Trying to make sauerkraut

WoodlawnSmoker · November 30, 2014, 10:43:58 AM

I've never made it before, but with all the sausage I've been making I've grown very tired of the supermarket stuff. I always thought it had to be made in a large fermenting pot but I spotted this fermenting lid at Sausagemaker that allows you to make quart-sized jar amounts. Hope it works, now I just have to wait 3 or 4 weeks.

Salmonsmoker · November 30, 2014, 03:33:33 PM

You'll do fine woody, it almost makes itself. Much better than the commercial stuff too. Try German saurkraut with caraway seed sometime.

WoodlawnSmoker · November 30, 2014, 04:33:43 PM

Thanks for the encouragement Salmon. The recipe I'm trying has juniper berries and caraway seeds, hope it tastes as good as it sounds. It's already bubbling though, so I think it's off to a good start.

Grouperman941 · November 30, 2014, 06:31:52 PM

I have been meaning to try this recipe from Alton Brown for years.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/sauerkraut-recipe.html#!

There is a whole episode on it. Basically, the cabbage is brined and compressed to get rid of excess water as it ferments.

Salmonsmoker · December 01, 2014, 07:30:03 AM

Sauerkraut also freezes well for storage. I just drain excess liquid and seal in ziploc freezer bags.

iceman · December 02, 2014, 09:32:13 AM

We use those airlocks all the time for making batches of fermented foods. They work great. We just put up 60 jars of kraut for the winter. We did the cold pack method then the water bath to seal them up. We keep them in the wine cooler at 50f.
You're going to like home made so much better than store bought. :)

g · December 02, 2014, 02:28:38 PM

I just bought a similar kit & am just finishing some dill pickles. I'm trying sauerkraut in the next couple days. I'll post some pictures & results later.

g · December 02, 2014, 03:54:19 PM

This is the setup I have

Salmonsmoker · December 02, 2014, 05:50:01 PM

For anyone who doesn't have the air lock for the jar lid and wants to try making 'kraut, try this. After putting the sliced cabbage in the jar, put a ziplock bag into the container opening(any size that is large enough to cover the surface) open the bag and pour enough water in it so that the bag seals the top of the jar. It keeps the cabbage submerged under the liquid. That's it. You're done. Finito. See ya' later. Good night now.

carnie1 · December 06, 2014, 07:11:55 PM

To others wanting to try this out , check out this http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=30641.msg362066#msg362066 it will save you a few bucks

WoodlawnSmoker · December 08, 2014, 04:33:32 PM

Quote from: carnie1 on December 06, 2014, 07:11:55 PM
To others wanting to try this out , check out this http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=30641.msg362066#msg362066 it will save you a few bucks

Wish I had seen this post earlier but it's a funny coincidence. I was bottling wine on the weekend at a make it on-site place when I spotted a bin of airlocks and stoppers. I got 3 airlocks and three stoppers for a total of $7. I'm going to try pickles and baby onions next.

Hey g, let us know how the pickles turned out, doing those next. The sauerkraut is coming along nicely, still bubbling away, only a couple more weeks to wait.

g · December 08, 2014, 05:40:21 PM

My pickles turned out great. As I have only ever had pickles processed with vinegar I added a half cup of vinegar after a week of fermenting. The dills kept their crunch & now I have the vinegar flavor.
I like a full sour pickle & extra vinegar added that extra tang. I have another batch going that will have a weeks fermenting by Wednesday.
I bought two more airlock/lid kits & a cabbage today so I will try sauerkraut tomorrow. I buy mini cukes at Costco & the package will make two quarts. Now I can start to experiment with different spices, peppers etc in small batches or change up the jar sizes for big batches.

The instructions that came with the lid kit suggested pickling other vegetables first before doing cucumbers to get some experience but I don't listen that good so I jumped right into dill pickles.

WoodlawnSmoker · December 22, 2014, 12:05:03 PM

Decided to try my first taste today, wow, awesome flavour compared to the supermarket. I will let it keep going to get even more sourness but it was not bad at all. I was home today so I threw some in the slow cooker along with some of my kielbasa, potatoes, carrots, onions, brown mustard and caraway seeds. It's smelling great, time to crack open an Amber beer I've been saving.

ragweed · December 22, 2014, 12:52:25 PM

Quote from: WoodlawnSmoker on December 22, 2014, 12:05:03 PM
Decided to try my first taste today, wow, awesome flavour compared to the supermarket. I will let it keep going to get even more sourness but it was not bad at all. I was home today so I threw some in the slow cooker along with some of my kielbasa, potatoes, carrots, onions, brown mustard and caraway seeds. It's smelling great, time to crack open an Amber beer I've been saving.

Wow! I'm jealous WS. SWMBO said she'd move out if I made my own kraut in our house. She hates it. (Don't go there. I want to keep her) While visiting my daughter (no smoker nearby) I slow, slow cooked a small P. butt, pulled it, crocked potted with onions, caraway, and kraut. Thickened. Then added scratch made potato dumplings. To die for!! Enjoy your new found goodness!!