 heads of cabbage in an Igloo cooler. Add salt. Cover with water. Let sit covered lightly for 5-8 weeks. Rotate the water every other day (one gallon or so from bottom to top). Works great. Whole heads allow one to chop for more traditional kraut or to peel off whole leaves for use in a variety of recipes (cabbage roles). I'd be glad to explain this in more detail if anyone is really interested.

duajones · September 25, 2009

The instructions for the picklemeister called for letting the kraut set for only 4 or 5 days, then refrigerate. I let the first batch go 8 days but it just wasnt fermented enough. Edible but not great. My second batch I let go 3 weeks and also added a pinch of caraway seeds and a clove of garlic. This batch is much better than the first but boy does it stink up my refrigerator.

July 29, 2009	#1
duajones Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Corpus Christi,Texas Z9 Posts: 1,996	Sauerkraut My brother purchased me a picklemeister which is basically a glass gallon jar with an airlock on it. I plan to try and make sauerkraut with it and would appreciate any tips fellow tv members might have. For my first batch I plan on using just green cabbage and sea salt, with the amount of salt used being 2 percent of the weight of the cabbage. And since the inside temperature of my house is ranging between 78 and 80 degrees. I plan to use an ice chest with frozen blocks of ice in plastic to try and maintain around 68 to 70 degrees as I am afraid the temps would be too high for proper fermention otherwise. Anyone here make kraut? __________________ Duane Jones

July 29, 2009	#2
Moonglow Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Corte Madera, CA - Sunset Zone 16 Posts: 356	Hi, Duane. When I watched this Good Eats episode, I wanted to make Sauerkraut! I think Alton Brown breaks cooking down to science. Annapet __________________ Moonglow Gardens Sustainable Gardening One Planter at a Time Sunset Zone 17 Apparently - - - Without the fog!

July 30, 2009	#5
duajones Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Corpus Christi,Texas Z9 Posts: 1,996	The picklemeister supposedly eliminates the skimming of yeast. Not sure how it will work but I will find out soon enough. I would really love to have a Harsch crock __________________ Duane Jones

July 30, 2009	#7
Barbee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 1,818	Just wanted to throw in the mix that a friend of ours is getting jalapenos from me to put in his homemade kraut. According to him, it tastes great. I've never made it, but I am pretty sure he uses canning salt in his crock. __________________ *Barbee*

July 30, 2009	#8
velikipop Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Langley, BC Posts: 768	I love saurekraut and pickled cabbage. The link below is great in providing some basic info on how to do it. http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-...auerkraut.aspx __________________ I'll plant and I'll harvest what the earth brings forth The hammer's on the table, the pitchfork's on the shelf Bob Dylan

July 30, 2009	#3
DeanRIowa Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: 5a - NE Iowa Posts: 416	I have made sauerkraut a couple of times and it is good. Since I have a basement holding the proper temps was easy for me. I used a food grade plastic buckets, old pickle buckets, and a weighted down dinner plate over the cabbage, with a kitchen towel over the top of the bucket. It did take a month or so for the Kraut to ferment and get the flavor I was wanting. I thought that you needed to give the cabbage access to the air to get some wild yeast for the fermentation process? Good Luck and let us know how it goes. Dean

July 30, 2009	#4
montanamato Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Montana Posts: 1,038	I have made saurkraut in crocks and in jars...It has been about 20 years since I used a crock, but I kept it in the basement for temperature control and odor....It worked out well. I have since switched to making it in quart jars...It is easier ans quicker for me .... I won't have any saurkraut woes this year ,as the grasshoppers have just polished off 12 heads of savoy and 8 heads of purple cabbage.... I am contemplating pickling grasshoppers though.... Jeanne There is a lot of info on the net about kraut...I can't recall the temps but I know our basement does not get over 65-68 in the summer and that is where I have fermented it ...

July 31, 2009	#9
amideutch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Germany 49°26"N 07°36"E Posts: 5,041	http://www.manufactum.de/Produkt/193...pfKeramik.html http://www.shop2.meyers-muehle.de/in...-Zubehoer.html __________________ Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘...Holy Crap .....What a ride!'

July 31, 2009	#10
organichris Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Tulsa, OK Posts: 630	Anyone ever eat kim chi? Its Korean sauerkraut. My understanding is that sauerkraut actually originated with the Koreans and kim chi. Kim chi is spicier and is made from Chinese cabbage. I like sauerkraut, but I really like kim chi. You can eat it with just about anything.

August 9, 2009	#13
Colorado_west Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: western Colorado zone 5 Posts: 307	I use to make sauerkraut and I used just wide top gallon glass jars. All I had and could afford. Then I did pressure can it into pints. I packed the jars with my hand pressing down with knucles and careful not to break the gallon jars. I would suggest rubber glove as hand got sore from salt and juice. I used the gov pamplet wt the cabbage and measured the salt. Canning salt. No air locks. Material/cheese cloth over the jars maybe. Been years. It was good and not strong. My husband had informed me he did not like sauerkaraut and I told him kids and I could eat and be something else on table he could eat. He did not order me to not make it. Cabbage needed to use used. He tasted it first time on table and said it is not sour like the boughten canned. I told him no as home made. Yeah, he would eat it. Next day to make left over kraut different I added some caraway seed and little brown sugar. Barvaian . Mine sat on the floor in kitchen under the table. No cooler in this house. My dad made his in a wooden barrel and just left set. Canning it it will last and not get any stronger. I have never tated Kim Chi. No Korean store here in this area. How to do they make spicer? Just a different cabbage? Some where on here some one had put you can do turnips shredded in to a kraut. I know cabbage and stuff made in to pickle relish is good.

August 9, 2009	#14
Structure Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: SLO, CA Posts: 99	I make 2-3 batches of kraut each winter. I make it a little differently though. More of a southeastern Europeans style. Basically, I put 12 heads of cabbage in an Igloo cooler. Add salt. Cover with water. Let sit covered lightly for 5-8 weeks. Rotate the water every other day (one gallon or so from bottom to top). Works great. Whole heads allow one to chop for more traditional kraut or to peel off whole leaves for use in a variety of recipes (cabbage roles). I'd be glad to explain this in more detail if anyone is really interested.

September 25, 2009	#15
duajones Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Corpus Christi,Texas Z9 Posts: 1,996	The instructions for the picklemeister called for letting the kraut set for only 4 or 5 days, then refrigerate. I let the first batch go 8 days but it just wasnt fermented enough. Edible but not great. My second batch I let go 3 weeks and also added a pinch of caraway seeds and a clove of garlic. This batch is much better than the first but boy does it stink up my refrigerator. __________________ Duane Jones