o/t sourkruat

I have some nice cabbages growing,I am thinking I might try to make some kraut,I have a 4 gal crock,,,does anybody on the site here make it?I found some good info on the net,just curious is anyone has luck making it,,,thanks in advance,,,,Larry

Dad used to make it in 20 gallon crocks. My job was to put a head of cabbage in the box and slide the box back and forth over the knife in the "kraut cutter". The kraut cutter straddled the 20 gallon crock so the cut cabbage fell directly into the crock until it was nearly full.

I can't remember if Dad did anything but sprinkle salt on the cabbage as it built up in the crock. Don't know how long it was left to ferment before it was packed into jars.

I am allergic to anything that has been fermented, so I didn't eat any of it.

Don't know if the crocks and kraut cutter are still down the basement at the farm or if they went somewhere.

Larry: I usually make a couple batches a year--more if those get eaten quickly. Last batch I tried I put sliced apples in with it--turned out quite good--an interesting combination of sweet, tangy, and crunchy. There's nothing like "real" sauerkraut on a hot dog!

I do not make it but I have a few recipes on how to do so and if you want them all you have to do is ask by way of an e-mail and I'll be happy to scan and send them to you. My mom did kraut years ago and I still have the crocks to do it in just not a good area to do it in

We did it a few times, years ago- As I recall, we put a disk just smaller than the crock on top of the cabbage, and a rock on top of that to provide down pressure- need to keep the air out, and compression is the easiest way to do it.

Yes, we make it in 5gal plastic buckets, about 6 5-8# heads make a batch. We have a softball bat that makes a good pounder, to get it juicy, after shreading the cabage. We use canning salt rather than table salt, and use a large glass pie pan for a press cover, and a washed rock to weight it down. we just lay the bucket lid on the top to keep the fies out and you will have to skim the top every other day. It will take a couple of weeks in a cool area, to ferment. We eat some fresh from the bucket and can the rest. We make it every other year. A pint canning jar and some Kilbasa makes a quick winter evening meal for the two of us.
Loren, the Acg.

Yer upsatairs, goof. Use pelchek.....

I use a 1/4 cup of canning salt to 12-14 # of cut cabbage. I put some in gallon glass jars & after a week or so the color changes. I then just put it in the fridge & eat it raw. The batch in the crock then gets canned.

My wife has a good easy kraut recipe that was handed down through her German grandparents. We make it every couple of years.

Kraut

Shred cabbage and put in quart jars (Wide mouth are best)

Add 1 Tablespoon salt, 2 Tablespoons sugar, and 3 Tablespoons white vinegar to each jar

Add boiling water and seal tightly

Set in a room temperature place, on an old towel or newspapers, expecting the jars to "spew".

After 3 weeks, water bath for 5 minutes

10 medium cabbage heads make around 24 quarts

Been making kraut for 20 years using an old polish recipe. Shred cabbage and put it into a brine solution. I use 2# of canning salt in a about 2/3 of a 2 bushel tub full of water. Leave it in the brine for 1-1/2 beers, or until it starts to wilt. Then pack tightly in your crock, draining off excess water. Cover the top with some large leaves, weight it down with a plate and a large rock. Give it 8-10 weeks to ferment, clear off the spoilage on top, and can it. Got some ready to can in about 2 weeks.

I make a batch every year, It's a simple process, main rule, WEIGH your cabbage and MEASURE your salt. Use three tablespoons of canning salt to five LBS. of cabbage, NO MORE or it will turn out TOO salty. Start by cutting the heads into quarters and remove the core or butt, then weigh, then Shred five LBS at a time and add in the salt and mix/toss either right in the crock or in a large pan and toss into the crock, let it wilt for a while and pound or tamp with a stick and it will start to make juice. I use about 20LBS to fill a 5 gallon crock about 2/3 or 3/4 full, good cabbage will make its own brine, usually it will cover the kraut about 1 inch with its own juice, if not add a little salt water to cover and keep out air. I spread a dish towel over the top and push it down with a plate that fits close or tight push it down tight, you want the brine to cover this to seal, tuck the towel in around the plate and I use a gallon jug of water for a weight to push down. Throw another towel over the entire crock to keep spiders and dust out. It takes about 6 weeks to finish, when you push down on the weight and it will no longer push up bubbles or foam it's finished. There will be mold and nasty on the towel and top brine, just leave it there till its finished, some say to clean this every two days, just leave it till it's done. Remove the towel and plate and clean any nasty around the edges and there ya are, kraut. I can mine, makes about 12 to 14 quarts, I add a LITTLE caraway seed when I can it and that's the way I like it. There are a million ways to do it. Check out U-TUBE lots of info. You can still buy the cutters to.

Larry. we use to make craut in 5 gal crock. Cabbage shreded, water, covered with salt, made a plug for the crock, weigted down the lid. took a while for the cabage to ferment, Havemnt made it for years now. Easier to buy. No odor from store bought jars. lol LOU

Good morning Larry,
I just finished making Kraut 2 days ago. I do it the way my German ancestors always made it. I still have and use my great grandfathers shredder that he brought over here from Germany in the late 1800's. It is very simple to make. Once the cabbage is shredded, A few leaves are put on the bottom of the crock, I use a 5 gallon crock. Then a small handful of salt (nothing was ever measured) then about 4 inches of shredded cabbage. This is gently pounded to compact it, hard enough to get it packed but not so hard as to break the crock!... more salt.... more cabbage.... more salt. Each time I put about 4 inches of cabbage and pound it. As you go along, Keep pounding. After a bit the cabbage begins to get juicy and if pounded adequately, you will not have to add water, I think the salt draws out the juices. Pounding crushes the cabbage and allows the juices to escape the shredded cabbage. I did not have enough cabbage this year to make a full crock so went with what I had. My family always put a wooden disk on top of the cabbage to keep it all submerged and put a rock on top to hold the entire mess down. It was my mothers job when she was small to clean the rock and skim off the mold every few days. As for me, a couple of years ago I cut a piece of slate to fit inside the crock and drilled a 1 inch hole in the center so I could get a finger in it to lift it. This eliminates the rock! In the past I have been keeping the Saurkraut in the crock but I will try freezing it this year once it is ready. Have fun with it! Making Saurkraut was a good excuse for all the family to gather each fall... they used to make a ton of it. I am now the only one left who makes any. Sort of sad for me but I carry on the tradition.
Cal

The only thing I have to add is a trick my brother gave to me. That is to put the whole crock of cabbage, salt, etc in a large plastic garbage bag and tie it tight ... let set 6 weeks and all is done. All is clean with little spoilage and no flies or spiders and the like.

Big Tomhb,

Maybe not tied too tight?
After all making sauerkraut involves
some fermentation I believe.

thanks each and everyone for the great responses,I feel like we should give it a try.

Larry,
I have never made sauerkraut but my wife's Granddad made it every year for many, many years.
I have some of the "tools of the trade" but they
are no longer used for their original purpose.The round flagstone weight is used as an apron under the sillcock, the cabbage slicer is a decoration on my garage wall and the 20 Gal. crock now holds garden tools.
I love sauerkraut and my wife makes a wonderful casserole using it, applesauce, tomato juice and pork ribs.

Brian G. NY

We tied the bag pretty tight! My understanding of the sauerkraut fermentation is that it utilizes "anaerobic" (without air) fermentation and thus cutting off the air with the closed bag helps stop the spoilage at the top of the crock. Hope this helps! See the site below.
http://www.pickl-it.com/faq/148/process-microbial-lacto-fermentation/