Sauerkraut
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I just started making my own kraut within the last year. I can’t imagine buying store bought again unless I run out. I use 1 gallon fermentation jars from Midwest Supplies…they also work as excellent small batch beer fermenters. Are you packaging them to freeze? I have also been making mustard as it seemed like a natural pairing for the brats and kraut!
Joe Hell yes I package about 64 quarts a year and freeze the majority of them. I usually give away about 58 quarts, there are alot of people that love some homeade sauerkraut! Your kraut looks awesome! I have a buddy from Poland that makes his in gallon batches too. I never tried making small batches before. He said his takes about 2 to 3 weeks. In my crocks I let them go for about 2 months.
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Joe Hell yes I package about 64 quarts a year and freeze the majority of them. I usually give away about 58 quarts, there are alot of people that love some homeade sauerkraut! Your kraut looks awesome! I have a buddy from Poland that makes his in gallon batches too. I never tried making small batches before. He said his takes about 2 to 3 weeks. In my crocks I let them go for about 2 months.
deplorablenc1 That’s good to know about freezing it! I’m running about 4 weeks on a batch. I throw in mustard and caraway seeds as well as bay leaf and a few juniper berries for spice. There isn’t much to it but it’s definitely worth the wait. I’ll hold my next batch a bit longer to gauge the results.
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deplorablenc1 That’s good to know about freezing it! I’m running about 4 weeks on a batch. I throw in mustard and caraway seeds as well as bay leaf and a few juniper berries for spice. There isn’t much to it but it’s definitely worth the wait. I’ll hold my next batch a bit longer to gauge the results.
Joe Hell freezing it is the only way I have found that the crunch and flavor stays with the kraut. I have tried canning it but that gets too mushy.
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Joe Hell freezing it is the only way I have found that the crunch and flavor stays with the kraut. I have tried canning it but that gets too mushy.
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deplorablenc1 and Joe Hell Great post, I am going to start trying to make some and using it with Reuben Brat Seasoning and it is going to be awesome! We have to start a rule, whenever you are responding to Joe Hell your first word MUST be yes, so it is Hell Yes! Same thing with when blackbetty61 posts, someone should be required to post bambalam!
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deplorablenc1 and Joe Hell Great post, I am going to start trying to make some and using it with Reuben Brat Seasoning and it is going to be awesome! We have to start a rule, whenever you are responding to Joe Hell your first word MUST be yes, so it is Hell Yes! Same thing with when blackbetty61 posts, someone should be required to post bambalam!
Jonathon I never used a seasoning making my kraut. My method is 5lbs of cabbage and 3 tablespoons of salt and repeat… this turns the best sauerkraut in my opinion.
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deplorablenc1 and Joe Hell Great post, I am going to start trying to make some and using it with Reuben Brat Seasoning and it is going to be awesome! We have to start a rule, whenever you are responding to Joe Hell your first word MUST be yes, so it is Hell Yes! Same thing with when blackbetty61 posts, someone should be required to post bambalam!
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We make sauerkraut and can’t imagine why anyone would not give it a try. We’ve tried both the old stone crock method and canning in individual jars. They are both good however everyone in our family seemed to prefer the crock method. That being said this years kraut didn’t turn out very well with our crock. One year, after our kraut fermented we froze half and canned half. There wasn’t any noticeable difference so we pretty much opted to go with canning. Mainly because living in a rural area if a major storm comes through you’re not as high priority as the larger metro areas. We’ve experienced a couple close calls with freezers. Those old jars that have been passed down from generation to generation don’t care about electricity.
Good Stuff! -
Does anyone get into making sauerkraut? I have been doing it since I was a young boy in an old fashion crock. Now i do a batch in a 10 gallon crock and a batch in a fermentation pot. Hard to tell a difference in taste because they are both so good!
deplorablenc1 We make it in quart jars using zinc lids. 50 lbs of cabbage makes about 35 quarts.
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Hell Yes Joe, I’d be interested in your recipes? both Kraut and mustard.
Appreciated,
BillyTalleyho4 I don’t have any particular recipes for either. Most kraut recipes are virtually the same…pickling salt is a must. Many recipes call for the addition of caraway, mustard seed, bay leaf and juniper berries but using nothing but salt and cabbage is great too. Mustard recipes are similar in that they all have mustard seed (either ground or whole), vinegar, salt and often sugar. Many will also call for wine or beer and possibly fresh herbs. My last batch had local honey and fresh rosemary and thyme from my garden. I just google for ideas until I get a flavor profile in my head that inspires and go from there. If your mustard is heated during the process it will produce a milder version than one that is prepared cold…such as a ‘Chinese’ style mustard. I suggest trying that one first.
Buying mustard seed from a local grocery might be kinda spendy so I’d suggest buying from bulk at Walton’s. These are a great deal and a good place to start!
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i make kraut every year also many years now about the same as deplorablenc1 15 gal crock i only ad canning salt the result you can’t buy in a store. i shave 18 to 20 large heads in my crock i use 2 qts canning salt add a little every couple inches keep smashing it down with a 2" maple stick till you get to the top should have lots of juice i cut a piece of sani plast cutting board to just fit my crock put on top place my secret 10 to 15 lb rock on top cover with cheese cloth keep close to 70 degrees skim fluid almost every day you can wait a few days 3 to 4 weeks mine is done. just dig down a little and taste go to your liking the longer you leave it the stronger it gets. the time varies on the temp. the flavor is all in the secret rock LOL. i give away lots of kraut every one likes it. i hot water bath can mine never had it mushy yet but i’ll try freezing some and see. want a good recipe let me know to die for called kraut buns might not sound good but WOW.
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i make kraut every year also many years now about the same as deplorablenc1 15 gal crock i only ad canning salt the result you can’t buy in a store. i shave 18 to 20 large heads in my crock i use 2 qts canning salt add a little every couple inches keep smashing it down with a 2" maple stick till you get to the top should have lots of juice i cut a piece of sani plast cutting board to just fit my crock put on top place my secret 10 to 15 lb rock on top cover with cheese cloth keep close to 70 degrees skim fluid almost every day you can wait a few days 3 to 4 weeks mine is done. just dig down a little and taste go to your liking the longer you leave it the stronger it gets. the time varies on the temp. the flavor is all in the secret rock LOL. i give away lots of kraut every one likes it. i hot water bath can mine never had it mushy yet but i’ll try freezing some and see. want a good recipe let me know to die for called kraut buns might not sound good but WOW.
kelly cabbage and salt! That’s what I always say too! Sounds lot like me, give away about 90% but nothing is better than homeade kraut!
5 lbs cabbage
3 tbsp saltMix and stomp!
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kelly cabbage and salt! That’s what I always say too! Sounds lot like me, give away about 90% but nothing is better than homeade kraut!
5 lbs cabbage
3 tbsp saltMix and stomp!
Or crock recipe is the same. A layer of cabbage and add salt and continue this process until finished. We haven’t stomped (bruised) our cabbage in the past but have decided to bruise it with our next batch.
The jar method recipe we used Is from the TV show Tim Farmers Country Kitchen. It turned out very good too and is simpler than the crock method. We liked the crock method best but that may have been in our head because that’s the “old fashioned” way.
Here is a link to the Tim Farmers Country Kitchen recipe. You will have to scroll or watch just past the bee keeping segment to view it. There’s also a very old pickle recipe on the first secment. Interesting because it uses an oak leaf in the ingredients.
https://youtu.be/3zQkgXkJQAo -
Talleyho4 I don’t have any particular recipes for either. Most kraut recipes are virtually the same…pickling salt is a must. Many recipes call for the addition of caraway, mustard seed, bay leaf and juniper berries but using nothing but salt and cabbage is great too. Mustard recipes are similar in that they all have mustard seed (either ground or whole), vinegar, salt and often sugar. Many will also call for wine or beer and possibly fresh herbs. My last batch had local honey and fresh rosemary and thyme from my garden. I just google for ideas until I get a flavor profile in my head that inspires and go from there. If your mustard is heated during the process it will produce a milder version than one that is prepared cold…such as a ‘Chinese’ style mustard. I suggest trying that one first.
Buying mustard seed from a local grocery might be kinda spendy so I’d suggest buying from bulk at Walton’s. These are a great deal and a good place to start!
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i make kraut every year also many years now about the same as deplorablenc1 15 gal crock i only ad canning salt the result you can’t buy in a store. i shave 18 to 20 large heads in my crock i use 2 qts canning salt add a little every couple inches keep smashing it down with a 2" maple stick till you get to the top should have lots of juice i cut a piece of sani plast cutting board to just fit my crock put on top place my secret 10 to 15 lb rock on top cover with cheese cloth keep close to 70 degrees skim fluid almost every day you can wait a few days 3 to 4 weeks mine is done. just dig down a little and taste go to your liking the longer you leave it the stronger it gets. the time varies on the temp. the flavor is all in the secret rock LOL. i give away lots of kraut every one likes it. i hot water bath can mine never had it mushy yet but i’ll try freezing some and see. want a good recipe let me know to die for called kraut buns might not sound good but WOW.
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kelly
thank you- received my 1 gallon jars with airlocks this week and making this weekend!!!
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