Primary Fermenter for Sauerkraut

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Permalink Reply by Martha Hill on September 3, 2009 at 8:30pm

If you are talking about the foam ( isn`t really a mold ) that accumulates on top,, I would remove it as needed !! I do that every two or three days !! Taste at least weekly , and you can if you wish,,leave it in the crock or whatever you choose to use and take out the amount you want to eat !! Just remember to keep the cabbage submerged in the liquid !! It will get more tart as it sits longer !! I find that mine is ready and to my taste after about three weeks !!

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Permalink Reply by Maxine Walker on September 4, 2009 at 7:40am

I basically use the same method as Rod. Only difference is, for each of my 5 pds cabbage batch I add 3-4 tbsp whey made by suspending a one quart carton of live baccilus whole milk yoghurt such as Strauss or Stonyfield in a cotton tea towel over a bowl for 8-9 hours. The "cream cheese" in the towel can be used with added chives or thinned and fruit added or whatever you come up with. The whey can be added to any veggie ferment. As I said, takes only one week at room temp of 68 degrees and if cabbage properly submerged no foam that isn't just the normal bubbling or any mold has ever appeared. As my daughter and I eat about 1/2 cup daily I store it in the fridge and as it takes only a week it is easy to judge when to get another batch going. The whey addition is found in the Sally Fallon book Nourishing Tradtions from the Weston Price Foundation.

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Permalink Reply by PiscesGirl on October 11, 2009 at 10:25pm

This is such an informative thread! I just bought two head of cabbage today (20+ lbs each!) and am going to attempt sauerkraut for the first time tomorrow. Between all of the information shared here and the books that I have on preserving, I feel like I'm ready to go. Wish me luck! :-)

Chelle

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Permalink Reply by Maxine Walker on October 12, 2009 at 8:30am

Hey Chelle, those are mighty big cabbages - going to need lots of chopping and BIG crocks or jars to put it in! I'm guessing you meant 2+ pounds each, otherwise which I'm wishing you a WHOLE lot of luck. : )

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Permalink Reply by PiscesGirl on October 13, 2009 at 3:20pm

Believe it or not - I really did mean 20 lbs each! They are apparently the traditional "Kraut cabbage" according to the farmer who grew them. I'll attach a pic of them being cut from the field so you can see these giant beauties for yourself. ;-)

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Permalink Reply by Maxine Walker on October 14, 2009 at 9:30am

Wow! Envisioning just how much bigger those are compared to the 2# cabbages I get. Looked in all my catalogs and saw none that got bigger than 4#. Do you have a varietal name rather than just "kraut cabbage"? Let me know the logistics on how you're going to manage this batch....: )

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Permalink Reply by PiscesGirl on October 14, 2009 at 2:27pm

I will see the folks who grew these at the farmers' market this weekend and ask them then, ;)

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Permalink Reply by PiscesGirl on October 24, 2009 at 5:15pm

Ok - Mr. Pigman said that the variety was called "krautman". http://vegvariety.cce.cornell.edu/mainSearch/detail.php?ID=287&...

I did found a couple of other varieties of giant cabbage too -

"Premium Late Flat Dutch" http://rareseeds.com/seeds/Cabbage
"O S Cross Hybrid" http://shop.horticultureguy.com/cabbage-seeds-47-1.html

:) Chelle

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Permalink Reply by Jen Whaley on October 12, 2009 at 2:30pm

Just wanted to post an update. I left my kraut in the fermenter for about 3-4 weeks and it is DELICIOUS! Because the container was sealed (except for the airlock) it didn't seem to matter that some of the cabbage wasn't completely submerged in the brine. I have a second batch going now and am hoping for good results again. In fact, I think we'll have sauerkraut for dinner tonight!

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Permalink Reply by marsey on October 15, 2009 at 7:47pm

Here is a very easy and fool proof recipe for sauerkraut made in canning jars. This recipe uses 5 lbs of prepared cabbage and will make about 3 quarts, but you can adjust the recipe and make just a quart or two as well.

Core and slice cabbage. Add 3 1/2 Tbsp canning salt and mix well. Let set several hours or overnight in a glass or plastic container. Pack into clean jars, tamping down as you pack tightly. Pack to within 2 inches of the top of the jar and then fill to within 1/2 inch of the top with cold water.

Do not use metal lids. If you have old-fashioned glass-lined zinc lids and rubbers, they work good. If not just use plastic mayo lids. Screw lid tightly and set in a tray--as they ferment a great deal of liquid will leak out. Set aside for 6 to 8 weeks, or if the kitchen is warm they may be done as soon as four weeks. Check them about once a week and replace liquid as needed using a solution of 1 1/2 Tbsp salt to 1 qt. water.

When you feel the kraut has soured enough you may use it fresh or store it in the fridge. If you wish to can it, replace the lids with regular canning lids and process.

In my experience cold pack canning results in a lot of fluid coming out of the jar during the processing. I have found that it helps to slowly heat the filled jars in hot water before tightening the lids and processing.

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Permalink Reply by alina on October 15, 2009 at 9:09pm

I make sauerkraut without special starters, tamping, sterilizing, etc.

Use a large crockpot (always available for cheap at thrift stores.) You only need the ceramic liner and lid, not the outer part, since you won't be heating anything.

Rinse, then finely slice one head of cabbage. Add to the crockpot.

Sprinkle with 2 TBS salt (sea salt works better), 2 TBS vinegar--any kind--this is to create an acidic environment which is hostile to the bacteria you don't want and friendly to the bacteria you do want--and 8 cups water. (If yours is chlorinated, let the water sit out overnight for the chlorine to dissipate into the air.)

Put a clean plate on top, one that will press the cabbage down as it ferments and shrinks. On top of that, put a weight of choice--a clean rock, ceramic bowl, plastic zip-top bag filled with water.

Put the lid on. Don't worry if it sticks up a bit. It will shrink in a day or two. Set it in an unused corner.

If it's the first time you've made sauerkraut, I recommend checking it daily (wash your hands first) just so you get familiar with the process and can see the changes it goes through. I like to mix it every couple of days or so, but it's not crucial.

For me (Honolulu, warm weather), I leave it for 10 days. In warmer climates, you need to watch that it doesn't get soft and slimy. Ten days works well for me.

(In fact, I just went to check on a batch I have now. I don't remember when I made it, but I tasted a bit, and it's nicely sour and crunchy, so I'll stop it this afternoon.)

I drain the liquid out, then pack the sauerkraut in plastic bags or jars (keep the lid on loosely, so gases can escape) in the fridge. If you have a cooler climate, you won't need to refrigerate it.

You often get a whitish film on the top. You can skim it or not; that's up to you, but it won't kill you. I don't--I prescribe to the "easiest way possible" method of cooking/food preservation.

That's it! It helps to remember people have been fermenting food for thousands of years as a low-tech method of preservation without refrigeration or special ingredients, using few resources.

There are yahoo groups on fermenting in general, dairy ferments (I have info on making yogurt on my blog), kimchee, etc. if you want more information or want all the nitty-gritty science behind it. Me, I like easy, safe, delicious!

Hope that helps. One word of warning: Once you start making homemade ferments, you might get addicted! ha ha.

Aloha,
Alina

Find award-winning vegetarian and vegan recipes at my blog:
http://almostveganinparadise.wordpress.com

Holiday shirts, cards, gifts for writers, woodturners and more:
http://zazzle.com/alinaspencil*

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Permalink Reply by Kitty on October 15, 2009 at 11:38pm

Hi all! I'm going to add even more to the "mix" here... first let me say that I've only been making sauerkraut for a few years and have just recently hit upon the perfect formula... at least for me, in my climate and with the method I employ. I agree with the poster who said "keeping it simple"...

I like ratios, I'm a chef by profession and ratios are important to us. For years I did the 3-4 tablespoon salt to 5# cabbage but different salts (kosher flake, maldon sea, etc) will fill a tablespoon differently. My technology is the use of a good digital scale and a calculator. Whatever the weight of vegetable matter I use (cabbage, carrot, onion, garlic, daikon, etc) I always use 2.25% sodium, by weight. So if I have 7 pounds of veg I multiply 112 (ounces) by .0225 which will give me 2.52 ouces of salt. This way I don't have to worry about the 5, 10, etc, poundages.

Cabbage, salt, sanitized bowl, human hands... when enough juice has come out of the veg from my mushing it up I cover it with clean cheesecloth, tucking the edges into the edges and put a clear plate on top with a sanitized mason jar on top for weight. I plastic wrap all but a small part and cover that with a towel. Keeps dust out. I keep it on the counter in my basement kitchen where the temp is a year round 68 degrees. It takes about 4 1/2 weeks.

I wish I had the nerve to just salt the darn stuff like in days of old... I'm sticking with my scale and calculator. I prefer not to add dairy... I like that everything is already there on the cabbage to make the magic happen.

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