Sauerkraut
| # | Post |
|---|---|
| 1 | Hi there, was wondering if anyone makes sauerkraut, and what hints and tips you may have, thanks! racheee - 2009-08-12 08:16:00 |
| 2 | racheee, have a look at http://trademecooks.net.nz/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=526 - in particular look for recipes/info' from donald6, uli, and katalin2. :-)) 245sam - 2009-08-12 08:36:00 |
| 3 | racheee. I make sauerkraut. I am a true convert to the wonders of sauerkraut. You need to google it and read as much info as possible. There are two types of sauerkraut - the cooked type (which is for taste only) and the true, cold fermented sauerkraut which is the most healthful and most delicious. I started out using a food grade bucket with a lid and a glass cake plate with a bottle of water on top and have graduated to a real Harsch sauerkraut crock. buzzy110 - 2009-08-12 16:43:00 |
| 4 | When I first became interested I looked at recipes on the net with very detailed instructions. At first they seemed way too complicated but as you work through them, step by step, you will realise just how easy it is to make. A few tips are: Ensure you use sea salt, (the sprinkling type not the lumpy type) not iodised. You can buy it in the supermarket in the salt aisle. convert the weights of salt to metric before starting and try and stay within the weights as too much salts stops fermentation and too little makes your cabbage go bad. buzzy110 - 2009-08-12 16:50:00 |
| 5 | Cutting up bulk cabbage and other vegetables with a kitchen knife is not really practical unless you are a skilled knife handler and have good quality knives to do the job at hand. I bought a V-cutter with attachments from a food show a few years ago. They were being sold for $105 at the last Food Show just gone. I use it nearly every day. However, a big food processor will work almost as well. buzzy110 - 2009-08-12 16:53:00 |
| 6 | rachee, before I go any further and bore you to tears, can you explain what sort of sauerkraut you were thinking of. There is the pickled cabbage as posted by donald6 or the genuine cabbage as explained by uli. I actually think I am the only person in here who is currently making sauerkraut properly so can be of help to you if that is what you want. Once I mastered sauerkraut I moved on to fermented vegetables. Having loads of these two types of veg has really cut down on my winter food bills and I always have a healthy vegetable to eat with my lunch and sometimes dinner. buzzy110 - 2009-08-12 17:02:00 |
| 7 | Now that I have sauerkraut and fermented mixed vegetables mastered I am thinking that next season's glut (when vegetables are at their cheapest) I'm going to try making Korean kimchee. But only in small quantities for me to eat when my husband isn't home as he hates garlic and chilli. lol buzzy110 - 2009-08-12 17:06:00 |
| 8 | I use this recipe. got it off a different site but this one is probably better. It is really quite self explanatory. http://www.wildfermentation.com/resources.php?page=sauerkrau buzzy110 - 2009-08-12 17:10:00 |
| 9 | Oh do come back racheee. I am so excited to think that there is another person who wants to make sauerkraut to. Thus far I have been a solo voice and it has been a lonely experience. Everyone on here just wants to know how to cook cakes & muffins, like that is rocket science for heavens sake. Not even my friends are interested. Their eyes just glaze over while they look longingly at the next slice of chocolate brownie. buzzy110 - 2009-08-12 17:29:00 |
| 10 | Hi Buzzy, yes yes yes the real type of sauerkraut! I am really interested in fermented alive food - have been introduced to it by a fantastic lady here in Invercargill, Sherry Elton, and am just starting to get back into it. She had a natural health workshop on Monday night which reignited my interest. She actually does workshops in making sauerkraut, cheese, sourdough bread etc and can't wait to go to one. She also introduced me to raw milk too so that is great. Was wondering if anyone else on here was into it and glad I found someone! Was actually looking at the special sauerkraut pots on the internet yesterday, and she sells the cabbage shredder too but it was really pricey. racheee - 2009-08-12 18:45:00 |
| 11 | You should look up Sherry's site, it is her name dot co dot nz. Have actually got my soaked nuts in the oven now to dry them out, and hoping to get a dehydrator soon. Found another interesting website today, thenourishinggourmet dot com. Interesting. I have two young boys though so don't have a great deal of time to browse the net, but there is a lot of interesting information out there. Have been reading your sourdough thread for a while and am really keen to try it. racheee - 2009-08-12 18:48:00 |
| 12 | Ok then - here we go: Homemade Sauerkraut For small quantities you can use a big Agee jar, for bigger quantities use a large ceramic crock or uli - 2009-08-12 21:31:00 |
| 13 | Slice the cabbage into strips, I do this with a hand-held slicer (like you use for cucumbers, just bigger) or if the cabbage is uli - 2009-08-12 21:32:00 |
| 14 | The salt also has the effect of keeping the cabbage crunchy, by inhibiting organisms and enzymes that soften it. Use approx. uli - 2009-08-12 21:33:00 |
| 15 | Once you have cut up all the cabbage make fists and get into it. Beat it really hard (this is the time when you can let go of all the uli - 2009-08-12 21:33:00 |
| 16 | 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 uli - 2009-08-12 21:34:00 |
| 17 | If scum appears on the surface, skim what you can off of the surface. It will break up and you will probably not be able to remove uli - 2009-08-12 21:34:00 |
| 18 | In winter you can leave the kraut in the crock, and scoop out a jarful at a time and keep it in the fridge. The sauerkraut juice is a rare delicacy uli - 2009-08-12 21:35:00 |
| 19 | You can make sauerkraut all year, so you can develop a system whereby you start a new batch before the previous batch runs out. uli - 2009-08-12 21:36:00 |
| 20 | I make it the same as Uli did you mention not to use ionised salt? Plain only, sometimes hard to find. lilyfield - 2009-08-12 22:05:00 |
| 21 | Thanks Uli, that is awesome. Can't wait to have a go! racheee - 2009-08-13 11:46:00 |
| 22 | Yes. I make it exactly the same as uli as well. I haven't yet cooked my s/k, prefering to eat it 'raw'. I make a coleslaw type salad drizzled with olive oil and eat with sour dough bread. It is a match made in heaven. Currently my favourite recipe is home sprouted sunflower seeds (grown till the green starts to show or they taste horrid), avocado, tomato, fresh Italian parsley and canned salmon. Eat with sour dough bread and you have a match made in heaven. However my recipes change all the time. buzzy110 - 2009-08-13 15:42:00 |
| 23 | It is a pity you live in Invercargil rachee. My very kind husband carried a wonderful Harsch crock pot home for me from San Francisco and he is going up there again in a few weeks. I could have made him bring one home for you too. buzzy110 - 2009-08-13 15:44:00 |
| 24 | Wow, that is awesome, you were lucky to get one. One day I might be able to get one of my own - better at least make one batch before I get too professional though. Very nice thought. Hey, could you please do me a teensy favour, if you have time? Looking for a slicer as you suggested, and there are a few different ones here on TM - could you please suggest a good one? There are so many different ones and different prices, there might be a bargain in there somewhere! racheee - 2009-08-13 20:13:00 |
| 25 | here are some shredders and crocks for sauerkraut: http://www.goldenfields.co.nz/sauerkraut_pot.php uli - 2009-08-13 21:38:00 |
| 26 | there is nothing like it on TM you could buy 235931641 or 235060687 or 235102431 - however none of them have the "crate" to hold your head of cabbage securely. It will take some trial and error (= lots of turning of the cabbage while slicing) to do it with one of these. The one from Golden fields is much better (and much more expensive). uli - 2009-08-13 21:48:00 |
| 27 | Thanks Uli, saw that website the other day. They have some good stuff. Might have to save up and splash out! racheee - 2009-08-14 11:25:00 |
| 28 | Fabulous site uli. Wish I'd known about it earlier. It is now firmly book marked because I am thinking that a smaller one would be ideal for other sorts of fermented and pickled vegetables. Preferably something hot and garlicky that I can eat when my ever loving, but rather precious husband, doesn't have to be assaulted by stinky, hot smells!!! buzzy110 - 2009-08-14 15:41:00 |
| 29 | What size do you have Buzzy, and do you think a smaller one would be better? racheee - 2009-08-14 19:34:00 |
| 30 | I got a 10litre crock. I definitely think that it is better to get smaller, rather than larger. You have to bear in mind that they can get heavy when full and you may wish to move it about. Also the 10litre one did just enough. No point in getting a huge one when you only want to put down 2 or three big cabbages and what a waste of money and space to get bigger. Also I think a number of smaller ones for different foods gives you the opportunity for a greater variety. Mind you I only have one at present, but best to walk before I start running. buzzy110 - 2009-08-15 15:50:00 |
| 31 | as posted above - if you just want to make a small quantity then make it in glass jars. If you can get those jars which come with a glass lid and a wire closing mechanism and a rubber ring - they are the best to use. You slice your cabbage and bash it with salt then stuff it hard into the jars, leaving about 3 cm air on top. Snap the jars closed and the developing CO2 will have pressure enough to push most of the air out of the glass jar between glass and rubber. uli - 2009-08-15 16:57:00 |
| 32 | You will see the entire contents come up to the top of the jar as it starts fermenting and bubbling and if you didn't leave enough space you have to put the jar onto a plate, as it will start pushing some juice out. You will notice how it changes from green to yellow and after a few days I put it into the fridge (our cellar up here is far too warm and the stuff goes soft and terrible). uli - 2009-08-15 16:58:00 |
| 33 | In the fridge it will keep for months or years - or I freeze it for long term storage. The top layer will be going brown and I usually lift it off and compost it - best compost starter on earth by the way!!! - or if I want to be fancy then I cut some rounds out of the cabbage leaves and put those over the top of the sliced stuff so then it's easy to lift them out afterwards. uli - 2009-08-15 16:58:00 |
| 34 | uli. That is almost identical to what I do when I make fermented vegetables using whey and water as opposed to salt. I use regular Agee jars with lids and rings. I have found it is best to leave them on a towel in my never used bath tub which is on the cold side of my very warm house. For the first two weeks they will over flow but then settle down and create a tight seal. I then refrigerate. buzzy110 - 2009-08-15 22:31:00 |
| 35 | which veges do you ferment buzzy? I have done cucumbers once and they were so fizzy that only myself ate them, everybody else couldn't stand the fizz on the tongue LOL :) uli - 2009-08-16 09:22:00 |
| 36 | That is so funny uli. Yes, the veges do fizz. They also have a sour taste. The fizzy juice makes just as excellent a tonic as sauerkraut juice. I followed the instructions from this site: http://wholesomegoodness.net/2008/06/10/cultured-veggie-tuto buzzy110 - 2009-08-16 09:49:00 |
| 37 | that site is so funny buzzy :) It says that you will need an apron LOL :) I don't think I even have one ... and then it says "... For a modern American, leaving food out on the counter for a week is pretty scary .... Actively promoting bacterial growth? Even more frightening .... " :) AAAWWWW! uli - 2009-08-16 10:09:00 |
| 38 | Yes. She was rather pedantic in the beginning. I have to agree. Mind you American kitchens are there for show, so it is necessary to start from the very beginning when explaining how to cook or make something to Americans. To the average city bred American the term 'made from scratch' means going out to buy pre-prepared packages and following the instructions on the pkt - something like buying a pizza from the freezer section of the supermarket and reheating it. That is the height of home cooking in their minds. buzzy110 - 2009-08-16 14:42:00 |
| 39 | Sadly we are following suit. I'll never forget a thread called, How to Make Tomato Sauce from Scratch and one poster thought that meant using two pkts of Maggi tomato soup mix and adding onions or something. I nearly cried laughing but it is telling. buzzy110 - 2009-08-16 14:45:00 |
| 40 | Tomato sauce from Maggi Packets It breaks my heart to see how uninformed and gullible people are when it comes to food. I suppose the schools don't teach domestic science any more, but they could at least educate the kids about the marketing strategies of food manufacturers, because it's outfits like Maggi and Nestle that are to blame with their ghastly recipes devised solely to increase the sales of their ghastly products. Okay, that's my rant for the week. davidt4 - 2009-08-16 18:32:00 |
| 41 | And they are very clever in marketing those packets. Even 30 years ago there was cookbook with recipes from maggi - and it was free. Every recipe was based on some maggi soup or sachet LOL. And did you see the very excited thread a couple of days ago - about the "personalized Nestle cookbook" which is so wonderful - every poster was more excited than the last ... I was able not to post in it too LOL :) (was hard though) uli - 2009-08-16 18:45:00 |
| 42 | "Personalised" Nestle books It's horrifying, isn't it. Why can't these parents and grandparents make up a truly personalised book of proper recipes to give to their offspring? Decades ago it would have ended up as a family treasure. davidt4 - 2009-08-16 18:50:00 |
| 43 | I have been studiously ignoring that thread because I know I'd make even more enemies. buzzy110 - 2009-08-16 19:47:00 |
| 44 | Just while we're making enemies... Have you noticed how often it is that the people who recommend cooking with packet soup, marshmallows, lollies etc are also using the expression "to die for"? davidt4 - 2009-08-16 21:45:00 |
| 45 | haha davidt4 - what a laugh never occured to me. However buzzy join the club - I have been witch-hunted out of here several times, hence my reluctance to come back and continue to provide recipes and insights. Especially the soy debate makes me cringe. Most vegetarians have so no idea about what they do to their bodies - all based on some obscure mind games why we shouldn't eat meat.... uli - 2009-08-16 22:00:00 |
| 46 | bump. Just to find out how rachee is progressing. buzzy110 - 2009-08-18 14:40:00 |
| 47 | rachee. I know uli and I can be a bit hard on posters sometimes. I am often told off for being too direct and yet when people are too direct to me I just shrug my shoulder's and take it on the chin. I never think any less of people because they have expressed an opinion that may differ from mine. I think the same probably applies to uli and maybe david. Heck, I think I may have locked horns with david on one occassion but the respect is still there. buzzy110 - 2009-08-18 14:43:00 |
| 48 | Anyway. Putting all that aside I am still really interested in how your thoughts on making sauerkraut are firming up. I do hope you haven't completely discarded the idea as too hard. I know the instructions seem complicated because it is a process that is completely outside the average NZer's experience, but once you start, it is really quite simple. To start with I broke it down in my mind to steps and completed each step as if it was the only step and everything became very easy. buzzy110 - 2009-08-18 14:47:00 |
| 49 | Actually, now is a good time to start thinking about making sauerkraut. At present, cabbages are more expensive than in summer so there is no need for you to rush around gathering together your equipment. This is a time when you can be getting a list of instructions (I dread to call them recipes for this procedure) that you think you could follow easily and looking about for the things you need or could adapt to suit your pocket. buzzy110 - 2009-08-18 14:50:00 |
| 50 | Hey, sorry, have just been flat out the last few days. I think I have managed to kill my sourdough starter, my yoghurt did not set, and now I am getting scared to make whey in case I muck that up too! In the Nourishing Traditions book she says to use 2 quarts (almost 2 litres) of raw milk, however for a start I would like to do half that just in case I end up wasting it. That could still work ok? And do I just leave it on the bench in a glass bowl covered in gladwrap for a few days? racheee - 2009-08-18 17:04:00 |
