Sunday, March 21, 2010

Kitchen Experiments

I have been wanting to try making my own sauerkraut for awhile now, ever since  Texan posted about getting her really nice pickling crock and starting a batch. I don't have a crock...yet! But you don't have to have a crock if you want to do a small batch...or so the internet says! So,I have been waiting for my grocery store to get in some organic cabbage,because I have always heard that plain cabbage is heavily sprayed with pesticides...the way those little worms love cabbage,I believe it!  I read at a lot of sites about making kraut in jars so that is what I am trying. We all know how good fermented food is for us!

One big cabbage,this only made 2 quart jars after it was shredded,salted and pounded.

This is super easy.Just shred the cabbage....




put in a bowl and sprinkle with salt..1 to 2 Tbs..some recipes call for kefir whey,since I don't have fresh milk right now I don't have any.That would be a super pro biotic boost!

...add spices or other veggies if you want.This being my first time I went with just cabbage. Traditionally,from what I read you would add fennel or caraway seed.I didn't have these on hand so I used dill and celery seed as these are some flavors I like. I am never afraid to experiment! Some jalapenos might be good next time...this is Texas after all! We have to make everything hot!


Then pound it down to get the juices going and let sit awhile...


Pack in jars  tight and weigh it down. It just happens that these small jelly jars just fit in the quart jars and make good weights!


If there isn't enough juice add a little water,not city water, to cover the cabbage. Put the lid on and wait.It said to release the gasses every so often from the jar. Then just wait some more!



Oh, and it is supposed to be a smelly process so..yeah.  I will let you all know some time later if this worked.Hopefully I will not forget to degas it! Can you imagine what that would be like if it exploded.....!!!!

11 comments:

Unknown said...

Just salt and spices?? Wow I guess I was expecting sugar or vinegar. How long will it take?? I will be interested in seeing your results. Cool post!

Melodie said...

All the recipes I looked at varied a little..but 6 to 8 weeks depending on the temperature.

Lin said...

I can't wait that long!!!

Joanna@BooneDocksWilcox said...

I'm sure yours will turn out good. Although there's not much I don't like, sauerkraut is just something that doesn't suit me. Maybe I've never had really good sauerkraut though. And I LOVE cabbage.

Julia said...

Do you have to boil? I guess not... ?? How does it not spoil? Hmmm...

Brenda said...

That looks pretty easy! My Dad used to make it in the crocks when I was a kid. I remember it was really really good! He made fermented salt pickles in the crocks too. They were my favorite! I was always sneaking in to them. :D

IanH said...

Here is a tip for all you male sauerkraut makers. If you are looking for a crock, whatever you do, don't call her old!

Melodie said...

Lin,

This being my first batch ,I hope it goes fast so I can see it it worked!

Joanna,

Thanks! Not everyone likes it..it is different tasting for sure!

Julia,
The salt and natural fermentation. You can process it in the caner when it is done..but it only requires refrigeration.

Brenda,
I so want to make pickles when I get a crock!

IanH,

Good advice!

brokenteepee said...

I want to try this myself someday. I can't wait to hear how it comes out.

Callie Brady said...

Thank you for doing this and posting the photos. I think I will try making sauerkraut after the lentils get finished sprouting. I want to use organic cabbage and lentils too. That may take a bit of looking.

sunset pines farm said...

So just salt and spices? That sounds really easy! Can you post the whole recipe?

I may have to try it-my grandma used to make a huge pot(really, a small barrel) of pickled veggies-she took peppers, cauliflower, green tomatoes, carrots, and cabbage-and made enough each fall to get her through the winter. She passed away before we bought our small farm and long before I was interested in making my own foods or living a sustainable lifestyle. Needless to say none of her recipes were saved-I cry just thinking about it. I miss her greatly(she raised me) but I also really regret not having inherited her recipes.