# Sauerkraut



## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I have seen people ferment carrots and it works, so I would think it would work fine.


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

Vance G said:


> Chopping cabbage today and wondering if I could add carrot slices to the mix for color and I suppose taste............ Love to hear what you do.


My parents added carrot to their sauerkraut every time.
It was our seasonal staple food item during the cabbage harvest and I never knew sauerkraut *without *carrots (until later).
Do it.

I want to say carrots were less than 5% of the overall product (visually).
They cubed the carrots at about 1/4-1/2 inch sizes.


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## Eikel (Mar 12, 2014)

With sauerkraut being a stable was pickled pig's feet also one. Oh, the end of the season searching through the gel to find the last feet was such a joy. Had a friend do a search routine skit with all the hand motions and the sounds, lordy it brought back memories and a ton of laughs.


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

I have an excellent recipe for pickled pork hawks even though the Pork Hawk is considered an endangered species among city people. I started adding my oldest questionable pork chops and steaks that had gotten old in the freezer and they are so much better than that gristily foot! Now I am thinking I need to make another batch though I usually wait for the hocks and feet to go to the overage frozen meat bin before I make them.


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## Eikel (Mar 12, 2014)

I never was a real fan of the feet but I was the gofer that was stuck with the less pleasant jobs. Nothing like feeling around in the cold jell hunting for the remnants; the noises are also still memorable. But all the "canned" goods sitting on the shelf were so much nicer to retrieve.


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## Fivej (Apr 4, 2016)

Yes, the homemade kraut in my family almost always had carrots too. I was never a fan of pickled pigs feet, but my father and Grandfather's were. Heck, I remember that they always had them as well as pickled eggs in the neighborhood bar my Grandfather took me to as a boy. 
All my family has passed now but I would like to try making sauerkraut. Care to share your recipe Vance or others?


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## Chicago_ks (Feb 27, 2018)

Fivej said:


> Care to share your recipe Vance or others?


There is an old sauerkraut thread in Coffee Klatch.
ks


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

Pickled pigs feet

4 pigs feet, hocks, over age pork of similar proportion
1tsp cloves
1 1/2tsp pickling spice
4 cups white vinegar 2TBSP kosher salt
1 chopped onion

Cover pork with water, add 1 TBSP salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer until meat starts to separate from bone. Strain broth with cheesecloth or coffee filter. Combine strained broth, spices, vinegar and onion. Simmer mixture 30 minutes. Put pork in half gallon jar. Pour broth mixture over pork, seal and let sit for five days before using.

Alternate procedure. I like to pressure can my pig parts In quart jars. If you just simmer your pork in water about a half hour, then mix the rest of salt and spice in and simmer briefly, skim and pack jars with pork, oinion, some carrot for color and pressure can. Then the jars don't require refrigeration and can be consumed over a longer time and made in larger batches

Lots of sauerkraut recipes on you tube that look like a good bet. Warning, some call for using old kraut juice to seed the culture. That can go strong tasting and nasty in a hurry. Take the time to do it the magic way from the flora in our air. 

Clean five gallon bucket lined with one or two unscented large trash bags. I like some crunch and do not core the cabbage. As I grate each half head, I cover it with a tablespoon and a half, little handful of kosher salt. Add layers. 15 pounds of cabbage will fill the bucket about 2/3 full. Twist bags tightly and hand over edge. Put another trash bag on top and fill with water to weight down kraut and form an air lock. Any gas needing out will get out the twisted bags. No 02 will get in. 

Set in cool dark for 3 months. Then I water bath can for 20 minutes per quart for long term storage. Good stuff. Forget it and let it sit six months and you have some fine cleaning acid. But no longer food.


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## ToeOfDog (Sep 25, 2013)

Hey Vance,

I'm coming to see you this or next summer. You're only 2000 miles one way <GG>.

Every 4 months I stick my head in an see whats on Beesource and I see it hasnt changed. It must have been the sauerkraut that attracted me.

Try these: 

Caraway Kraut for that German taste.

9 pounds green cabbage.
3 TBLS Caraway seed
1 to 1.5 TBLS of Himalayan salt per 3 pound of cabbage. Salt to taste after that
Use a glazed, clay, 5 litre, water moat crock for most of this and then use a half gallon mason jar for the excess.

Blau Kraut
6 pounds RED cabbage
3 diced apples
1 medium onion
2 TBLS carawy
2 TBLS Himalayan salt.
Fits in a 5 litre crock

Minimum 3 weeks ferment at 70*F.

Carrots:
Both carrots and cabbage are high in sugar but the fermentation process eats most of that. The problem with carrots are that they are an old, organic, gardening trick. If you have a garden spot that is high in toxicity plant carrots. They absorb toxicity out of the ground.

*******************************************************************

7 years chemical treatment free
3 years with no manipulation treatments (Drone culling)
1.5% average winter loss ratio
Don't tell someone who is doing it it can't be done.


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

Come on up. Give me a weeks notice to dung out a spare room and we will eat stuff and drink white fluids of unknown provenance. Well not unknown to me. Thanks for the recipes


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## Fivej (Apr 4, 2016)

Thanks. Gonna give it a shot this spring. J


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## SuiGeneris (Feb 13, 2018)

ToeOfDog said:


> 9 pounds green cabbage.
> 3 TBLS Caraway seed
> 1 to 1.5 TBLS of Himalayan salt per 3 pound of cabbage. Salt to taste after that
> Use a glazed, clay, 5 litre, water moat crock for most of this and then use a half gallon mason jar for the excess.


I make a near-identical recipe, expect I add an equal amount of mustard and caraway seed, and add 3 cloves of garlic per kilo of cabbage. A bit more spicy and aromatic than straight caraway...great on brauts!


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## ToeOfDog (Sep 25, 2013)

Thanks for the offer of a room. We'll bring our own. Added a popup to our inventory. Its hard sided so the park rangers wont get upset.

Packed a batch of new carraway recently. Such a pleasant change from the standard lemon,dill, garlic. Carraway is becoming a favorite.

Will give you plenty of notice. One doesn't make a 4,400 mile round trip without a little planning. Would you come through S.D. or N.D.?


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## ToeOfDog (Sep 25, 2013)

>>>mustard and caraway seed, <<<<<

Will try a small batch with mustard.The standard around here is a garlic lemon dill so getting tired of garlic

Yes, I eat sauerkraut on my eggs


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## SuiGeneris (Feb 13, 2018)

I'll have to try it on eggs. I sometimes have a bowl straight-up, along with a beer.


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

I grew up in ND and love it dearly but with the choice of the two I would come thru SD if you haven't seen the Black Hills and Rushmore. On my only trip South (to Prospect Tn) I came up thru Branson and Missouri, Nebraska and Wyoming. There comes a time on a trip when you just want to be home and take the shortest route. We were twenty some states in when I hit Missouri and that happened.


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## ToeOfDog (Sep 25, 2013)

SuiGeneris said:


> I'll have to try it on eggs.


Here's one from meine Oma. 

Buy the fattest pork roast in the store. Get "enough" white potatoes, peeled or not. Get a "few" sweet apples. Have plenty of homemade kraut. Get a cast iron Dutch oven. Add all the above in the covered Dutch oven and pop into the oven about 325*F for 4 hours. The kraut breaks down the pork, the potatoes soak up and mutes the kraut sharpness, the apples sweeten. Make sure the Dutch oven has been seasoned. 

If your are in the Deep South add cornbread with fried cracklings. 

We have rediscovered cast iron after learning about how toxic non stick pots and pans are. A superior form of cookware.


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## ToeOfDog (Sep 25, 2013)

Vance, 

The SD route looks like Googlemap's southern route. Its 32 to 33 hours one way and since towing 2,500+ pounds I won't be doing the speed limit<GG>. Figure it will take atleast a week + to get out there and atleast a week to 10 days back. Spend 2 or 3 weeks in the park.

Prospect???? You were only a 130 miles away.


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

Prospect Tennessee. You said you were in central alabama as opposed to LA lower alabama. Prospect is 9 miles north of the tn/al border in the center of TN. I thought you might know of the town. It is not large. Getting camping spots in Glacier is rough. The park is getting terribly over used. This summer I drove over going to the sun road with grandkids and went for over thirty miles where I could not get off the road because all pull off parking places were full! Do your research on how to acquire a camp ground reservation and how long you can hold it. Consider timing your visit after Labor day when the kids are back in school. Then it will just be full of Japanese.


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## SuiGeneris (Feb 13, 2018)

ToeOfDog said:


> Here's one from meine Oma.
> 
> Buy the fattest pork roast in the store. Get "enough" white potatoes, peeled or not. Get a "few" sweet apples. Have plenty of homemade kraut. Get a cast iron Dutch oven. Add all the above in the covered Dutch oven and pop into the oven about 325*F for 4 hours. The kraut breaks down the pork, the potatoes soak up and mutes the kraut sharpness, the apples sweeten. Make sure the Dutch oven has been seasoned.
> 
> ...


We make almost the exact same dish, but with pork ribs ion place of the roast. Slow cooker, 8-10 hours.


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## ToeOfDog (Sep 25, 2013)

Vance:

>> You said you were in central alabama as opposed to LA lower alabama.<<

The state is roughly about 200 miles(E/W) by 350 miles(N/S). The highest mile marker on i-65 (N/S) is 366 (TN line)and on I -20 (E/W)- 214(GA line). 

I live 10 miles from the geographical center of the state. The geographical center is a cemetery that in-law type relatives are buried in.

My theory of travel. I'm retired. Travel when others aren't. Move around on late Sunday to late Thursday. Find a trail on Friday to mid Sunday. Get up and out at 5 AM before others sober up.

Try the Smokey Mountain National Park the third week of October if you like bumper to bumper at 10mph. Add more time for Elk and bear jams. 
My comment about visiting Gatlinberg. Nothing like spending time with 2 million of your closest friends. <<GG>> Haven't been there in 25 years. 

Glacier sounds like an August/ Sept operation.


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## ToeOfDog (Sep 25, 2013)

Try covered cast iron. It has a different taste. Each to there own.

My Mother used pork ribs that were roasted uncovered in a oven til the potatoes caramelized on the surface. Meine Oma used a Pork roast. I like the covered pork roast the best. The more fat the better. After I finish losing the Christmas weight I will have her make some.


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## ToeOfDog (Sep 25, 2013)

Vance:

>> You said you were in central alabama as opposed to LA lower alabama.<<

The state is roughly about 200 miles(E/W) by 350 miles(N/S). The highest mile marker on i-65 (N/S) is 366 (TN line)and on I -20 (E/W)- 214(GA line). 

I live 10 miles from the geographical center of the state. The geographical center is a cemetery that in-law type relatives are buried in.

My theory of travel. I'm retired. Travel when others aren't. Move around on late Sunday to late Thursday. Find a trail on Friday to mid Sunday. Get up and out at 5 AM before others sober up.

Try the Smokey Mountain National Park the third week of October if you like bumper to bumper at 10mph. Add more time for Elk and bear jams. 
My comment about visiting Gatlinberg. Nothing like spending time with 2 million of your closest friends. <<GG>> Haven't been there in 25 years. 

Glacier sounds like an August/ Sept operation.


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## ToeOfDog (Sep 25, 2013)

Hey Vance,

Drove by Whole Foods today and 22 pounds of cabbage jumped into the car. It's cylindrical form was reduced to shreds. Can't believe how many pounds i have chewed through in two months. 

It was 72*F saturday. Going down to 22*F in a couple days.


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

Homemade kraut is good stuff and good for you. My slow ferment method is about a month from being done, but peeking can result in spoilage. As granny said, A hand in the pot spoils the lot! I bought an airlock with the intention of making a gallon fermenter that the you tube guru's swear will produce nirvana in three weeks. It is fun to play. Right now when the snow is literally three feet deep on the flats and it is up to a balmy twelve below, Shredding store bought cabbage would be a good occupation.


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## ToeOfDog (Sep 25, 2013)

>>>>>>>>>>>> but peeking can result in spoilage. <<<<<<<<<<<<

Three of my crocks are water moats. I will peek about once a week and check. The gas will cause the cabbage andtop caps to rise above the brine level so I pack it back down. I use leaf, top caps and stones.

My understanding is they used to ferment in open top barrels. To get some kraut for dinner you had to cut thru the 1" carpet of mold and peel it back.

My spearmint is starting to leaf out. How about kraut with spearmint for a different taste.


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## Fivej (Apr 4, 2016)

Made Reuben sandwiches tonight and it reminded me to come back to this thread. I need some homemade kraut. Getting my list in order. I am thinking my old beer making equipment will come in handy. J


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## Fivej (Apr 4, 2016)

I know that most make sauerkraut in glazed crocks, but I don't have one. Does anyone see a problem making it in a 6gal plastic beer making bucket. Its food-safe and has an air lock. J


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

I think it would work fine if you layered the slaw with some salt. Mine is fermented in a plastic bag in a five gallon bucket with another bag of water on top to air lock it and provide pressure. I can't answer if the pressure is necessary. My batch that started this thread will be done in a couple weeks. Can't wait.


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## Fivej (Apr 4, 2016)

Thanks Vance. I will give it a shot. J


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## Fivej (Apr 4, 2016)

I have my equipment, recipe,and read here and watched a bunch of youtubes. I can't seem to find the answer to one question: How do I stop the fermentation AND store the kraut? I know that I can put it in the fridge to stop fermentation and it will be good there for a year. But I am making a big batch and can't possibly put the jars in the fridge. I assume once fermentation is stopped, they can be stored in a cool/dry place? So, how do I make a big batch, put them in 30 mason jars and have them keep?


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## Fivej (Apr 4, 2016)

To answer my own question, I decided to "bottle" the kraut in stages and put it in the fridge, then store it in the basement. I will mark the jars with how long it fermented and next time I will have an idea on how long of a fermentation I like. After one week of fermenting in my bucket, i am going to jar some up with jalepeno peppers and finish their fermentation in the jars. J


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

I guess it is full disclosure time. We had a brutally cold February and early March. My Kraut mine is in an unheated portion of our basement and I thick the little acetobacters were too darn busy shivering to do much fermenting. In addition instead of applying salt by guess and by golly as I was taught I was told about the need to have a certain percentage of salt so I measured that and put it on. This resulted in my kraut being oversalty and awfully crunchy and under fermented. Rinsing it took care of the excess salty but it was still under fermented. I cold bath canned most of it which will take care of the crunchy and a miracle may take place and move it above mediocre on the scale. But when cabbage goes on sale, I get to try again, so it is no big deal. I will have carrot and maybe corn in the next batch.


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## Fivej (Apr 4, 2016)

Glad you fessed up Vance because I fear I may be in the same boat. I took a taste of mine yesterday and it was VERY salty even though I am (almost) positive I followed the recipes. I also see very little evidence of fermentation and moved mine to a warmer spot in the house. I did some more research and know that you want 2% min salt for it to be safely preserved. So I ordered a saltometer which I didn't even know existed and plan on testing my brine and go from there. If too salty, I will save the brine, rinse the kraut and dilute the brine to 2%. Hopefully,it is fermenting enough.
Now, have you ever made honey mustard....


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## Fivej (Apr 4, 2016)

My brine came in at 10%!!! How in the world that happened, I don't know as I feel I followed the recipes as far as salt goes. I rinsed it, diluted the brine to about 1.7 figuring there is still salt in the cabbage. Will recheck in a few days. On a positive note, it is getting soft,so it did at least start fermenting. Not sure if this can be saved, but giving it a shot.


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

I am going back to the naked guess using experience and applying less salt! My rinsed canned kraut is not the best but is eating just fine.


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## Fivej (Apr 4, 2016)

Just following up for future kraut makers. I was able to save my too salty kraut. Today, the salt was at 3%, fermentation is taking place. Cabbage is much softer and tastes fantastic. I again rinsed the kraut, squeezed it and returned it to my fermenting bucket after diluting the brine to 1.7% again. I anticipate that the brine will get between 2 and 2.5% as more salt leaches from the cabbage. Tips if it is too salty: Use warm water to rinse the kraut. When diluting the brine, remove some brine and add warm water. The reason for this is that my house is cool and heating season is over and you need 60F min for a good fermentation. Keep the too salty brine to add if you dilute too much. Buy a refractometer for salt. Only cost me $20 on Amazon. Next batch I make, I will invest in a digital scale to weigh the salt. It appears that it is very easy to get the brine too salty and if too salty, the cabbage will not ferment and it does't taste good either!


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## StefanS (Jul 6, 2019)

For future sauerkraut makers - maybe that treat from another forum will help... https://wedlinydomowe.pl/en/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=5686


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## Fivej (Apr 4, 2016)

Fresh, local cabbage is here. I am now armed with a digital scale to measure the salt this time. Anyone else still in the kraut business? Last time I added carrots to some and jalapenos to some. Anyone try anything else? J


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## Gray Goose (Sep 4, 2018)

sure you can add carrots, for color a purple cabbage would also help.

GG


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## Gray Goose (Sep 4, 2018)

Fivej said:


> I have my equipment, recipe,and read here and watched a bunch of youtubes. I can't seem to find the answer to one question: How do I stop the fermentation AND store the kraut? I know that I can put it in the fridge to stop fermentation and it will be good there for a year. But I am making a big batch and can't possibly put the jars in the fridge. I assume once fermentation is stopped, they can be stored in a cool/dry place? So, how do I make a big batch, put them in 30 mason jars and have them keep?


canning kills the bacteria, also softens. I also see it vacuum sealed and froze.

ever try a few caraway seeds or dill seeds or both?
go slow they impart lots of flavor.

GG


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## StefanS (Jul 6, 2019)

Excuse my bravery but I want to put my cents in that conversation - summer cabbage isn't good for making sauerkraut - it not contain to many sugars for right fermentation plus temperatures too high for that purpose. Few post above I have posted a link to similar discussion (different forum) on some topic. Please check last 3 pages. Maybe it will help.


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## Fivej (Apr 4, 2016)

Thanks GG. Didn't think of purple cabbage. Good idea. I do use caraway seeds.
I guess I am jumping the gun Stefan? I will check out that link. More sugars in the fall make sense. Same thing with root vegetables. Temps are not an issue in my basement. J


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## Fivej (Apr 4, 2016)

I read the threads you cited. Very helpful. I will need to talk to my source at the farmers market and make sure they will have enough, post frost.
Looks like a good cite. Do you make kielbasa Stefan? Thanks again. J


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