Sauerkraut in mason jars?

[DebB]

This fermentation malarky is a really curious, multi-faceted thing, isn't it?

I wouldn't say it 'fascinates' me - my interest is purely from the standpoint of wishing to achieve the most health-promotive results, but I can nonetheless appreciate why some people (eg Sandor Ellix Katz) do become very engrossed in the topic.

I'd like to see people here on RFT post pics of their sauerkraut making experiences :-)

I don't know if you saw the pics I posted a while back Arky - they're here on post #11.
When I try a couple of Supa's suggestions (because I'm getting the same error message you are when trying to post - have you seen his new thread addressing this?) then I think I have more kraut pics I can share.

My thoughts exactly!! Thank you so much for all of the information. I feel a little overwhelmed, I have to say. I
We have 5 jars of sauerkraut fermenting right now - 3 in regular pint mason jars, 2 in 32-oz wire/rubber gasket jars. Hopefully they'll turn out okay. My DH just opened them to let the gas out and there was definitely gas leaving the jars.

My DH says he won't use regular mason jars again as it was more of pain to vent them as opposed to other type.

I haven't attached pics before, but I'm making my first attempt here...

Attachment 9328

Great job queenbee! On the kraut and attaching the pic. Let us know how you like the kraut ~ it looks great :)

[Arky]

One thing I haven't yet found out is whether or not the lactobaccilus are impeded to any extent, if they're kept under pressure during fermentation. I know they do still proliferate under pressure, but I mean as a relative measure, I wonder if there is any difference between efficiency of proliferation between pressurised and unpressurised fermentation procedures.

If anyone happens to know, or finds out, please let me know; I'm always eager to learn :-)


Oh, and thanks for posting a pic, queenbee

[MysticTree]

I'll ask my mother. She is a retired bacteriologist. I hope she still remembers her stuff!

[Arky]

I'll ask my mother. She is a retired bacteriologist. I hope she still remembers her stuff!

Sounds like you've been holding out on us! :-p

[MysticTree]

Sounds like you've been holding out on us! :-p

I'm sure I have mentioned it before. Her background is in the dairy industry (I wonder if that will get the post quarantined?)

eta ... it went straight to the thread without complaint!

[Arky]

I don't know if you saw the pics I posted a while back Arky - they're here on post #11.
When I try a couple of Supa's suggestions (because I'm getting the same error message you are when trying to post - have you seen his new thread addressing this?) then I think I have more kraut pics I can share

Oops! Apologies, Debs, I really don't know why/how, but I somehow didn't notice your post. Those pics look great! It's always a quandry how much space to leave, to avoid overspill of fermentation fluids through the airlock, isn't it? I must admit, I always cave in to the temptation to just fill the jar with celery/beet juice and knowingly allow it to spill over, into a bowl, just as your pictures illustrate. I'm happy to do this, not least because I am eager to drink the overspill juice (as long as I drink it very promptly, before it degrades or is contaminated).

[Arky]

During all the lively discussion in this thread, I forgot to mention that, as healthy as cultured (fermented) vegetables are, one should take care to not focus exclusively on any one type of vegetable. I'm enthusiastic about sauerkraut (it is rich in gut-healing elements, such as glutamine), and I must admit I tend to use the term a little more generically than I really should - almost synonymously with 'cultured vegetables' in general, and of course, the term 'sauerkraut' really refers quite specifically to fermented cabbage.

If you hunt through the RFT archives, you'll find a fair few discussions about goitrogenic foods. Brassicas are one such family of foods. The goitrogenic effects are said to be more evident when brassicas are eaten raw than when they are eaten cooked. Anyone consuming brassicas regularly, in their raw state, should always remain mindful of this.

Goitrogenic foods inhibit uptake of iodine by the thyroid gland. For moderate consumption of goitrogenic foods, the solution is to include plenty of iodine in the diet (by eating a little kelp each day, for example). But if one consumes brassicas to excess, even this solution will fail.

Generally, the advice, with fermented foods, is to not eat more than a tablespoon or two per day. The goitrogenic aspect of fermented cabbage simply reinforces the validity of this general advice when eating fermented vegetables, sauerkraut in particular.

So, don't eat excessive amounts of fermented vegetables each day - 'more' is not necessarily 'even healthier', and when you are making fermented vegetables, be sure to try a broad spectrum of vegetables. Thankfully, the process is very amenable to a huge variety of different vegetables.

It's really nothing for anyone to be worried about; it's just something to be mindful of. As always, everything in moderation!


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[kitlynne]

Arky,

I"m glad that I was able to catch up on this thread! I love sauerkraut, the husband not so much. >< Now I have ideas on what to do to get myself some by my own hand.

[Arky]

I want to update my most recent post, above, to point all of you to some new information Supa kindly provided to me in another recent thread. I don't yet know which of the various experts is correct, but the information Supa pointed me to does appear to contradict the 'long-accepted wisdom' that brassicas are goitrogenic. This is not the first time I've witnessed controversy in this area (for example, I am given to understand that the Weston A Price foundation used to assert that fermentation nullified goitrogenic compounds in cabbage, but later reversed this position).

Whatever the case, you all deserve to have the various viewpoints presented to you, so you can draw your own conclusions about the issue. In the spirit of supporting RFT members to do this, then, I hope I'll be forgiven for providing a link to their website, even though their overall ethos is non-vegan, since the article in question is entirely about cruciferous vegetables, and is a very informative one:

http://tinyurl.com/d3sq2wv

...and Supa provided a link to the opposing viewpoint, re' goitrogenic properties of brassicas/crucifers, in the following thread (thanks again, Supa):

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthrea...830#post714830



Happy reading!


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[Arky]

Just a quick note to mention that Mercola is currently testing a proprietary starter culture for fermented vegetables, with the aim of achieving high levels of Vitamin K2 in the culture, so that's one to keep an eye on.

[CaraS]

I use regular mason jars to make sauerkraut and once I learned a couple tricks from the fermentation master, Sandor Katz, I haven't had any trouble with it.

The trick is to make sure to massage and squeeze the cabbage and salt until when you pick up some cabbage and squeeze it, it looks like you're wringing out a sponge. Then you pack it as tightly as you can in a mason jar - a bit at a time and keep pressing it down. Make sure that there's liquid above the cabbage when you put the lid on. Put the jar in a cool, dark place and in about a week you'll have sauerkraut. I like mine to ferment longer - how long you ferment is really up to you. Once the jar is open, keep it in the fridge and still try to keep the liquid above the kraut.

Super easy, super cheap and super good for you!

[PunkRotten]

I just made a 1/2 gallon worth of it. I used green cabbage and daikon. I usually just chop up all veggies and put it in a huge bowl. I add salt (in this 1/2 gallon case I used 2 tablespoons) and let sit for 10 mins. After that just message the hell out of it and squeeze the juice out. Then I start filling the jar and as it get to the top I push it and pack it down until the liquid is above all solids. Put a lid on and let ferment for 10 days minimum.