Homemade sauerkraut

[Brett-EDH]

Wanted some natural probiotics. And really wanted some fresh kraut.

So homemade sauerkraut it is.

Beyond simple to make. Sliced cabbage and 2% of the cabbage’s weight of kosher salt.



Salt weight:



Big work bowl of sliced cabbage



Work that salt into the cabbage and massage the cabbage with your hands. Then putting a non-reactive vessel, along with two crushed bay leaves. Then yam down the cabbage with the back of a wooden spoon. The objective is the get the cabbage to release its water.



When fully tamped down, create a smooth top layer.



I’ll watch this for a few hours to ensure I have liquid coating the cabbage. If not, I’ll make a 2% water brine so I can cover the cabbage and will the make a ziplock of 2% water brine as a weight to ensure the cabbage stays in the brine.

Don’t want to grow any botulism here

 

[Bob Bailey]

Just a little bit of my last batch remaining after just over 2 years. Man, is this stuff good. Will be making more soon.

I use airlock lids and glass weights. Once I get the 1/2-gallon Mason jar packed tight, I cover the kraut with one of the outer leaves of cabbage, top with a glass weight and seal with an airlock lid. Stuff it in a cupboard and forget about it for 3 or 4 weeks before the first taste.

 

[Brett-EDH]

Just a little bit of my last batch remaining after just over 2 years. Man, is this stuff good. Will be making more soon.

I use airlock lids and glass weights. Once I get the 1/2-gallon Mason jar packed tight, I cover the kraut with one of the outer leaves of cabbage, top with a glass weight and seal with an airlock lid. Stuff it in a cupboard and forget about it for 3 or 4 weeks before the first taste.

3-4 weeks? What’s your house temp, 60°? I was planning on 10-14 days. Average day temp is 65 and overnight is 62.

Thank you for your additional info. That’s all good. I don’t have an official jar. I just use plastic containers and ziplock bags as water weights at the same salinity as the batch.

 

[JimK]

Very cool! Are you preparing for some post St Patrick's Day Reubens?

 

[Brett-EDH]

Very cool! Are you preparing for some post St Patrick's Day Reubens?

Funny you ask. I am twisting St P day to more of a Jewish deli day.

I’m planning on making some knishs. I bought a real brisket corned beef at Whole Foods yesterday because Costco only sells Rounds corned beef’s which IMO are gross.

If you’re a Prime member, the Whole Foods brisket was $10.49 a pound, from $13.99 a pound. Which was much less expensive than Safeway.

And since e hot dog season is almost upon us, it was a great time to make a batch while the house temp was still normal.

 

[timothy]

I just did 5# Friday in my crock. I only go 1.5% salinity for two weeks.
Last batch I drained and rinsed one quart and marinated in a bottle of dry white wine like a bavarian style for a few days.
Cooked it with a pork butt with diced apples and a little brown sugar.

 

[Bob Bailey]

3-4 weeks? What’s your house temp, 60°? I was planning on 10-14 days. Average day temp is 65 and overnight is 62.

Thank you for your additional info. That’s all good. I don’t have an official jar. I just use plastic containers and ziplock bags as water weights at the same salinity as the batch.

We keep the house at ~75 during the Summer and ~70 in the Winter. Sample times respectively. I do like my kraut to be tart and a longer ferment works for me Pretty subjective. Mom often only fermented for less than a week.

I usually refrigerate for an additional 2+ weeks before dipping into it. Last batch is the first time I've let a batch go for more than about a year and really liking the results. Once we get moved and situated, will start timing accordingly.

 

[Brett-EDH]

Twenty three days later. Sauerkraut.

Tastes great. Good funk. The salinity is spot on and that crushed bay leaf added the perfect note.

Will grill up some dogs and chuck burgers for dinner tonight and enjoy some of this kraut warmed up.

 

[Tim Campbell]

Wowsers, Brett. That rocks.

 

[timothy]

Will grill up some dogs and chuck burgers for dinner tonight and enjoy some of this kraut warmed up.

Some kraut burger dawg dawgs.

 

[Bob Bailey]

Twenty three days later. Sauerkraut.

Tastes great. Good funk. The salinity is spot on and that crushed bay leaf added the perfect note.

Will grill up some dogs and chuck burgers for dinner tonight and enjoy some of this kraut warmed up.

View attachment 109871

View attachment 109872

Looks great Brett!

 

[Dell.Flygare]

Just a little bit of my last batch remaining after just over 2 years. Man, is this stuff good. Will be making more soon.

I use airlock lids and glass weights. Once I get the 1/2-gallon Mason jar packed tight, I cover the kraut with one of the outer leaves of cabbage, top with a glass weight and seal with an airlock lid. Stuff it in a cupboard and forget about it for 3 or 4 weeks before the first taste.

That's a good idea - covering with the outer cabbage leaves. So stealing that one. My other trick now.

The first is recreating a Hersch Crock method using a Red Wing Crock with lid. I make a batch of kraut, pushing it down under the brine then take a sterile quart jar of brine, an inverted plate and weigh it all down (this is wear the leaves will help). Take a 13 gallon new garbage bag and slip it over the top like a nipple on a baby bottle, then wrap a bungy cord around it to seal. No more spooning out top white funky stuff, no more throw away cap. Evaporation is minimal. Works on a one-way gas out anaerobic process. You can drink the brine at the end, living, before canning--like drinking liquid gold.

Get about 7-9 quarts a batch.

 

[Bob Bailey]

You can your kraut?

There goes all of the health benefits

 

[Brett-EDH]

You can your kraut?

There goes all of the health benefits

Yeah, you want the natural fermentation. Good gut bugs. .