Homemade Sauerkraut Pictorial Guide: Q-View

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Husker, Thanks.

Sam,  Weigh the cabbage when purchasing.  The crock will hold 12 pounds of crushed cabbage.  Any more and you will have trouble getting the weights in.  I use a sledge hammer placed inside a plastic bag to crush the cut cabbage.
 
Great,  Will be around Sunday if you want help.  Review pages 30 & 31 in your book take notes on the time and temps.  Be sure to tamp well, and press into crock.  No additional water will be needed as it should cover the cabbage after the weights are added.  If not it will in a short time. No peeking after day two.

Mr T
 
Tom, morning....  I noticed the salt ratio to cabbage is 1.2%....  Is that a number you worked on over time, and decided it was the flavor profile you liked....   I have not seen a 1.2% w/w salt recommendation when fermenting cabbage... usually that number is 2-5%.....    Dave
 
Dave,

Got my info from the following.  I highly recommend the book.

It says that a 0.8 to 1.5 % salt per total weight of the vegetables will result in a tasty and long lived product.  I can say, it sure is tasty not salty at all.

Tom

 
 
Got the book today, might play with some small batches of kraut in glass jars till I can get local fresh cabbage then will get a 10 L Harsch.

Have you done pickles or anything else in your Harsch?
 
Got the book today, might play with some small batches of kraut in glass jars till I can get local fresh cabbage then will get a 10 L Harsch.
Have you done pickles or anything else in your Harsch?

I would strongly recommend using the recipe on page 28. It works out to be 1.2% salt to cabbage ratio. When I first got my crock I made several gallons of kraut and now am rotating 1 year old product and it is wonderful, crunchy and not salty at all.

Pickles and dill are hard to come by in this area so I have not made my own although the crock has been used to make kimchi and fermented vegetables.


I love your potato masher, I was using mine today to drive survey stakes!

Got to love those multi purpose kitchen utensils.
 
Congratulations on your new purchase.  You will definitely enjoy it as obviously you enjoy pickled and fermented foods. Although they are a little on the expensive side, they soon pay for themselves in labor savings alone.

Better keep an eye out for another refrigerator or two and glass gallon jars.  Keep us up to date on what you are doing.  If I can be of assistance, please ask.

Tom
 
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Would a Bormioli Rocco Fido 5-Liter Jar with Clamp Lid be a good choice for Sauerkraut or Kimchi?
Yes, I keep both in the smaller wide mouth jars in the kitchen refrigerator.  Would advise though that you wait until after primary fermentation before using.  It will save you some cleanup.
 
Thanks!  I have 6 in-bound!!!!   
drool.gif


I'm looking forward to using them.
 
Thanks for the tutorial!

I am going to start my first batch tomorrow or the next day. I have a 10 gallon crock and will buy 50 pounds of cabbage. (go big or go home?)

How did you arrive at the figure of 1.2%?

I've seen recipes calling for 20:1 and 40:1. Yours' is more like 80:1?

Thanks!

ralphed
 
Gotta try this!

Thanks for the post!

I absolutely HATE the stuff!  Always had since I was a kid!  My mom was German.  I think she took the darn stuff out of a can and never rinsed it? She should have known better? I don't remember her making it from scratch.  My folks were too busy trying to run their small business.  She was off the farm by then.

People have told me the stuff in Germany is great.

I love a good Kim Chi! 

Why wouldn't I love a well made Sauerkraut?

Good luck and good smoking.
 
For anyone who has never made their own sauerkraut you absolutely have to make some. If you've never tasted any it's like the difference between smoking your own meats or eating ham from a can. Remember to keep it simple. This is a staple that has been made for centuries under all kinds of inadequate conditions. It's no more complicated than making bread.

After returning from living in Germany (43 years) this last year I started making kraut right away. Germans eat it almost every day , at least down south. It goes with so many dishes and is cheap to make. I don't have a crock so I make it like my German neighbors would, in a large food grade bucket with lid. I've got a little over 70 lbs made up that will keep for a long time. Lots of good things in kraut for your body too. Make plenty. You're neighbors will be asking for some.

If you're making great smoked meats they deserve a great kraut to accompany them.
 
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