Can I Pressure Can Fermented Foods?

[VeggieLovinMama]

I am wondering if I can make large batches of fermented foods like sour pickles, saurkraut, etc. and preserve it for many months of shelf-life using a pressure canner. Does anyone know? Will using a pressure canner defeat the purpose of fermenting? Will it heat the foods so hot that the beneficial bacteria will die?

[Lazurii]

It will kill all of your bacteria.  If you want to save your fermented foods long term the best way is in the fridge.  Or a root cellar, do you have one of those?  I wish I did!  I know I'm looking into the possibility of getting a second fridge to store my ferments.  I think that ferments don't have to stay very cold, maybe 40* or so?  So if cost is a problem then turning up the fridge temp could help mitigate some of that.

HTH!

[VeggieLovinMama]

That's whay I figured. I think I will still get a pressure canner for jams, spaghettie sauce and other things that I can't ferment. I will still do my ferments and put them in the fridge to store. Sandor Katz just keeps his fermenting away and grabs it out by the jar full! I may try that and see how it goes. I do WISH I had a root celler or an extra fridge!

[Lazurii]

Okay, I just found this semi-tutorial about "canning" raw sauerkraut.  I think I'm going to try this out and see how it works!  I hope it can help you out, too.

http://homeshalom.blogspot.com/2011/07/canning-raw-sauerkraut.html

Edit for typos

[VeggieLovinMama]

Originally Posted by Lazurii 

Okay, I just found this semi-tutorial about "canning" raw sauerkraut.  I think I'm going to try this out and see how it works!  I hope it can help you out, too.

http://homeshalom.blogspot.com/2011/07/canning-raw-sauerkraut.html

Edit for typos

Awesome! Thanks so much, I'll definitely look into doing this.