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Two (2) Home Fermented Sauerkraut Recipes

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    Two (2) Home Fermented Sauerkraut Recipes

    For those who have never made their own sauerkraut I encourage you to try - it is Sooo much better than store bought mass produced stuff.

    This family recipe, along with the 7.5L Harsch Gärtopf crock, was given to me by a Swiss grad student when I was in college at Texas A&M. We were both in the Texas Aggie Brew Club (TABC) together:

    Sauerkraut

    18-20 lb cabbage, shredded. It will be less than 20 lbs after discarding the outer leaves and coring it. My crock holds about 12-14 lbs, any extra can be fermented in mason jars. Save a couple of good clean whole leaves to put over the top.

    2.5 oz salt

    2 tsp. crushed juniper berries

    2 tsp. caraway seeds

    OPTIONAL: 8 oz cultured buttermilk (it will ferment without this but it was part of my friend's recipe so I included it here)

    Mix all ingredients and pack into the crock, it will make its own juice as you pack the cabbage into the crock (leave room to put in the weight stones). Add buttermilk and place whole leaves over the shredded cabbage. Place the weight stones over the whole leaves. Put the lid on and add water to the air lock channel. Place in a warm place and ferment for 4-5 weeks, the warmer the more sour it will be.


    Here is a good recipe my friend gave to me using the sauerkraut:

    Szegediner Gulasch

    1 Tbsp. oil
    2-3 onions, chopped
    1/2 lb. pork stew meat
    1 tsp. paprika
    1 cup meat bouillon
    1 Tbsp. salt
    1 Tbsp. tomato paste
    2 cloves garlic, crushed
    1 to 1 1/2 lb. sauerkraut
    1 cup sour cream

    Saute onions in oil. Add pork and cook 10 minutes covered, stir periodically. Add paprika and salt, cook 10 more minutes. Add tomato paste, garlic, and bouillon. Cook 1 1/2 hours. Add sauerkraut, cook 20 minutes. Add sour cream just before serving.

    EDIT: When making the sauerkraut, it is much easier to divide the batch into 5 lb. increments. 15-20 lbs. would take a very large vessel to blend everything at once.
    Last edited by 58limited; February 10, 2019, 02:04 PM.

    #2
    Awesome! We really appreciate you posting a family recipe! I LOVE kraut. I could eat it right out of the jar, for hours. LOL This recipe sounds mighty tasty.

    Comment


      #3
      That sounds great! We are having kraut with kielbasa this week. But it will be the store bought stuff. :-( Fortunately, a local company (Dearborn Sausage) makes it and their stuff is generally better than comparable big-brand equivalents.

      Comment


        #4
        Thanks for sharing this. I also make my own kraut and encourage anybody who likes it to try (many people just don't care for it). I'm not fond of the caraway seeds and have never added the crushed juniper berries. I would like to try it with the crushed juniper; where do you get the berries? Do you just pick off of neighbors plants? And, thank you for the Szegediner Gulasch recipe as well... I saved it and will try; it looks super cost effective as all of these ingredients are very reasonable (especially with home made sauerkraut).

        Comment


        • 58limited
          58limited commented
          Editing a comment
          I use juniper berries from the grocery store. The brand I currently have is Morton & Bassett. I have a buddy with a ranch in central Texas, may try to get some fresh ones from him in the future. There is a distillery near by his place that uses the fresh local juniper berries in their gin - it is one of the best gins I've had. Me and 4 diehard bourbon drinking college buddies took a tour of the place several years ago and were offered our choice of a 375ml bottle at the end - we all took the gin

        #5
        I normally dislike caraway, but for some reason, it works well in the kraut I make. I don't add a lot, but I've found it makes the cabbage more cabbage-y, IMO.

        The stereotype of needing a big ol' crock and a garden cart full of cabbage turn a lot of people away from making homemade sauerkraut. A person can make really good kraut just 1 quart at a time. For small families or for use more as a condiment than as a main veggie, this is the way to go.

        Here's how I got started -- https://www.makesauerkraut.com/sure-...raut-in-a-jar/
        Last edited by IowaGirl; February 10, 2019, 02:07 PM.

        Comment


        #6
        I got some valve ball jar lids and am a couple weeks in on the first batch. Since they fit wide mouth ball jars seems like you can make any size you want.

        Easy Fermenter Wide Mouth Lid Kit (3 Lids + 3 Weights + Pump) – The Complete Starter Kit With Everything You Need To Begin Fermenting https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0789QYV52..._jDiyCbSF5F6T9

        Comment


          #7
          Thanks a lot for posting this. I love kraut, it’s not a Reuben without it !! Great stuff !!

          Comment


            #8
            I started making my own kraut recently, and agree it is so much better than store bought. For my first and only batch so far I didn't add anything - just cabbage and salt. Came out great. I've fermented some other veggies as well. Just made three different batches of pickled eggs too. I'll try your recipe in the future. Thanks!

            Comment


              #9
              You got that right! Nothing better than homemade! I make about 6 cabbage heads of kraut each time I make it. Recipe is similar to what you use, although I add red pepper flake for a little kick.

              The buttermilk ilks is interesting. I’ve never seen this in the recipes I’ve read. What Ganges does it make if you add it? Thanks for sharing!

              Comment


                #10
                A couple weeks in.


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                  #11
                  If you want a good way to preserve garlic for cooking, you can lacto-ferment peeled whole cloves just like kraut. The fermented garlic keeps for months in the fridge and can be smashed, diced, and used in cooking just like fresh. If you have problems with your stomach rebelling against garlic, fermented garlic is much easier on the tummy.

                  Comment


                    #12
                    The idea behind adding whey or liquid from older ferments is to inoculate the new ferment with microbial cultures. Some people swear by it, but it's my understanding that most foods that people lacto-ferment already contain all the microbes needed for a vigorous fermentation. There are a few exceptions to this rule, but most veggies do fine without extra help.

                    There is a natural progression of microbes in a lacto ferment -- one type of microbes grows strongly in the higher pH in the fresh food. It declines as the pH becomes more acidic, and the next wave of microbes takes over, and so on. There's no real benefit to trying to circumvent or jump start the process by adding whey, etc. -- you don't necessarily get a better product. In fact, it can sometimes lead to off flavors.

                    Young kraut tastes brightly acidic. As kraut gets some age on it, it gets mellower and richer tasting. It's fun to follow the changes.

                    Comment


                      #13
                      I've been making Kraut and Kimchi for some time now. I'm down to my last jar of kraut that has been fermenting for almost 2 years. It's like wine and the longer it stays fermenting the better it gets. Same goes for the kimchi that is also a couple of years old. I use a Boleslawiec fermenter for kraut. and a fermenter from the Crazy Korean with inner vacuum lid for the kimchi. The fermenter from the Crazy Korean has been holding and fermenting since Aug "17" the red peppers from my garden to make hot sauce under controlled conditions in my "fermentation refrigerator" . Yes, a whole new animal in cooking or should I say vegetable fermenting.
                      It's "Amazing" that so many people have so much in common here on this website.

                      Comment


                        #14
                        After joining the Pit and getting more into smoking, I figured I'd eventually start making some homemade sausage. Having some sauerkraut to go with it seemed like a no-brainer. I found this when it happened to be on sale and thought it would be an easy way to start fermenting. https://www.culturesforhealth.com/co...ation-kit.html

                        It was a good way to start since I could use mason jars that I already had and could start small. Unfortunately, all I've had a chance to do so far is one batch of basic kraut almost a year ago. It was just a single green cabbage and salt (I don't recall the ratio of salt-to-cabbage by weight, but it's not hard to find online). The problem starting with a single small batch is that if you are impatient like me, you don't let it ferment as long as it should before you open it up and dig in. It wasn't bad, but definitely could have used at least another 2-3 weeks on the shelf. Won't make the same mistake next time... whenever that may be.

                        Comment


                          #15
                          I agree with the posters here - homemade sauerkraut is the best. I just made our 4th batch (about 4.5 LB ea) of the spring. So, many great recipe use sauerkraut. Brats, Reubens, Smoked pork salad, etc.

                          Question: Does anyone here use a cabbage grater? If so, does it work well? I just slice mine thinly by hand which takes my about an hour for two cabbages all in from start to stuffing it is the crock.

                          Some pics from the latest:

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