Fermenting sauerkraut

[Katterin]

Is there a good recipe for making sauerkraut? I have just orderered a 5L (theres only me) fementing pot (which apparently keeps smells in :) ! )

thanks

[seachangeau]

Hi I've been to a couple of saurkraut demos although I haven't made any yet! There is not much too it really just be sure to use organic produce, filtered water ( get all the chloride and flourine out so the fermenting lactic acid bacteria can live) or get good spring water . You can either Wait for the natural bacteria on your cabbage to get going or use a probiotic starter - just open and tip a couple of capsules of stuff from the chemist in or use some kefir whey. Then squish the cabbage down well to keep it submerged.

[seachangeau]

Is there a good recipe for making sauerkraut? I have just orderered a 5L (theres only me) fementing pot (which apparently keeps smells in :) ! )

thanks
I have the link to the notes from one of the demos - http://astrotas.wordpress.com/2010/10/17/august-2010/ we tasted all sorts of other saured vegies - and I guess you can layer them in the jar - have fun!

[fastfreedom]

I'll be back in a little bit to share with you a recipe that I found delicious. I gotta go dig through a book to find it and I'm too lazy atm to get up. LOL

But it's basically cabbage, a little salt or more salt if not using something else to kick start the fermenting process, kombucha "this is my own addition and it's what I use to kick start the process, then some type of seed "it's a pretty common seed that's used in saurkraut but I can't recall it right now." I wanna guess cardamom but I don't know if that's correct.

[cbowden]

I found Alissa's recipe on OpenSky which I will be using this weekend to make my first kraut.

I started at Alissa's Store on the left....which somehow took me to OpenSky eventually and then I scrolled down and found her kraut recipe....

I'll go see if I can find it again and post it here.

[cbowden]

Okay now for the Sauerkraut Recipe!!!

Look how cool the inside of this cabbage looks! I only use purple cabbage most of the time.



This is from my new book Raw Food for Everyone. Ive been making this throughout the winter and its so good for digestion and just taste so amazing! I dont even wait untill it ferments to eat it, its great that day!



Sauerkraut

Shred the cabbage with a knife, rather than in a food processor, so the cabbage comes out shredded rather than diced. Sauerkraut makes a great addition to wraps and other sandwiches. If you want less heat, reduce the amount of jalapeño. No water is necessary in this fermenting process because of the high moisture content of cabbage and the use of salt in this recipe. Warmer weather will expedite the process. It’s ready when the cabbage has softened and there’s a slightly fizzy, slightly sour taste.

Makes 8 cups

3 cups apple cider vinegar

1 to 2 jalapeño chiles, stemmed

1½ tablespoons coriander seeds

½ head napa cabbage, shredded

½ head purple cabbage, shredded

2 teaspoons sea salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Put the vinegar, jalapeños, and coriander seeds in a Vita-Mix and blend to create the brine. Set aside.

2. Combine the cabbage, salt, and pepper and thoroughly toss with the brine. Place in a ceramic bowl or large crock. Store at room temperature on the countertop for 5 days, stirring at least once a day.

3. Transfer the sauerkraut to clean quart-size jars, cover, and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks.

[fastfreedom]

1 medium cabbage
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
1 tablespoon sea salt
4 tablespoons whey "or if not using whey add an additional 1 tablespoon sea salt"

shred cabbage. place all ingredients in bowl. hammer or squeeze the cabbage for 10 minutes or so to release juices. put in quart jar.


I've never used whey, but I have used kombucha instead. I like the flavor of this recipe.

[streetsurfer]

It was mentioned to me today that the base of a wine bottle works well to smash and bruise the cabbage. You want to do quite a bit of damage to it so the bacteria have more broken cells to feed on, rather than having to digest . Similar to making compost. The smaller the pieces the greater the surface area that is "open for lunch" to the herd, and then your lunch can be finished all that much sooner.
I imagine the liquid that leaks out of broken cells also serves as the ""soup of the day" for the microbes.

[fastfreedom]

Thanks for posting the wine bottle tip. Such a simple and great idea. I've always just used my hands and would squeeze. Can get tiring if making a lot.

[streetsurfer]

Your welcome. Just be careful not to break the vessel if glass or ceramic. I hope I can do some cabbage this year and try it again.

[areilla10]

I'm trying to remember if we used anything other than salt? I don't think we used vinegar, which just pickles it. The cabbage sort of ferments in its own juices as I recall. Mom used to use a giant antique crock. Originally she used a weighted plate to seal it, but to get a really good air-tight seal she used a clean heavy weight piece of food grade plastic (might've been a large plastic bag) tucked inside the top of the crock and filled with water. The water presses the plastic into any air pockets and helps "burp up" any accumulating gases.

Homemade saurkraut is awesome! I'll have to see if I can find my Mom's recipe...

[Nippers]

Hi I've been to a couple of saurkraut demos although I haven't made any yet! There is not much too it really just be sure to use organic produce, filtered water ( get all the chloride and flourine out so the fermenting lactic acid bacteria can live) or get good spring water . You can either Wait for the natural bacteria on your cabbage to get going or use a probiotic starter - just open and tip a couple of capsules of stuff from the chemist in or use some kefir whey. Then squish the cabbage down well to keep it submerged.

Yes, this is what I use to kick start the fermenting process for sauerkraut and kim chee as well-- just add some kefir whey and the bacteria in the whey immediately start working on the veggies.

[teachingking]

Sounds like you already know what you are doing, but here's a link (http://www.healingwithprobiotics.com/how-to-make-cultured-vegetables/) to a video on making cultured veggies. I personally like a cabbage, apple, carroway seed combo for a "sweetish" kraut.

[Arky]

The end of a baseball bat works well for crushing cabbage, or I've improvised with a Vitamix tamper stick in the past.

[levamssg]

I make a quart of kraut a week. Slice up some cabbage. (save a leaf aside to use as a cover) Throw the sliced cabbage in a bowl with a tsp of salt. I crush it with my greenstar juicer pusher. Then pack it Very Tightly in the quart jar, pushing down to make sure liquid covers all the cabbage. Arrange the cabbage leaf on the top, and push it under the brine. I weight it down with a small jar filled with water secured with a large rubber band. I set the quart jar in a container to catch any ooze, and cover the whole thing with a paint strainer bag. I sets in a corner of my kitchen counter. In 3-4 days (depending on the temp in the kitchen) I have a nice jar of kraut. I put it in the fridge, then start another.

By the time I finish one jar, the next is ready to go. I usually use a mixture of red and green cabbage.

[PunkRotten]

I make sauerkraut every now and then. I basically just chop the cabbage up, put into a large bowl and add about 1 tablespoon of salt and let it sit for 10-15 mins. Then massage to squeeze juice out then stuff it into jars. Sometimes SI Make it with purple cabbage rather than green, sometimes I add grated carrots, sometimes I will add some caraway seeds.