Time to try Sauerkraut

[chopsaw]

Sunday will be 14 days.

I'll be at 3 weeks this Sunday .

Haven't opened the lid on the bucket yet.

I had to open mine early on to drain some brine . Smell was less than appealing .
Opened it up yesterday , and it smelled like Kraut .
Had a taste too . It's good .

 

[zwiller]

Smell was less than appealing .
Opened it up yesterday , and it smelled like Kraut .
Had a taste too . It's good .

Was waiting for someone to say this. I think there is a window of time where it smells off and I think some people bail. I thought the new tech ferments with airlocks would mitigate but I can remember being at relatives house when they were fermenting and it was just awful. I have had a few homebrew feerments that way. Almost all were hefe. "Off" is very nice term for it. In the homebrew circles the knickname for it was "baby diaper".

 

[chopsaw]

"Off" is very nice term for it.

So is ,

Smell was less than appealing .

Not Baby diaper , more like sewer gas .

 

[chopsaw]

bill ace 350 you sneak a taste yet ? I pulled mine on Sunday . Man it's good . After 2 days in the fridge it's fantastic ! Great crunch and flavor . I think I was a week ahead of you .
I want to hear how the apple in yours came out . Gonna need to get another started . I'm eating this stuff for breakfast .

 

[bill ace 350]

Not yet. I actually miscalculated. This Sunday will be three weeks. Your's looks delicious!

bill ace 350 you sneak a taste yet ? I pulled mine on Sunday . Man it's good . After 2 days in the fridge it's fantastic ! Great crunch and flavor . I think I was a week ahead of you .
I want to hear how the apple in yours came out . Gonna need to get another started . I'm eating this stuff for breakfast .
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[zwiller]

If you use some of the finished product as a starter does it ferment faster? Seems like a good idea but don't see anyone do it. Kinda sorta like sour dough.

 

[Steve H]

Looks good! I'm down to a quart. So, I may be gearing up to make some.

 

[jcam222]

If you use some of the finished product as a starter does it ferment faster? Seems like a good idea but don't see anyone do it. Kinda sorta like sour dough.

Really wouldn't make it any faster and not needed with fresh cabbage. They leftover brine is miracle probiotic juice though

 

[bill ace 350]

If you use some of the finished product as a starter does it ferment faster? Seems like a good idea but don't see anyone do it. Kinda sorta like sour dough.

Good question!

 

[Hockeydudde]

If you use some of the finished product as a starter does it ferment faster? Seems like a good idea but don't see anyone do it. Kinda sorta like sour dough.

Never tried this, but we do like to include fresh produce from our garden that came out the ground when we have it, washed only with water. Garlic onion or carrot. Just enough to provide some local culture, unless it actually belongs in the recipe. Might be in our heads because we want to like it, but we do think it makes a better ferment.
If you've never tried carrot in your kraut or making curtido, I'd recommend trying both!

 

[Hockeydudde]

Homemade saurkraut can be much better than store bought. And you can experiment with lengths of time letting it ferment. We did a batch this last Sept-Oct. Left it 10 weeks and came out fantastic. Previously went 6-7 weeks. Both are/were very good. One interesting thing, we had some purple cabbage given to us, so used it along with regular green cabbage. When we canned our kraut, it is all purple!!! Flavor the same just uniquely colored.

We love making purple kraut! The color is pH indicator, so you can visually monitor progress. Also makes eating fun and science-y for the kids. Did you know eggs and paper plates are basic? Put it on either and they turn blue!

 

[jcam222]

We love making purple kraut! The color is pH indicator, so you can visually monitor progress. Also makes eating fun and science-y for the kids. Did you know eggs and paper plates are basic? Put it on either and they turn blue!

I do what I call fire kraut with red cabbage and ghost peppers. Crazy good on sausage

 

[Hockeydudde]

I do what I call fire kraut with red cabbage and ghost peppers. Crazy good on sausage

What's you ghost pepper per cabbage ratio? Approximately.

 

[jcam222]

What's you ghost pepper per cabbage ratio? Approximately.

I believe I did like 4 or 5 ghost peppers halved in a half gallon kraut ferment. Plenty hot lol.

 

[chopsaw]

Bill if you try the kraut , let me know how the apple worked . I have another head of cabbage to get a second quart going .

 

[bill ace 350]

I ended up forgetting to put it in!

Bill if you try the kraut , let me know how the apple worked . I have another head of cabbage to get a second quart going

 

[chopsaw]

I ended up forgetting to put it in!

I completely understand that . Lol .

 

[HalfSmoked]

Has anyone posted a kraut recipe salt to cabbage racino?
You got my interest up to make some.

Warren

 

[bill ace 350]

Has anyone posted a kraut recipe salt to cabbage racino?
You got my interest up to make some.

Warren

I used a 2% salt/cabbage ratio

 

[chopsaw]

Has anyone posted a kraut recipe salt to cabbage racino?
You got my interest up to make some.

I started here . I think this came from Jeff .
1 1/2 tsp of salt to each pound of cabbage
1 tsp mustard seed to 3 pounds of cabbage
1 tsp caraway seed to 3 pounds of cabbage .

Mixed and tasting I ended up with 2 tsp salt per pound . My batch was 2 pounds , so a tsp of mustard seed and caraway worked for me with that amount .

This was in a quart jar , small batch .