Raw sauerkrout

[Analeah]

Okay I know this probably isn't spelled correctly lol but I am wondering if anyone knows how to tell when it is really raw or not. I bought some sauerkrout from the healthfood store and it said raw on the package and has directions for cooking it so I think it is raw but I am not sure if it could be just the brand name or something? It is packaged in plastic which I would assume is a good thing as I think stuff in jars is sometimes boiled to get the lid sealed? Anyone know anything more about this? Also it seems like it would be pretty easy to make myself, anyone have a recipe? Thanks!

[Alissa]

whats the company name?

[Analeah]

Hmm, I think the company name is Schomi or it could be Schoni (can't tell on the package if it is an 'n' or an 'm'). It says bio (organic) on the package and then Suisse so I think it is made in Switzerland. It doesn't say anything on the package about it being pasteurized as far as I can tell but is that a rule that it has to be mentioned when companies pasteurize anything? Thanks!

[Alissa]

hmmm never heard of it. rejuvinative foods is the only one i buy.
here are two below:

Sauerkraut The Recipe...
By Mabel Mertz
of Southern Alberta

5 lbs shredded cabbage (About 6 quarts, pressed)
2 oz salt (3 tablespoons)
Shred cabbage finely, put it in a large pan. Mix cabbage and salt with your hands. Pack gently with hands or potato masher. Repeat until crock (Al uses a 6 gal plastic bucket) is nearly full. Cover with cloth, plate and clean rock or something heavy. During the curing process, kraut needs daily attention. Remove scum as it forms and wash and scald cloth often to keep it free from scum and mold. At room temperature, fermentation will be complete in 10 to 12 days. Pack into jars adding enough juice to fill jars. Often there is not enough juice. If this happens, make a weak brine by dissolving 2 tablespoons of salt to a quart of water. Screw bottle lids on tight and process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. After bottles are cool be sure they have sealed before putting them away.

this one below is from the site of http://www.wildfermentation.com/makingsauerkraut.htm
Timeframe: 1-4 weeks (or more)

Special Equipment:
Ceramic crock or food-grade plastic bucket, one-gallon capacity or greater
Plate that fits inside crock or bucket
One-gallon jug filled with water (or a scrubbed and boiled rock)
Cloth cover (like a pillowcase or towel)

Ingredients (for 1 gallon):
5 pounds cabbage
3 tablespoons sea salt

Process:
1. Chop or grate cabbage, finely or coarsely, with or without hearts, however you like it. I love to mix green and red cabbage to end up with bright pink kraut. Place cabbage in a large bowl as you chop it.

2. Sprinkle salt on the cabbage as you go. The salt pulls water out of the cabbage (through osmosis), and this creates the brine in which the cabbage can ferment and sour without rotting. The salt also has the effect of keeping the cabbage crunchy, by inhibiting organisms and enzymes that soften it. 3 tablespoons of salt is a rough guideline for 5 pounds of cabbage. I never measure the salt; I just shake some on after I chop up each cabbage. I use more salt in summer, less in winter.

3. Add other vegetables. Grate carrots for a coleslaw-like kraut. Other vegetables I’ve added include onions, garlic, seaweed, greens, Brussels sprouts, small whole heads of cabbage, turnips, beets, and burdock roots. You can also add fruits (apples, whole or sliced, are classic), and herbs and spices (caraway seeds, dill seeds, celery seeds, and juniper berries are classic, but anything you like will work). Experiment.

4. Mix ingredients together and pack into crock. Pack just a bit into the crock at a time and tamp it down hard using your fists or any (other) sturdy kitchen implement. The tamping packs the kraut tight in the crock and helps force water out of the cabbage.

5. Cover kraut with a plate or some other lid that fits snugly inside the crock. Place a clean weight (a glass jug filled with water) on the cover. This weight is to force water out of the cabbage and then keep the cabbage submerged under the brine. Cover the whole thing with a cloth to keep dust and flies out.

6. Press down on the weight to add pressure to the cabbage and help force water out of it. Continue doing this periodically (as often as you think of it, every few hours), until the brine rises above the cover. This can take up to about 24 hours, as the salt draws water out of the cabbage slowly. Some cabbage, particularly if it is old, simply contains less water. If the brine does not rise above the plate level by the next day, add enough salt water to bring the brine level above the plate. Add about a teaspoon of salt to a cup of water and stir until it’s completely dissolved.

7. Leave the crock to ferment. I generally store the crock in an unobtrusive corner of the kitchen where I won’t forget about it, but where it won’t be in anybody’s way. You could also store it in a cool basement if you want a slower fermentation that will preserve for longer.

8. Check the kraut every day or two. The volume reduces as the fermentation proceeds. Sometimes mold appears on the surface. Many books refer to this mold as “scum,” but I prefer to think of it as a bloom. Skim what you can off of the surface; it will break up and you will probably not be able to remove all of it. Don’t worry about this. It’s just a surface phenomenon, a result of contact with the air. The kraut itself is under the anaerobic protection of the brine. Rinse off the plate and the weight. Taste the kraut. Generally it starts to be tangy after a few days, and the taste gets stronger as time passes. In the cool temperatures of a cellar in winter, kraut can keep improving for months and months. In the summer or in a heated room, its life cycle is more rapid. Eventually it becomes soft and the flavor turns less pleasant.

9. Enjoy. I generally scoop out a bowl- or jarful at a time and keep it in the fridge. I start when the kraut is young and enjoy its evolving flavor over the course of a few weeks. Try the sauerkraut juice that will be left in the bowl after the kraut is eaten. Sauerkraut juice is a rare delicacy and unparalleled digestive tonic. Each time you scoop some kraut out of the crock, you have to repack it carefully. Make sure the kraut is packed tight in the crock, the surface is level, and the cover and weight are clean. Sometimes brine evaporates, so if the kraut is not submerged below brine just add salted water as necessary. Some people preserve kraut by canning and heat-processing it. This can be done; but so much of the power of sauerkraut is its aliveness that I wonder: Why kill it?

10. Develop a rhythm. I try to start a new batch before the previous batch runs out. I remove the remaining kraut from the crock, repack it with fresh salted cabbage, then pour the old kraut and its juices over the new kraut. This gives the new batch a boost with an active culture starter.

[Analeah]

Wow cool thanks for the recipe Alissa! I am definately going to have to give this a try :D

[Gosia]

Hi Analeah, this is how I make saurkraut:

* shred one medium cabbage and 2 carrots
http://img72.photobucket.com/albums/v219/Gosia/Food/saurkraut/saur3.bmp
http://img72.photobucket.com/albums/v219/Gosia/Food/saurkraut/saur5.bmp
* put the vegies in a big stainless steel bowl/pot (wooden will do too)
* sprinkle with no more than 1/2 t celtic salt (OPTIONAL)
* stomp on it with your clean feet until very juicy, for about 10-15 minutes
http://img72.photobucket.com/albums/v219/Gosia/Food/saurkraut/saur6.bmp
http://img72.photobucket.com/albums/v219/Gosia/Food/saurkraut/saur9.bmp
http://img72.photobucket.com/albums/v219/Gosia/Food/saurkraut/saur11.bmp
* put the mixture in a glass jar, press well
http://img72.photobucket.com/albums/v219/Gosia/Food/saurkraut/saur13.bmp
*cover with a cabbage leaf, press
http://img72.photobucket.com/albums/v219/Gosia/Food/saurkraut/saur14.bmp
* to keep it pressed as it ferments, I use a glass
http://img72.photobucket.com/albums/v219/Gosia/Food/saurkraut/saur15.bmp
* cover the jar with a cotton cloth, press with a brick
* put away for about a week
http://img72.photobucket.com/albums/v219/Gosia/Food/saurkraut/saur16.bmp

Easy peasy and yummy each time!

Best,
Gosia.

[loveraw]

Thank you Gossia, that looks easy enough. Not sure if I am ready to use my feet though :)
Renata

[Analeah]

Thanks for the wonderful recipe and the photos too! I think this recipe sounds like even something I could do and I love that you get to use your feet lol. What size jar do you usually use? I think that is the only thing I would need to go out and buy. Also, do you worry about mold or insects getting into it or anything like that? Thanks!

[Gosia]

OK, I use a 2.5 litre (10 cups) jar, but you could use a smaller jar (and less ingredients).

By the way, my stainless steel bowl is not big enough for the task, so I have to do it twice to fill the jar (and it takes me about 1/2 hour).

Note that I cover saurkraut with a cloth, and so this prevents insects from getting in (just make sure that it is covered well).

As far as mould, I never had problems with it. I suppose using common sense as a guide is a good rule, so if something smells/tastes bad, do not eat it!

Best,
Gosia

PS I love the look of your food !

[CherimoyaMel]

Here's my recipe.

Ingredients:

2 heads of cabbage
Herbs and spices of your choice (example, garlic, onion, cayenne ...)

Directions:

Reserve the outer leaves of one head of cabbage
Juice 1 head of cabbage (You can also juice the cloves of garlic if you're using garlic.)
Shred 1 head of cabbage in a food processor or chop finely with a knife.
Put chopped cabbage in a crock pot or ceramic bowl and massage herbs and spices into it.
Add juiced cabbage, and stir the mixture.
Place reserved cabbage leaves over the mixture.
Place a plate upside down over the cabbage leaves.
Place a towel over the plate.
Place a heavy weight (such as gallon bottle of water) over the towel.
Let this sit for aproximately 3-4 days at room temperature. Remove coverings and scrape scum off top of mixture and stir daily. Replace coverings. (Sauerkraut can ferment more quickly in warmer temperature. If temperatures are high, taste the sauerkraut after 2 days.)
After 3-4 days, taste sauerkraut. If it's fermented enough, place in the refrigerator. It will keep in the refrigerator for aproximately 3 weeks.

[Analeah]

These are such great recipes, I can't wait to try them out! Gosia thanks again for your recipe and info and also for your compliment :p CherimoyaMel, Welcome to the forum and thank you so much for sharing your recipe! I love the idea of adding the shredded cabbage with the juiced cabbage. I'll definately post when I make my sauerkraut and let you all know how it turns out. Thanks again!

[Analeah]

Okay I just decided to make some a few hours ago. This is what I did: Shredded 1 purple cabbage and 1 carrot in food processor
Put in metal bowl and stomped on it
Added some apple juice from a few apples (I didnt have anything else to juice lol)
Covered with cabbage leaves, then a plate, then some paper towels (I have no cloth) and then set a glass bottle on top filled with water.

I realize now that I forgot to add any spices or salt. Will adding some tomorrow disturb the fermentation process? Also, do you only stir after the 3-4 days or do you start to stir it from day one? Would setting the bowl next to the dehydrator be a bad idea because of the heat? Or would it just speed up the fermentation process a bit and still be okay? Thanks for your help everyone and sorry to ask so many questions!

[Gosia]

Quick answers to your questions:

*You can still add the spices, if you wish. Simply uncover the leaves, put the spices in, and cover and press again.
*The jar is just fine where you put it.
*Yes, higher temperature will speed up the process.
* I never stir the saurkraut, there is no need for that. All you need is to make sure that, you stomp well and long enough, so that the cabbage becomes nice and soft AND there is a lot of juice (check out the photo of my feet immersed in juice from the cabbage, and I did not add any water/juice to it!). Also, the saurkraut needs to be covered with a cabbage leaf and pressed well so that all the cabbage is well covered with the juice. This is really important!
* When ready, keep it refridgerated.

[smasty]

Ok....next question...what do you guys do with the sauerkraut? I bought a jar of Rejuvenative raw kraut...what should I do w/ it? Just eat it like it is? Anything creative to do w/ it?

[CherimoyaMel]

I don't know anything creative to do with the sauerkraut itself, but you can use the sauerkraut juice as a salad dressing on its own or add some ingredients to it.

[Analeah]

Is it okay to taste the sauerkraut while you are making it? Or is it better not to do any tasting until it has fermented for 3-4 days? I just checked on it today and the paper towels were soaked as so much of the juice had come up lol. I decided not to add any salt or spices just to see how it came out the first time with nothing added. Thanks again for advice and recipes everyone! Btw smasty, with the stuff I just bought from the store, I put it in salads sometimes or eat it just by itself it is so good. I even put it on pizza once which turned out nice.

[CherimoyaMel]

Tasting it is fine. I did that a lot at first because I was curious how it was coming along. Now I usually don't taste it 'till the third day.

[Analeah]

Okay so I tasted it today. I dont know what I did wrong but it is mushy and not crunchy at all. It doesn't taste great but I will probably still eat it because I don't want to waste it. Is it not crunchy because I didn't put salt in? Is it still safe to eat or is it possible to get sick from it?

[CherimoyaMel]

I don't know what went wrong with your sauerkruat. I know it's not the lack of salt because I never salt my sauerkraut. My sauerkraut is only a little bit crunchy, but I wouldn't really call it mushy either.

[Ariannah]

I came upon this thread while searching for sauerkraut recipe. My daughter loves sauerkraut, and I want to start making it. Am I reading some of the above posts that it's possible to make good sauerkraut without salt? Just plain cabbage? I'll try it with, to start with, but I do want to try it without.

Ariannah

[Linda1970]

Hi Analeah, this is how I make saurkraut:

* shred one medium cabbage and 2 carrots
http://img72.photobucket.com/albums/v219/Gosia/Food/saurkraut/saur3.bmp
http://img72.photobucket.com/albums/v219/Gosia/Food/saurkraut/saur5.bmp
* put the vegies in a big stainless steel bowl/pot (wooden will do too)
* sprinkle with no more than 1/2 t celtic salt (OPTIONAL)
* stomp on it with your clean feet until very juicy, for about 10-15 minutes
http://img72.photobucket.com/albums/v219/Gosia/Food/saurkraut/saur6.bmp
http://img72.photobucket.com/albums/v219/Gosia/Food/saurkraut/saur9.bmp
http://img72.photobucket.com/albums/v219/Gosia/Food/saurkraut/saur11.bmp
* put the mixture in a glass jar, press well
http://img72.photobucket.com/albums/v219/Gosia/Food/saurkraut/saur13.bmp
*cover with a cabbage leaf, press
http://img72.photobucket.com/albums/v219/Gosia/Food/saurkraut/saur14.bmp
* to keep it pressed as it ferments, I use a glass
http://img72.photobucket.com/albums/v219/Gosia/Food/saurkraut/saur15.bmp
* cover the jar with a cotton cloth, press with a brick
* put away for about a week
http://img72.photobucket.com/albums/v219/Gosia/Food/saurkraut/saur16.bmp

Easy peasy and yummy each time!

Best,
Gosia.

Does anyone know why you have to cover with cabbage leave? Thanks!

[Shivananda]

Does anyone know why you have to cover with cabbage leave?That is mostly just to give a nice "lid" to the fermenting shredded veg so it is easier to press down.

In regards to previous questions on salt, yes, it is required, not as a seasoning but as a food preservative. Sauerkraut and pickles should have a lot of salt in the pickling solution to inhibit the growth of undesireable micro-organisms that can give icky tastes, or worse, make you sick. If the resulting food is too salty for your taste, it can be thoroughly soaked in plain water and rinsed before serving to make it milder and less salty . Alternatively vinegar can be used, because the acetic acid in it also controls the undesireable beasties.

Also it should be noted that warmer curing temperatures favor the possible growth of bad tasting stuff, as it is easier for the food to rot before it actually ferments. Traditionally kraut and pickles were made in cool cellers. I make mine in the refrigerator. Takes a little longer, but the results are superior. And the "quick pickle" cabbage and radish I make in the fridge with live cider vinegar and sea salt is ready to eat in 3 days, then keeps for a couple of weeks.

[wyjoz]

What to do with sourkrout? Eat it with Flex Crackers and Avocado (sliced/or guacamole style): and here is a good reason to eat more of it:

http://www.nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp?n=63688&m=1fsnn08&c=iejgjukpayuhwcx&idP=2

04/11/2005- Eating sauerkraut and raw cabbage may protect women from breast cancer, said a team of US and Polish researchers last week.

They believe that high levels of glucosinolates, compounds already demonstrated to have anti-cancer activity in the lab, are responsible for the association between cabbage and sauerkraut consumption, and a lower risk of breast cancer observed in Polish immigrants living in the US.
"The observed pattern of risk reduction indicates that the breakdown products of glucosinolates in cabbage may affect both the initiation phase of carcinogenesis -by decreasing the amount of DNA damage and cell mutation -and the promotion phase, by blocking the processes that inhibit programmed cell death and stimulate unregulated cell growth," said Dorothy Rybaczyk-Pathak from the University of New Mexico.

Pathak, along with colleagues from Michigan State University and the National Food and Nutrition Institute of Warsaw, Poland, evaluated the diet of Polish immigrants living in Chicago and surrounding Cook County, and the Detroit, Michigan, metropolitan area.

Women who ate at least three servings a week of raw- or short-cooked cabbage and sauerkraut had a significantly reduced breast cancer risk compared with those who only ate one serving per week, they said at the American Association for Cancer Research's Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research meeting in Baltimore this week.

The study was triggered by Pathak's observation that the breast cancer risk of Polish women rose three-fold after they immigrated to the United States.

In Poland, where abundance of food is a recent phenomenon, women traditionally eat an average of 30 pounds of cabbage and sauerkraut per year, as opposed to just 10 pounds per year among American women. Polish women also traditionally eat more raw cabbage and sauerkraut in salads or as a side dish.

Pathak found the lowest rate of breast cancer among women who consumed high amounts of raw- or short-cooked cabbage during adolescence. Yet high consumption during adulthood provided a significant protective effect for women who had eaten smaller quantities of this vegetable during adolescence.

Cabbage cooked a long time had no bearing on breast cancer risk.

A number of studies have linked consumption of cruciferous vegetables to lower risk of cancer, and more recently, laboratory research has supported this link. For example, a recent Italian study found that juice from different cauliflower varieties suppressed cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner and caused significant cell death at the higher juice concentrations.

Researchers have also recently reported that glucosinolates could help reduce the risk of lung cancer for some people with a particular genetic make-up.

Other cruciferous vegetables that contain glucosinolates include broccoli, Brussels sprouts and kale. Yet research has shown that the compounds are destroyed by storage and processing. Chopping, on the other hand, helps to increase the availability of compounds.

[tvillemom]

Shiva, I would be interested in making some "kraut" in the refrigerator. Would I do it the same, it seems to me that keeping it cold would keep it from molding (something I'm terrified of...poisoning myself). I only ate SAD kraut a couple of times when I was a child, and now can't remember what it tasted like. How will I KNOW when it's done??
Wendi

[Linda1970]

Shiva, thanks again for answering my question! Wow, you seem to have all the answers for me. I have another question and I'd be thankful again if you (or anyone else) can help me. :p Some people (i.e. Kats in Wild Fermentation and Gosia from this board) use a weight and not putting the lid on, and some people (i.e. Renee in Living Cuisine) screw the jar with lid. Do you know why the difference? Using the lid makes more sense to me since you don't want any air. Also, Renee says in her book (p.240) that one should 'pack as much of the prepared vegetables as possible in the jar'. However, Sally Fallon says in her Nourishing Traditions (p. 92) that 'the top of the cabbage should be at least 1 inch below the top of the jar'. Do you know why the difference? Thanks...

[BDraw]

Linda -- I can answer your question about the lid ---- don't screw it on. I did on my last batch and soon noticed the lid was all dented and the kraut spoiled. Then I read that is a "alive", full of nutrients and B complex vitamins, and will explode if not allowed room to breath. I am very thankful that I noticed mine before it got to that point.

Oh, I also read that to speed matters up, make it on your water heater. Nice and warm.

I'm ready to make another batch, and tempted to do it with my feet, sounds like fun!

[Shivananda]

Some people (i.e. Kats in Wild Fermentation and Gosia from this board) use a weight and not putting the lid on, and some people (i.e. Renee in Living Cuisine) screw the jar with lid. Making fermented foods in sealed containers is a bad idea. Fermentation gives off CO2 gas, which needs to escape. And a sealed jar encourages nasty anerobic cultures to grow. Our grandathers usually covered the top of the jar or urn with a cloth, sometimes with a saucer over that. The weight (or spring in a Japanese Quick Pickle press) is to press down on the veg to encourage it to give up excess water. The salt in the brine also helps that occur.

Do NOT put in a warm place like on top of the water heater, that is simply inviting a food poisoning disaster to happen sooner or later. As food scientists will tell you, unless in heavy brine or high acid vinegar, wet food needs to be kept above 160 degrees (which raw foodists never do) or below 40 (modern refigeration) to avoid the growth of toxic microorganisms.


Also, Renee says in her book (p.240) that one should 'pack as much of the prepared vegetables as possible in the jar'. However, Sally Fallon says in her Nourishing Traditions (p. 92) that 'the top of the cabbage should be at least 1 inch below the top of the jar'. Do you know why the difference? Thanks...Dunno... just different styles... in either case, fill with liquid to the top.

[Linda1970]

THanks Bdraw & SHiva.

Why do we need to draw out the juice by hitting the cabbage? WHy can't we just add ACV/water solution? Thanks again.

[Linda1970]

THanks Bdraw & SHiva.

Why do we need to draw out the juice by hitting the cabbage? WHy can't we just add ACV/water solution? Thanks again.

Anyone know the answer to this question?

My sauerkraut came out successfully! I covered my glass jar because it made a bit more sense to me (fermentation occurs in anaerobic condition).