# Sauerkraut



## Yankee (Jun 28, 2011)

I'm hoping that fermenting goes into this category? Does anyone have a good recipe for homemade sauerkraut? And/or any tips for making it?

I have a German crock that is glazed inside and out and a lid that is unglazed on the inside along with two unglazed weights. If that matters.


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

I make it in batches. Cut fine, add salt and mix well. Put in crock, make second batch. I use a short bat to mash first batch until liquid covers cabbage. Salt and cabbage need to be together a while to wilt cabbage. Add second batch and repeat. Tamp tight in vessel. I use a plate, plate needs to be covered with liquid. Weight plate with a bag of water big enough to cover and seal top of vessel. Water 1" to 1 1/2" thick in bag. I use 1 teaspoon sea salt to 2 heads cabbage (batch). 2 teaspoons is called for in my recipe (Grandmothers). I pack a layer of leaves on top of each batch, after tamping, we use them as wraps....James


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## Yankee (Jun 28, 2011)

jwal10 said:


> I make it in batches. Cut, add salt and mix well. Put in crock, make second batch. I use a short bat to mash first batch until liquid covers cabbage. Salt and cabbage need to be together a while to wilt cabbage. Add second batch and repeat. I use a plate, plate needs to be covered with liquid. Weight plate with a bag of water big enough to cover and seal top of vessel....James


Great! Thank you for the help. What is the salt/cabbage ration? I read somewhere that it was 1 Tbsp to one head. Do you add any spices? I was hoping to put in some caraway seeds?

How long do you let the first batch sit and wilt? Like an hour or a day? Sorry for the questions but i'm flying blind on this issue.


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

Yes 1 TBS/head in many recipes. Yes you can add spices. I cut with a knife and mix, put in crock. Cut and mix next "batch" and tamp first batch, repeat. Many recipes for different types of kraut, Google is your friend. Enter-kraut recipes....James


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## brownegg (Jan 5, 2006)

Yep...we grow the late cabbage here and the heads are huge. We use a cabbage cutter and weigh our cut cabbage....prolly one Tbs salt per 5 lbs of shredded cabbage (we mix the salt and cabbage very well first)....be sure it's not more than a Tbs or it's salty...then we line 5 gal pail with a good clear food grade bag...tie tight, and place a 2 gal sealed bag of water on top to seal and weigh down...keep in a fairly cool place for 4 to 8 weeks depending how you like it...I prefer it crunchy....we freeze ours in quart bags...but some folks can it....yep, stays crunchy when froze.


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## TRellis (Sep 16, 2013)

Yesterday I opened up the crock of sauerkraut that I have had fermenting. I started this batch just before Christmas and it has been a long eight week wait, but the results are pretty darn good!!! Nice and tangy. I immediately put some on some bratwurst and it was excellent!!!

Jarred up the rest and grudgingly gave some to friends. They all loved it also. I will start a new batch after harvesting cabbage this spring (if I get any). 

Does anyone have a favorite recipe for making sauerkraut without getting really crazy? I just added the normal amount of salt to this batch. I know others add a little bit of dill or caraway to theirs. Any first-hand results with additional ingredients?

TRellis


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## Bellyman (Jul 6, 2013)

Made some this past year, too. Salt, cabbage, a crock, a dinner plate and a big ziplock bag about half full of water on top of it all to keep the cabbage in it's liquid.

I didn't bother with anything other than just the cabbage and the salt. Worked fine. I put it in the freezer as opposed to canning thinking that there might be some good stuff (probiotics??) that would be destroyed by the heat of cooking. 

Had some yesterday and the little bit of leftover today. It's good! Just as good as any store bought I've ever had. And I know what's in it and how it was made. Doesn't get much better than that.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

1 Tbl per head can have wide results. I've had small heads to 10 lb heads. I use the ratio of 3 Tbl salt to 5 lb of sliced cabbage. 

After mashing the cabbage until the brine covers the cabbage, I make a brine solution (water & salt) and fill a 2 gallon zipper bag to weigh the working cabbage under the fermenting brine. Using a brine in the zipper bag instead of plain water is important in case the bag breaks or opens you don't have to worry about having a diluted brining solution.


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## MCJam (Dec 27, 2012)

Easy Peasy Saurkraut by the quart jar:

2# fineyly shredded cabbage per sterilized quart jar
1 TBS salt
1/4 cup whey (Or another TBS salt if you don't have whey)
( Optional: 1 clove chopped garlic and/or 1 tsp caraway seeds, grated carrot, onion, or any other vegetable that catches your fancy)

Mix all together well in a large bowl. Stuff and pound down into quart jar(s) until juices form and jar is packed full. Top with a sterile metal lid, then a white plastic lid. 
Set at room temp for three days on a cookie sheet to catch possible overflow, then into a cool place (cool basement if you have it, or into fridge)
Can be eaten after the three days, but will improve with time and will store 1+ years in said cool place


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## dltasig7 (Feb 5, 2015)

None of the above are wrong...Just adding my 2 cents.

I use a 3 Tablespoons of Pickling Salt to 5 lbs Cabbage ratio. Crocks are great. So are large glass jars, empty food service sized condiment containers, etc. (as long as they're food grade.)

I've added one or combinations of the following: caraway seeds, fresh jalapenos, garlic, onion, and carrots. I haven't tried juniper berries, but hear they're good too.

Keep it submerged, skim off the scum, test it! About 3 weeks at room temp. Add another 1-3 weeks in cool basement, root cellar, etc. Keeps in fridge for up to 6 months!


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## Riverdale (Jan 20, 2008)

dltasig7 said:


> None of the above are wrong...Just adding my 2 cents.
> 
> I use a 3 Tablespoons of Pickling Salt to 5 lbs Cabbage ratio. Crocks are great. So are large glass jars, empty food service sized condiment containers, etc. (as long as they're food grade.)
> 
> ...


Add apples to the list.
Grew up with plain kraut, apple kraut, caraway kraut, onion kraut, garlic kraut, juniper berries kraut.

Gotta try the jalapeno tho:happy2:


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

For those of us who don't have an accurate scale is there a recipe that uses volume instead of weight?

Can it be made in a food grade frosting bucket? I'm wondering about the acid interacting with the plastic.

We made some once but I thought we only used 1 tablespoon of salt per 5 lbs of cabbage (we had a scale to use). I don't like the store bought stuff because it's too salty. Does anyone make it with less than 3 tbsp salt per 5 lbs of cabbage?


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## LonelyNorthwind (Mar 6, 2010)

Fishead, if you don't use the correct amount of salt you may end up with mushy krout. If it's too salty for you once it's fermented, you can always give it a quick rinse under fresh water before jaring or eating. 

I, for one, wouldn't want to ferment anything in a plastic bucket.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

LonelyNorthwind said:


> Fishead, if you don't use the correct amount of salt you may end up with mushy krout. If it's too salty for you once it's fermented, you can always give it a quick rinse under fresh water before jaring or eating.
> 
> I, for one, wouldn't want to ferment anything in a plastic bucket.


Thanks for the info. Wouldn't more salt make it mushy by pulling the water out of the cabbage?

I thought I read somewhere that there are different types of plastic and some are formulated for acid foods like a vinegar bottle.


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## LonelyNorthwind (Mar 6, 2010)

fishhead said:


> Thanks for the info. Wouldn't more salt make it mushy by pulling the water out of the cabbage?
> 
> I thought I read somewhere that there are different types of plastic and some are formulated for acid foods like a vinegar bottle.


I would think that too, fishead - but last year I did just what you were thinking, used less salt and ruined my entire batch of krout. My old buddy who's been making krout for decades told me "no no no" you can't use less salt or you'll have mush. lesson learned

As for food grade plastic, I know nothing for sure. We are unknowingly exposed to so many chemicals in our food as it is and I just don't feel good fermenting food in any kind of plastic. If you don't have a crock, did you know you can make it right in your canning jars?

http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-mak...on-jar-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-193124


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

Thanks.


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## dltasig7 (Feb 5, 2015)

fishhead said:


> Thanks for the info. Wouldn't more salt make it mushy by pulling the water out of the cabbage?
> 
> I thought I read somewhere that there are different types of plastic and some are formulated for acid foods like a vinegar bottle.


You guys are correct on skimping on the salt - DON'T!

Crocks can be expensive. I started with (and still occasionally use) huge glass jars that originally held pickled stuff. If you can't eat a gallon of pickles or banana peppers fast enough, ask your local grocer or diner to save you some.

Happy Krauting!


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

Can we assume that a packed pint jar weighs 1 lb., a gallon weighs 8 lbs. etc?


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## hippygirl (Apr 3, 2010)

I'm going to use my 5 gallon beer fermenting bucket with an airlock to make my next batch...I'm tired of fussing with water-filled plastic bags and such.

I'm also going to try a few quart jars and see how it goes.


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## Riverdale (Jan 20, 2008)

I want to get another crock (my ex got the one I used to use, then she sold it :facepalm

I have used food grade buckets for brining kraut and pickles for years, because 4 crocks are hard to store! :gaptooth:


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## Riverdale (Jan 20, 2008)

hippygirl said:


> I'm going to use my 5 gallon beer fermenting bucket with an airlock to make my next batch...I'm tired of fussing with water-filled plastic bags and such.
> 
> I'm also going to try a few quart jars and see how it goes.


Never thought of that!

Let us know how it turns out.

(I think you'll still need a stone and board, tho)


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## deb_rn (Apr 16, 2010)

Once you use that bucket for sauerkraut, you can't use it for beer! It will have yeast & microorganisms in the fine cracks that will ruin the beer.
I use my crock pot. I only need a small amount about every other year and it works great! I use a plate that fits perfectly over it. You always want to use glass or ceramic as they don't react with the kraut. I have several crock pots, so I could do quite a few at once, if I needed to. 

Debbie


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

I just checked the kraut I started in quart jars yesterday and the fluid level is nowhere near the top of the cabbage.

I pushed down with my fingers pretty hard but maybe not hard enough.

Should I add water or try crushing the cabbage more? Or should I just wait?


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## NEfarmgirl (Jan 27, 2009)

Crush the cabbage more. You don't want to add water to it and the cabbage should create it's own juices. I used a rolling pin to smash it down and had plenty of liquid from it.


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

This is why it needs a weight, cabbage needs to be under the liquid level. Why I don't like quart jar kraut, anything above the liquid needs thrown out. Many of those recipes call for added liquid as brine. When I make it, I add a glass lid from old zinc tops, as a weight, to each jar, to keep the cabbage under the liquid level. Also why I make it in batches with the salt, time to break down and then added to the crock. I know what makes kraut not too salty and yet crunchy enough. Smashed enough to make enough brine, no water added. It is a process, just like a recipe. Done right, comes out right....James


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

Too late. I've already added brine (1 tsp/8 oz water). The liquid level was only about an inch on the bottom.

That head of cabbage has been in a shopping bag in the fridge for more than a week and seemed fairly dry so maybe that's why it didn't make enough juice yet.

I did have about 3-4 oz of water in a drinking glass for weight in each jar.

I just made 4 more quarts with about double the salt plus it's a newly cut head. If it isn't under water tomorrow afternoon I'll try packing it tighter.


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

Did you mash the cabbage and salt before adding to the jar and let it make liquid?

....James


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

I just cut it pretty fine and then mixed the salt with the cabbage before stuffing it in the jars. I randomly tasted the cabbage with my tongue to make sure it had salt on it as I stuffed the jars. Then as soon as I could reach it I packed it down with my fingertips and kept doing that as I finished filling the jars.


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

That works if you can it, not for making it in the jar. You need "brine" that way....James


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

I'm not following you? What works if you can it but not for making it in a jar?


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