Sauerkraut Recipes

[goeduck]

Bet your kitchen stinks.....

BTW, what is a foo-foo store?

Probably one of those organic places that charge triple for things cause they are natural.

Exactly. The normal grocery stores did not have the Pink Himalayan salt I was after. I read that it imparts some extra flavor (since I did not have any bugs or slugs on my cabbage). It actually does taste better than regular sea salt. It is taken from ancient sea beds.

 

[goeduck]

I can almost picture a heavenly glow radiating from the top of geoduck's kraut crock, thanks to that pristine foo foo salt he used.

I think I have climatized to the smell at this point, the garlic carrot kraut was the smelly batch. I only have 17 liters going so far and if the farm store still has cabbage this weekend I will get enough for another 10 to 12 liters or so. 5030 is exactly right on the farm store (or your own grown) cabbage, it has a lot more moisture in it than the big grocery store processed heads. I would have never have known that since I usually grow my own.

 

[Jstpssng]

I think I have climatized to the smell at this point, the garlic carrot kraut was the smelly batch. I only have 17 liters going so far and if the farm store still has cabbage this weekend I will get enough for another 10 to 12 liters or so. 5030 is exactly right on the farm store (or your own grown) cabbage, it has a lot more moisture in it than the big grocery store processed heads. I would have never have known that since I usually grow my own.

What I found out the hard way though, is that the moisture diminishes greatly if you put it in your self defrosting fridge for a week. In fact, mine dried out enough so that it isn't even tasty.

 

[goeduck]

What I found out the hard way though, is that the moisture diminishes greatly if you put it in your self defrosting fridge for a week. In fact, mine dried out enough so that it isn't even tasty.

While still fermenting? Fully fermented kraut may be kept tightly covered in the refrigerator for several months. That will stop evaporation.

 

[5030]

I think I have climatized to the smell at this point, the garlic carrot kraut was the smelly batch. I only have 17 liters going so far and if the farm store still has cabbage this weekend I will get enough for another 10 to 12 liters or so. 5030 is exactly right on the farm store (or your own grown) cabbage, it has a lot more moisture in it than the big grocery store processed heads. I would have never have known that since I usually grow my own.

Like my wife says, I know about 2 things, cabbage and making hay with Kubota tractors and hay tools. I agree and I don't know much else., wll, maybe apple cider. Brought in another gallon jug from the deep freeze. Man is that stuff good. Have to be careful with it though, Does bad things to the bottom end.:laughing:

 

[Rebeldad1]

dont know much about pink Himalayan salt Is it different than pink salt?
Year before last Seattle roads had a bad winter. They brought in a Barge full of pink salt to treat the roads.
Same stuff?

 

[Jstpssng]

While still fermenting? Fully fermented kraut may be kept tightly covered in the refrigerator for several months. That will stop evaporation.

No, this was a fresh cabbage which I tossed in there until I had a chance to use it. In hindsight I should have at least wrapped it.

 

[5030]

Got a large folding table in the garage loaded with potatoes and onions that have been drying and getting ready to go in the root cellar (tomorrow). I usually grow enough to go the winter. Kennebec's this year and some Yukon Gold. The Kennebec's came from Maine certified seed potatoes btw.

Years ago I grew a boatload of Idaho's and made them into french fries, bagged them and froze them and we had french fries with about every meal, all winter.

 

[goeduck]

dont know much about pink Himalayan salt Is it different than pink salt?
Year before last Seattle roads had a bad winter. They brought in a Barge full of pink salt to treat the roads.
Same stuff?

Probably not :laughing:

 

[goeduck]

No, this was a fresh cabbage which I tossed in there until I had a chance to use it. In hindsight I should have at least wrapped it.

Yeah, that would dry them out. I am going to get my cabbage in on time next year, buying it at the farm store is $$$$.

 

[goeduck]

Next Friday will be 4 weeks on the first batch. Twice the water level in the rim went lower faster than evaporation could account for. I did not want to add water if the kraut was drawing a vacuum and have the rim water get sucked into the brine. So I lifted the lid and sure enough, water gurgled back out and the rim water level was back to normal. I am not recalling this or in the past I just assumed the lower level was due to evaporation. Unfortunately this gave the crock a dose of oxygen. Does anyone see this with their water lock crocks? House is running on the heat pump and fairly constant at 69 degF.

 

[5030]

Next Friday will be 4 weeks on the first batch. Twice the water level in the rim went lower faster than evaporation could account for. I did not want to add water if the kraut was drawing a vacuum and have the rim water get sucked into the brine. So I lifted the lid and sure enough, water gurgled back out and the rim water level was back to normal. I am not recalling this or in the past I just assumed the lower level was due to evaporation. Unfortunately this gave the crock a dose of oxygen. Does anyone see this with their water lock crocks? House is running on the heat pump and fairly constant at 69 degF.

My Harsch crocks do the same thing. I just add some more water to the gutter (never take the lid off). When you do you'll get Kalm on the surface of the brine because the oxygen will react with the fermentation inside. Resist that temptation (to remove the lid). My big open top crocks, I use a tight fitting ceramic dinner plate (inverted) with a clean stone on top of the plate (for pressure) and cover the entire crock with a black plastic garbage bag (new of course, not used) and forget about it for a month.

Didn't pickle anything this year, have plenty of canned stuff in the root cellar. Just did taters in mesh sacks, onions in mesh sacks and carrots, layered in sand in tubs. I like to leave my carrots in the ground until we have at least one hard frost before digging. That way, the carrots get 'sweeter'. Next year will be a cabbage and tomato year and probably green beans too. Maybe some corn relish as well.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Both my wife and me can, from our gardens, but we have more than enough tomatoes already canned, so I'm not going to can any this year... I did start a batch of ketchup yesterday, and she finished it and canned it last night...

I grew up with my dad making kraut every fall from our own cabbage, then as a kid I started making it with him. He learned from his mother, and of course, I from him, but once dad was gone, I quit making it...

I still have numerous crocks around here that we made kraut, dills ect.. in... Long ago, I use to make corned beef in crocks too, except it was corned moose and caribou... lol

SR

I love good corned beef; and I know from experience that some is better than others. I met a lady once upon a time that told me that she made her own, and it was better...much better...than anything that you could buy in the grocery store. Has this been your experience? And if so...do you have a recipe that you like and could share with the boys?

 

[goeduck]

I love good corned beef; and I know from experience that some is better than others. I met a lady once upon a time that told me that she made her own, and it was better...much better...than anything that you could buy in the grocery store. Has this been your experience? And if so...do you have a recipe that you like and could share with the boys?

I would like to hear about corned beef in a crock as well. I would like to give that a try, I assume in a wide top crock?

Another thing I am going to try this afternoon that I never have done before is pickled green tomatoes. I have too many that are not going to ripen.

 

[Bird]

I've never had anything to do with making corned beef; wouldn't even know where to start, but I sure do like corned beef that I buy.

And I've never had anything to do with pickling tomatoes; green or otherwise. But I've certainly enjoyed eating pickled green tomatoes at the Catfish Corner in Ardmore, OK.

 

[5030]

I've never had anything to do with making corned beef; wouldn't even know where to start, but I sure do like corned beef that I buy.

And I've never had anything to do with pickling tomatoes; green or otherwise. But I've certainly enjoyed eating pickled green tomatoes at the Catfish Corner in Ardmore, OK.

Tomatoes are easy. In fact, any acid based vegetable is easy to can.

How you doing Bird? I see you don't post much anymore.

 

[Bird]

How you doing Bird? I see you don't post much anymore.

I reckon I'm doing as well as could be expected for an old man.:laughing: But I had to move back to town some time ago to care for my mother, so I don't have as much to do, or to say, about tractors as I used to.:laughing:

 

[goeduck]

Tomatoes are easy. In fact, any acid based vegetable is easy to can.

I am going to try fermenting, then refrigerating them rather than canning but yes, it sounds like the results should be good.

 

[cqaigy2]

I am going to try fermenting, then refrigerating them rather than canning but yes, it sounds like the results should be good.

Best dill pickles i ever had were fermented. At the time i didn't know there was another, more prevalent way to make pickles, but apparently fermentation was the way it was done, before easy cheap supply of acetic acid.

 

[5030]

At my age, my wife says I'm fermented. Think she means demented however....