Do you use a food processor for your sauerkraut/cortido?

[motherbirth]

I don't own a food processor, but I am borrowing my mother's, so I thought I would try using it to shred the carrots for cortido. I ended up finding it frustrating (maybe I just don't know how to use it), and grating the rest by hand.

So it made me curious, do people do the cabbage/carrot shredding by hand, or use a food processor?

[onetrumpeter]

Originally Posted by motherbirth

I don't own a food processor, but I am borrowing my mother's, so I thought I would try using it to shred the carrots for cortido. I ended up finding it frustrating (maybe I just don't know how to use it), and grating the rest by hand.

So it made me curious, do people do the cabbage/carrot shredding by hand, or use a food processor?

I've only made three batches (well, four now that I've got ginger carrots fermenting) of anything fermented, but have used the food processor each time. It's just a lot faster for me, but it could be the type of FP I have (kitchenaid). I've heard Cuisenart(sp?) is very good, too, and the opening might be bigger. But I guess for carrots you don't need a big opening to get the the grating disk! lol Actually w/ my KA FP, there's an insert that goes in the opening to leave a column of about 1" in diameter that I use to put the carrots in. It works for me, but if you find it frustrating it might not be a good FP.

Are you doing the pineapple vinegar for the cortido? I'm SO wanting to try that but it sounds more complicated than anything I've done yet! Good luck!

[deditus]

I always use the food processor. It's so much faster, I like my cabbage shredded thinly, dd likes to help, & I don't grate my knuckles. I always plan it for a day when I am making another shredded dish, like coleslaw or a carrot salad to get the most out of my mess making!

[Teenytoona]

My shredder died, and I don't like grating (nor do my knuckles). So I just started a batch of coarsely chopped sauerkraut this week. I think it should be ok. DSD loved smashing it, so hopefully it will taste as yummy. I think this will be my preferred method, because really, with the shredder, it ended up being just as messy, but then I have that complicated thing to clean, plus the cutting board and knife (and table and floor) anyways. Clean up is easier as there's less to deal with. I am starting to find I like processors less for things due to my general laziness when it comes to cleaning things.

[velcromom]

I use my mandoline for the cabbage, it goes faster than cutting by hand.