What to do with a cabbage?

After finding a recipe online, I had to try it. HAD TO!!
(you all know how obsessive I can be, right?)

Homemade sauerkraut!

So it sat on the counter for days & days. 10, actually.
Then into the fridge it went. And it stayed there.
Because I was kind of afraid to eat something that had been
sitting on my counter for 10 days. :shock:

Finally, tonight, I caved. It was really good! Rather mild compared to
the canned stuff I've been eating for years, but still, not bad.
.
.
.
If you never hear from me again, you'll know what happened... :sick:

Hahaha! I'm sure you'll be fine! Hubby and I were just talking about making sauerkraut the other day. I've never done it, but would like to in the future.

I make sauerkraut!!! My last batch had some purple cabbage as well as white. The color is awesome. I actually need to can it up today. We leave it on the counter until the fermentation process is complete(no more bubbling) Sometimes that takes 2-3 weeks depending on if its cold/warm in here. It always seems to take longer in the winter.

I found a pic of the batch that had purple and white. I always keep it covered with a clean dishcloth that is tied. I still am shocked at the awesome color. Hope it stays so nice after canning because it way too large of a batch for us to just keep in the fridge.

AngelMomma said:

I found a pic of the batch that had purple and white. I always keep it covered with a clean dishcloth that is tied. I still am shocked at the awesome color. Hope it stays so nice after canning because it way too large of a batch for us to just keep in the fridge.

Click to expand...

How gorgeous! I soooooo have to try this! Does it still taste like 'kraut??

Shredded Cabbage, it's not just a good idea, it's the slaw.

Badger said:

Shredded Cabbage, it's not just a good idea, it's the slaw.

Click to expand...

:crazy:

aarrggghhhh
Pun Alert Pun Alert
BANG.HEAD.ON.DESK

Smee said:

How gorgeous! I soooooo have to try this! Does it still taste like 'kraut??

Click to expand...

If your eyes are closed and you eat it, it tastes just the same. Otherwise the color kind of throws me off.......I'm just not used to purple kraut and I expect it to taste different because of the different looks! Guess I will get used to it, LOL!:roll: I really love how pretty it is. It took about 3 days for the color to saturate the liquid.

http://www.freshpreserving.com/recipe.aspx?r=147

this is the recipe I use.

Thank You!

Smee said:

Finally, tonight, I caved. It was really good! Rather mild compared to
the canned stuff I've been eating for years, but still, not bad.
.

Click to expand...

I used to make it and it would be mild. I always liked to eat it uncooked in salads. That is really the healthiest way to eat it too. You get all of the good bacteria

Sooooo... wait. You just leave it sit on the counter and Voila! It turns into kraut?

sciboy said:

I used to make it and it would be mild. I always liked to eat it uncooked in salads. That is really the healthiest way to eat it too. You get all of the good bacteria

Click to expand...

Oh that sounds like a nice way to eat it. I will try that. We are trying to put more of these fermented items in our family menu. I have either an intolerance/allergy to gluten or Celiac. So eating these kinds of foods helps me feel BETTER! Lol. I wonder how long one could keep the finished kraut in the fridge.....hmmm. Its just that the batch I make (which fits into that nice big glass crock) is so big. We love the benefits as well as just loving to eat it so I would hate for part of it to go bad. Mine is mild also. Which my husband commented on the first time we made. Then we looked at the ingredients on the store bought stuff. I can't remember now what it was but they add "Stuff":think: to make it more sour.

I made fermented "Mustard Pickles" last summer with some of my pickling cucumbers. OH MY GOODNESS! Deliciousness! I am looking forward to making them again. They had a good dose of garlic and some extra mustard seed along with the usual dill, pickling spice etc. And a touch of onion was good too. I got the recipe out of one of my canning cookbooks.

Nobellius said:

Sooooo... wait. You just leave it sit on the counter and Voila! It turns into kraut?

Click to expand...

Yes. Shredded Cabbage and Salt. It makes its own juice partially. I usually have to make a bit of extra brine though so I have better coverage. That link I posted with the recipe make a TON though. I do half that at a time. Its pretty cool watching it the first couple of days as it starts to 'Percolate' The science and benefits behind it is pretty interesting. And apparently this method has been used for eons......for the health benefits as well as a way to preserve foods in the summer so they would last longer. There are many, many articles online about the subject. There was even a recipe circulating recently that was a 'Lacto-fermented lemonade' beverage that uses whey drained off of plain yogurt as part of the recipe. I have only tried it once and I'm not sure I got it right that time. Try, try again. I mixed it into some unsweetened tea and it is not unpleasant to drink.

AngelMomma said:

....

I made fermented "Mustard Pickles" last summer with some of my pickling cucumbers. OH MY GOODNESS! Deliciousness! I am looking forward to making them again. They had a good dose of garlic and some extra mustard seed along with the usual dill, pickling spice etc. And a touch of onion was good too. I got the recipe out of one of my canning cookbooks.

Click to expand...

Oh, please share! Please share! The recipe, I mean...unless you would
send me a jar of pickles, too


p.s. I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that the kraut keeps up to 6 months in the fridge,
but I honestly don't know that for sure.

Well I could do that. It is time to dig out the canning cookbooks and recipes anyway. The wild blackberries are almost ready for picking! I think maybe in the next week. We(adults) are getting excited about that. They(kids) are NOT!!! Hahaha! Berry picking is not their cup of tea.

If I may ask yet another one of my dumb questions, because I've never tried it:

Is it "legal" to can pints & quarts together? I have two quarts of red cabbage 'kraut and
two pints of regular. Would it be okay to water bath can them together, using the quart jar timing?

Smee said:

If I may ask yet another one of my dumb questions, because I've never tried it:

Is it "legal" to can pints & quarts together? I have two quarts of red cabbage 'kraut and
two pints of regular. Would it be okay to water bath can them together, using the quart jar timing?

Click to expand...

Yes, but it is not a dumb question.
Yes it is legal and you should use the quart jar timing.
Next, never pressure cook red sauerkraut, it turns gray, ask me how I know.
Here is an approved recipe for 'pasteurizing' it, at a lesser temperature than boiling. It gives you a crisper product.
http://www1.extension.umn.edu/food/...ling/making-fermented-pickles-and-sauerkraut/

I made 2 five gallon batches this year, and pasteurized them in cans, OH they are delicious, red or white.

And don't forget, kim chee, or kim chi, is a sauerkraut with lot of spices and lots of ingredients, delicious!

AngelMomma said:

Lol. I wonder how long one could keep the finished kraut in the fridge.....hmmm. Its just that the batch I make (which fits into that nice big glass crock) is so big.

Click to expand...

I have been making kraut for a few years now. I usually do 3-7 pound batches and it is never around long. Last Thanksgiving I made a 22 lb batch while teaching my SIL and kept my portion refrigerated only, no canning. I just finished it up last month with no ill effects. YMMV but it seems to stay OK for a long time.

I have also done other veggies and I love making some Kimchi a few time a years. When making Kimchi I always can tell when its done.....My wife comes home from work and asks what stinks so bad????

One side of my family is Irish, the other Polish. DH is English and Swede. Cabbage is a staple at our house, along with potatoes, and sausages of many varieties.

Here are some ways to play:

I always recommend rinsing kraut before cooking, ESPECIALLY if it is canned or bottled. (The bottled, refrigerated brands are superior, BTW.) You may, or may not rinse home made at your discretion. This step helps tame the sharp flavor and saltiness of kraut. (And if you are cooking for kids, may make the difference in getting them to eat it.)

Warm gently in a pan with chopped apple, caraway OR dill seed, and a pinch (tiny drizzle?) of honey, and black pepper.

Purple cabbage and turnips shredded together make a fabulous slaw, and kids love the color! Not too many healthy foods are genuinely purple.

To cook raw cabbage, quarter, remove the stem, and tie with kitchen string, or stab with a tooth pick. In a deep skillet, or wide dutch oven, heat 2-3 inches of water to a SIMMER, not a boil, and add a tea ball filled with 1 Tbsp. mixed pickling spice. Mixed pickling spice contains bay leaf, whole allspice, peppercorns, mustard seed, and clove buds. Putting it in the tea ball flavors the cabbage, without having to pick them out before eating.

STEAM the cabbage covered or 10-15 minutes -- the cabbage should still have some "tooth". If it were pasta, you'd call it al dente. DO NOT boil the cabbage! This is what releases the sulfur compounds, and makes you gassy.

Drain the cabbage well, squeezing out extra water. Remove toothpicks or string, and toss with lots of butter, and sprinkle with salt.

My kids were fascinated with this when I showed them all the different spices, and talked about what else they go into. Clove goes into gingerbread, and onto ham; mustard seed makes mustard; allspice smells like Christmas; bay leaves smell like granddad's after shave, etc. But they all work together to make this yummy.

Bon Apetit!
~HoneyLady~