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Post by paquebot on Aug 30, 2017 4:43:07 GMT
Big purple kohlrabi not common over here but we've got green Konan, Kongo, and Kossak which may each get to the size of a FIFA football or bigger without becoming woody. When preparing kohlrabi for kraut, cut them in squares to whatever desired length and grate. Then the finished product has strands about the same length.
Martin
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Post by feather on Sept 2, 2017 1:14:32 GMT
Make eggrolls but substitute the sauerkraut for the cabbage, so pork, shredded carrots, sauerkraut, inside an egg roll wrapper, deep fried or coated with oil and baked. I've had these, they are fabulous.
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Post by paquebot on Sept 13, 2017 23:25:40 GMT
After 5 weeks, it's ready to eat or can. Once the fermenting ended, nothing happened and the plate was barely sitting on liquid. For past week, the plate is almost an inch lower and I scooped off almost a quart of liquid. That means more liquid leaving the cabbage and the result is a crispier end product. Canning will follow within a few days although no need to rush it.
Martin
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Post by paquebot on Sept 20, 2017 16:42:41 GMT
Had two nice cabbage heads which weren't going to hold much longer. One was a tight kraut type and the other was a looser type. Shredded the two together and ended with 12 pounds. Packed that into a 2-gallon pail and will leave that one plain cabbage. There are several monster Filderkraut that will be used for the next mixed batch. Just waiting for cold weather to sweeten the rutabaga.
Martin
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Post by paquebot on Oct 11, 2017 21:22:54 GMT
As before, had 2 more heads of cabbage which weren't going to get any bigger. Figured that they would be a good base for another of my odd mixes. No weighing individual ingredients, just shred and mix. In addition to the cabbage, there also were 2 rutabaga, 1 huge kohlrabi, 1 huge beet, and about a dozen medium carrots. Also sprinkled a little ground fennel for something different. When all done, total was 30 pounds. Despite most of the ingredients not being considered very juicy, didn't take long for the plate to be almost submerged.
Martin
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Post by 1shotwade on Oct 11, 2017 23:51:10 GMT
A bit off subject Martin, but did you ever try and grow seed off cabbage? I have 2 in the garden that I want to try it with next year.I've seen videos on it but just looking for personal experiences also.
Thanks,
Wade
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Post by paquebot on Oct 12, 2017 1:28:41 GMT
Wade, never had a cabbage bolt. I've left split ones alone to see if they would do it but usually they just tried to form another head.
Martin
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Post by feather on Oct 12, 2017 3:46:54 GMT
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Post by 1shotwade on Oct 12, 2017 10:31:09 GMT
Thanks, Martin. The video I saw they overwintered them in a cellar then replanted the next spring and they bolted.IDK, I'll try if I remember!
Wade
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Post by paquebot on Oct 23, 2017 21:22:24 GMT
12 days along with the last mix and to the point where it can be sampled to see how it's going to turn out. Quite edible but too much beet taste. Going to solve that by blending some which is just cabbage when canning. That means that I have to make some without all of the other good things. Well, almost without anything else. Had two "smallish" Filderkraut which a friend was supposed to take but didn't. Maybe the 20# each scared him off? I now have 30# of just cabbage but added caraway seeds. Found lots of different recommended amounts of caraway to use so erred on the low side by using 1 teaspoon per 5#. Filderkraut is already a sweet cabbage so I don't want to lose that taste.
Martin
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Post by paquebot on Oct 29, 2017 22:13:51 GMT
i know why some seed companies have dropped Filderkraut. they are too darned big! Customers buy the seed once and then grow something smaller the following year. One head today nearly filled two 5-gallon pails of shredded cabbage. One typically quarters a head for shredding but a quarter of these is just too hard to handle. Nevertheless, I think that it has the perfect taste for kraut.
Made another 5 gallons of my super mix. No particular weight this time. One big Filderkraut cabbage, two rutabaga about 5", one Kongo kohlrabi about 6", and about 3 pounds of Supersnax 54 carrots. When all was packed in a 5-gallon pail, just a little over an inch clearance. Could not have come closer had I weighed everything.
Martin
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Post by poppopt on Oct 29, 2017 23:08:58 GMT
Guess I'm kinda simple... My sauerkraut is just cabbage and salt. But it's still good to us.  Have a nice crock that's about 5 gallons or so in size. That's about a year's supply for us so it works out well. Have sliced it all with a knife and have also done it in a food processor. Can't say I noticed a lot of difference in the flavor but I really do prefer a finer chop than a lot of people. Interesting to read what others do, though. Glad you're all sharing! |
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Post by paquebot on Oct 31, 2017 2:52:26 GMT
Whenever I teach someone how to make kraut, always keep is simple and just use cabbage. No great loss if something goes bad. Also use a layer of leaves on top if they are available. Often means using a scissors to make nice round edges to fit the container.
My present situation has changed weekly. Batch #2 was too much beet flavor but otherwise good. #3 was all cabbage plus caraway seeds and working great. Combined the two so that it filled a 5-gallon pail to within an inch. It's working again and there's barely ¼" preventing a mess. A little of the mixed was left over and into the fridge. Beet taste is barely there and no longer overpowers everything else in #2. Somehow I either knew what I was doing or got lucky!
Martin
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Post by paquebot on Nov 20, 2017 6:04:30 GMT
All but 2 gallons of #2 and #3 mix are now in glass. There's the 13 quarts of #1 and now 40 pints of #2, #3, and #4 mix plus 7 quarts of #4. That may sound like a lot of kraut but it means that I'll probably not be making any for 5 years. Hopefully I'll be around and able to do it all over again as this time was really fun the way it all turned out.
Martin
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Post by Weed on Dec 24, 2017 19:44:59 GMT
I have to hand it to you Martin! Your instructions were perfect. I followed them to the letter and built my first batch with a scientific approach by weighing every shred of cabbage and leveling each tablespoon of salt and it turned out perfect! I mean perfect! Much better than any store bought kraut I've ever eaten. It has just the right tang/sourness, and it has a perfect crunchy bite to it too. 👍
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Post by paquebot on Dec 25, 2017 6:01:32 GMT
Your success is a tribute to your ability to read through the sometimes diarrhea of words and come out smelling like a rose. If it's done exactly to the letter, it will turn out. This latest post did remind me that I've failed to say "level" tablespoon as I've always assumed that that's what everyone would use. I've had batches somehow turn out tasting too salty and rinsing should not be part of the game. Now that the first batch has turned out great, the basic knowledge is there to get fancy in the future with mixes and blends. And every drop is very healthful.
Martin
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Post by Weed on Dec 25, 2017 17:57:49 GMT
That's the plan buddy! I'm already picking and choosing varieties of ingredients for next season's kraut. Warning: I'll be picking your brain for mix ideas!😬
Like you, for my first batch I used a 5 gallon food grade bucket but I fermented it just a bit differently. I used 2 huge holeless cabbage leaves that I cut round using the lid as a template. With about 4 gallons of pounded kraut in the bucket, I put the 2 leaves on top and tucked them down about 3/4" all around the edge. Then I added a heavy plate and placed 3 wide mouth pints filled with water to weigh everything down.
Before adding the lid, the cabbage leaves were already 1-1/2" below the brine. In the center of the lid I drilled a 3/8" hole and installed a white BPA free grommet & installed an airlock. There was just enough empty space in the bucket for the jars to fit under the lid without actually touching it.
For the first 3 weeks I never disturbed the bucket. When I opened the bucket, it had zero scum or mold & the brine was a beautiful amber color. First taste was great but it needed more time to sour up a bit more. I began the ferment on 11/17 @ midnight and it was perfect on 12/22 (34 days). Temperature was about 70* during the ferment. Next time I'll set a thermometer at the bucket
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Post by feather on Dec 25, 2017 19:41:32 GMT
Weedwacker (  ) I'm sure that the covering method paquebot, gives you works, he's got years of experience on that. I used a 5 gallon food safe container. To press it down under the liquid I used a large corel dinner plate upside down, then a zip lock gallon bag (this is safer if a jar breaks or chips), filled with salt water (in case it leaks, then it leaks good salt water). That holds it down, then a towel on top. If I ferment it in the basement, I get more scum and mold, and that is easily removed with a fine mesh strainer. It takes longer in the basement because the temperature is lower. If I ferment it in the kitchen (also close to a sink), it ferments faster because the temperature is higher and there is less scum and mold to deal with-air quality. Here it is air quality and temperature that makes a difference. I made dozens of quarts and pints of sauerkraut a few years ago. I used the low pasteurization technique of holding the jars at 180 degrees for over 30 minutes (university extension MN), to get a crunchy canned kraut. I'm just running out and may have to make some yet this winter. We love that stuff. |
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Post by Weed on Dec 26, 2017 4:07:50 GMT
feather , I wasn't exactly sure but I bounced the airlock idea off of Martin before I tried it...just wanted to explain it as another method that works (like his and yours). I'm going to do some looking into the low pasteurization method you mentioned. Does that mean that the kraut is still alive with enzymes? I've already given 1/2 of my batch (in jars-live) away to family members😳. The rest, I packed into vacuum sealed bags. I found these neat bags on amazon with a tear away upper seal & lower zipper that work great 
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Post by feather on Dec 26, 2017 4:10:59 GMT
I don't think the enzymes are still alive but the kraut doesn't lose texture. There is also a low temp pasteurization method for milk, that kills the bad and good bacteria as well but doesn't wreck the milk in terms of making cheese.
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Post by Weed on Dec 26, 2017 4:20:53 GMT
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Post by paquebot on Dec 26, 2017 4:35:40 GMT
Ahhh!, That kills that idea. Aside from cooking a little bit with brats or pork, I'm eating it raw. That my son and I as well. He'll eat it as a side dish as one would a regular vegetable or slaw. I'll keep a jar in the fridge and either snack straight out of the jar or a few spoons on the plate. But it's an automatic with brats and pork ribs. Martin |
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) I'm sure that the covering method