Sauerkraut (Home Made)

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redzed
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Post by redzed » Sat Aug 27, 2016 16:24

Thanks Stefan, good job on the instructions. And thanks for pointing out the necessity to release the trapped gases. Many people miss that step. We use a wooden dowel to do that every few days. And a salad made with unpasteurized sauerkraut not only tastes great, but is full of good probiotics that keep our digestive system healthy.
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Post by fatboyz » Fri Sep 09, 2016 14:30

I started my first ever batch last week. I used my buffalo chopper to cut the cabbage. Not the nice long shreds I wanted, more like coleslaw. Three more weeks orso and we"ll see. I should have my weiners/knackwurst done by then too!
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Post by MatterOne » Mon Sep 12, 2016 00:17

This thread has inspired me to order a crock and give this a go.

I'll be sure to post my results.
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Post by redzed » Mon Sep 12, 2016 19:33

You won't go wrong with my friend Stephan's recipe. Please give us a progress report. And what type of crock did you buy? One of the older style heavy stone ones or the newer ceramic types. We have an old Medalta Canadian made crock. It's at least 64 years old and 15 imperial gallons. (1 imp. gal = 160 0z.).
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Post by MatterOne » Mon Sep 12, 2016 23:51

I used the word "crock" pretty loosely. It's actually this:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00M40ANSI/

If I like my results, I'm going to keep an eye out for a good deal on an actual crock on Craigslist. But until then, this seems like a pretty good design with a lot of good reviews. Plus, the price is pretty reasonable.

I'll probably start a batch tonight. I'll take some pics and keep this thread updated as it progresses.
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Post by MatterOne » Wed Sep 14, 2016 02:37

I didn't have time to make it last night, so it became tonight's project instead.

I went with the 1.6 gallon model. From what I read, it should hold about three heads of cabbage.

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I removed the outer leaves and then quartered it, rinsed them, and removed the core.

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Then I chopped it finely. And this is all supposed to fit in there?....

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It weighed out at 8.58 lbs so, I added 90 grams of canning salt, which is 53 grams per 5 lbs of cabbage or 23 grams per kilogram.

1/3 of the cabbage and salt before mashing it down:

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Then I mashed it with the stomper from my meat grinder.

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Then I repeated that process with the other 2/3 and amazingly, it all fit with room to spare:

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Then I slid the inner lid down until just before the juice started to push past it:

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And finally, I put the outer cover on and cleaned up.


Now we wait...
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Butterbean
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Post by Butterbean » Wed Sep 14, 2016 20:50

That's a pretty neat setup.
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Post by MatterOne » Wed Sep 14, 2016 22:58

Thanks. They make them 7x bigger than mine, but this should be adequate for me, as I live alone and don't eat a whole lot of sauerkraut.

I'm just hoping that it works as well as it's supposed to, as far as keeping the smell to a minimum.

I'm curious as to how much of a difference it makes to use late fall cabbage. When that time comes, I'll do another batch to compare.
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Post by Butterbean » Thu Sep 15, 2016 01:29

I live in a different climate but I've found with most cole crops the cold weather really sets the sugars and there is a big difference in flavor. On a lot of things we won't even gather till after things get a good frost on it.

Don't know if you've ever eaten Bigos but if you haven't you should try making some when your kraut is finished. Lots of different ways to make it but once you make it once you'll know how to tweak it to your liking. It will give kraut a whole new dimension.

This thread has got me to wanting to make more this year. My granddad would make a 50 gallon barrel each year but I still have plenty as we grow a lot of cabbage here. Here is one of the fields and it'd probably make you sick if you knew what we get paid for it versus what the stores sell it for. I'd estimate you had about fifty cents worth on your table. I sometimes wonder why there are so many hungry people when at times we can't even give vegetables away and end up plowing them under. But rest assured me nor my family will go hungry because we put stuff up.

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Post by MatterOne » Thu Sep 15, 2016 02:54

I've never had bigos. Actually, I had never even heard of it until now. I looked at a few recipes online and it sure sounds good. I recently finished the last of my kielbasa, so I may have to bump that up to near the top of my list of sausages I need to make. I always tend to give too much away to friends and family, leaving myself in short supply.


I understand that stores need to mark up products to make a profit. They are, after all, a business. But it's a shame that they get so much more money as a middle-man than the farmers get for doing all of the work.

I checked two local farmers' markets and neither one had cabbage. So, this was purchased from a local chain for $0.49/lb. So, that would be roughly an 850% mark-up! :shock:
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Post by Butterbean » Thu Sep 15, 2016 04:00

True, there is a lot of handling between the field and the store and when produce is ready you have to move it or lose it. What befuddles my mind is how there is so much food available for free yet most people will not take advantage of this and put it up. It can be a job and it can be inconvenient but in my mind its money saved.

A few years ago I got my hands on over a thousand pounds of blueberries. Only so much jelly you can make with that so I made a bunch of blueberry wine and another beverage as well.
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Bob K
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Post by Bob K » Thu Sep 15, 2016 18:15

Thats some cabbage patch!!
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Butterbean
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Post by Butterbean » Thu Sep 15, 2016 23:19

It is that. Pretty isn't it?

What's funny is when they cut the cabbage they will fill wagons to the brim haul to the packing sheds and you can always locate the packing shed by just following the stray cabbage heads laying on the side of the road. Some, less prideful folks, can be seen on the side of the road picking up these stray cabbages. Others, the more civilized I guess, would never touch these since they've been on the ground. Soiled or not I can't help myself. :oops:
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Post by Bob K » Thu Sep 15, 2016 23:32

I would be right behind, Errr . in front of you :mrgreen:
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Post by MatterOne » Fri Sep 16, 2016 00:40

Butterbean wrote:What befuddles my mind is how there is so much food available for free yet most people will not take advantage of this and put it up.
I would think that many people, myself included, don't know where to find this free food. Aside from road cabbage, that is....
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