Question for experienced saurkraut makers!

[Taedareth]

Hi ladies,

I have made lacto-fermented veggies and fruits, but I recently read an article on the health benefits of saurkraut and would like to give it a try. My NT book is in a box somewhere (we just moved!) so I'll ask you instead: do I need a special crock to make saurkraut? Or have you had success using mason jars? Apparently it's important to use a container that allows outgassing but otherwise is totally sealed against the invasion of bacteria. Hmmm.

[saratc]

I make my sauerkraut in a 1 gallon jar with a lift-lid (non-screw/unsecure top). I think with the salt and innoculating it with some whey, the chances of bad bacteria growing are slim. Just make sure your sauerkraut is pushed down below the liquid. I also cover my shredded cabbage with one or two whole cabbage leaves and after I pack it down as much as possible, I weigh the cabbage down with a covered pyrex bowl full of water that fits into the jar and then stick the lid on top of the whole thing. Although the lid isn't airtight, I've never gotten anything undesirable growing in my sauerkraut and the pyrex/water bowl weight keeps the cabbage from expanding and submerged under the brine.

[hypatia]

I follow the directions is Wild Fermentations and make it with two mason jars: one wide-mouth quart size and one half-pint jar with a narrower.

I fill the in a quart size mason jar with my saurkraut ingredients, and then I fill the smaller jar up with brine and set it inside the mouth of the bigger jar, so that the weight of the little jar is pressing down on the contents of the bigger jar, squeezing the moisture out of them.

I leave it on the kitchen counter for about a week, and I don't do anything to it unless it looks like the vegetables are sticking out of the brine at the top, and then I tamp them back down or cover them with some more brine.

[possum]

Hi, I haven't posted in this area before - I don't think, but I have been eating TF for several years now and making sauerkraut - among other things. I use mason jars - usually 1 cup or 1 pint ones. I like having 1 use sizes rather than dipping out of a big jar. I (otherwise) use the recipe in NT - usually with the whey but sometimes only the salt and have never had a contamination issue with the sauerkraut or kimchi. My carrots on the other hand always turn out slimy???.
Melinda

[newcastlemama]

I make mine in covered wide mouth mason jars and just make sure the liquid covers the cabbage. I leave it out about a week. I do make some brine (like Wild Fermentation talks about because I cannot get enough liquid from my carrot/cabbage/dill seed mixture to covers the vegs) My 3yo loves that combo BTW. He calls it pickle salad.

Jen

[Taedareth]

Could someone post a basic saurkraut recipe for me? My NT book could be in any of the dozens of boxes we have yet to unpack... : and I'd like to benefit from the immune-boosting goodness of saurkraut before winter's over!

[quietserena]

here you go

[Koalamom]

Basic sauerkrauta and whey recipe

This is from the Nourishing Traditions cookbook. At the end, I included my variation.

1 Medium cabbage, cored and shredded
1 T caraway seeds
1 T sea salt
4 T whey

mix all ingredients together. pound with wooden pounder for about 10 minutes to release juices. Place in mason jar and press cabbage down firmly so there is about 1 inch of juice above cabbage. The top of the cabbage should be at least 1 inch from the top of the jar (this is very important!) cover tightly and leave at room temp for about 3 days before transferring to cold storage.

I usually add
1 shredded onion
1 grated carrot

To make the whey:

heat milk till very warm
For every cup of milk, add 1 T of lemon juice
Stir and see the curds and whey form
Strain in cheese cloth
And you have a soft cheese and whey!

[Leilalu]

I just make it like in NT, and put it in a mason jar. My MIL gave me something that you attach to the lid however, that allows outgassing. Going to try it later tonight actually. I think she bought it at a shop that has beer/winemaking supplies.

I also make a small batch of brine to add to the top. Even if I pound that cabbage for 10 minutes, I never quite get enough to completely cover it up. When I ferment it, it seems to expand and needs additional liquid to cover.

[Taedareth]

Thanks for the recipes! So, to add brine you just put in more water and salt?

I read somewhere that raw (lacto-fermented) saurkraut has anti-parasitic properties. Is that true?

[Metasequoia]

I SO prefer Sandor's recipe to SF's - for sauerkraut & most other fermented recipes.

[MamaMonica]

I make it with brine, too in quart mason jars and use a beer bottle full of water as a weight to press the cabbage below the water line.

[NatrlCatholicMama]

Ooo, so many questions!

-why fill the weight jar with brine? Why not water, or coffee for that matter? It doesn't go in the recipe, right?

-can "quick whey" that PP described above (heat and add lemon juice) be useful for this? Doesn't it need to be made the long, slow way to have the necessary beneficial bacteria to inoculate the sauerkraut? I'm so confused!

-What is SF? Sandor is "Wild Fermentation" guy, right?

-I was having a ridiculous time keeping cabbage from attacking my whole kitchen while pounding the NT way. A hammer in a bowl? How could that work? Didn't for me. I tried a pounder on a cookie sheet. Did not work. I ended up squeezing the cabbage by hand, then bought a pilon (giant wooden mortar and pestle) in Puerto RIco and intend to try using it. What are your mashing secrets?

TIA!

[Leilalu]

Originally Posted by Taedareth

Thanks for the recipes! So, to add brine you just put in more water and salt?

I read somewhere that raw (lacto-fermented) saurkraut has anti-parasitic properties. Is that true?

this is what I do. MIL makes hers this way, with the wine thingie in the top of her lid for off-gassing, and adds probiotics.
I would feel better adding fresh whey personally-more of the "use what you have" mentality

[Metasequoia]

Originally Posted by Leilalu

I also make a small batch of brine to add to the top. Even if I pound that cabbage for 10 minutes, I never quite get enough to completely cover it up. When I ferment it, it seems to expand and needs additional liquid to cover.

Originally Posted by NaturalCatholicMam

Ooo, so many questions!

-why fill the weight jar with brine? Why not water, or coffee for that matter? It doesn't go in the recipe, right?

Leilalu said that she actually tops it off with brine because the natural brine from the cabbage never fills it for her - the liquid *always* needs to be above the cabbage!

Alternately, some people use a plastic bag filled with brine to weigh the cabbage down - by using brine, it doesn't matter of the bag leaks, where as, if you used water or coffee, you'd ruin your kraut.

Originally Posted by NaturalCatholicMam

-can "quick whey" that PP described above (heat and add lemon juice) be useful for this? Doesn't it need to be made the long, slow way to have the necessary beneficial bacteria to inoculate the sauerkraut? I'm so confused!

I've never heard of that method - I think Sandor's (Wild Fermentation) is the simplest, most straight forward & traditional way to prepare sauer kraut.

Originally Posted by NaturalCatholicMam

-What is SF? Sandor is "Wild Fermentation" guy, right?

Sally Fallon, author of Nourishing Traditions.

[saratc]

Originally Posted by NaturalCatholicMam

I was having a ridiculous time keeping cabbage from attacking my whole kitchen while pounding the NT way. A hammer in a bowl? How could that work? Didn't for me. I tried a pounder on a cookie sheet. Did not work. I ended up squeezing the cabbage by hand, then bought a pilon (giant wooden mortar and pestle) in Puerto RIco and intend to try using it. What are your mashing secrets?

I don't usually bother pounding my cabbage. I just place in a huge mixing bowl, add salt and whey, mix with my hands and let it sit for awhile. The cabbage will "sweat" and start wilting and releasing water. Then I pack it really well into my gallon jar with a meat tenderizer. The act of packing the cabbage tightly plus all the "sweating" caused by the salt and whey mixture usually works for me to make enough brine to cover everything. If the cabbage is old though, it won't release much liquid and you'll most likely have to make extra brine.

[NatrlCatholicMama]

Thanks for taking the time to answer, all!

Originally Posted by hypatia

I fill the in a quart size mason jar with my saurkraut ingredients, and then I fill the smaller jar up with brine and set it inside the mouth of the bigger jar, so that the weight of the little jar is pressing down on the contents of the bigger jar, squeezing the moisture out of them.

This must be the one I was thinking of - the jar full of brine. I've seen other recipes call for this, but I think they probably were baggies, not jars, and that makes sense, thanks!

[PumpkinSeeds]

I use the Wild Fermentation by Sandor Katz's recipe. It works the best for us.

I usually only add salty water (brine) if by 24 hours the liquid level doesn't cover the cabbage. Usually the fresher cabbage has more liquid while later in the winter the cabbages seem dryer.

I do use a weight (jar filled with beans) on top the cabbage for a week or so. Then I take the weight off and push the cabbage down with a fork every coupld of days or so.