So, I guess we can compare notes in a few weeks?
Anyone else make sauerkraut?
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So, I guess we can compare notes in a few weeks?
Okay, I made kraut-in-a-quart-jar yesterday. You guys made it sound so good, I just had to try!
I followed this tutorial -- http://www.makesauerkraut.com/sure-fire-sauerkraut-in-a-jar/ The author gave exact weights for all ingredients to exactly make a quart of kraut, and that amount of hand holding was reassuring to me as a first timer. I'm sure I'll get more comfortable about the process with a couple of good batches under my belt. I have to say, my mouth is watering to try the end result ... but kraut making is as bad as soaping about the issue of having to wait!
As I was stuffing the jar, I was just certain all the cabbage wouldn't fit. I'm pressing and mushing and stuffing and thinking "it ain't all gonna go in!" and mushing and stuffing some more. It all did, with a bit of room to spare even.
I don't like caraway in bread unless there's only just the tiniest hint. I did add caraway to the kraut -- 1 tsp for the quart-jar recipe -- just to see what it's all about. I tasted some of the brine and it wasn't half bad. So I hope I can make friends with caraway, at least in kraut if not so much in bread.
I followed this tutorial -- http://www.makesauerkraut.com/sure-fire-sauerkraut-in-a-jar/ The author gave exact weights for all ingredients to exactly make a quart of kraut, and that amount of hand holding was reassuring to me as a first timer. I'm sure I'll get more comfortable about the process with a couple of good batches under my belt. I have to say, my mouth is watering to try the end result ... but kraut making is as bad as soaping about the issue of having to wait!
As I was stuffing the jar, I was just certain all the cabbage wouldn't fit. I'm pressing and mushing and stuffing and thinking "it ain't all gonna go in!" and mushing and stuffing some more. It all did, with a bit of room to spare even.I don't like caraway in bread unless there's only just the tiniest hint. I did add caraway to the kraut -- 1 tsp for the quart-jar recipe -- just to see what it's all about. I tasted some of the brine and it wasn't half bad. So I hope I can make friends with caraway, at least in kraut if not so much in bread.
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Okay, I made kraut-in-a-quart-jar yesterday. You guys made it sound so good, I just had to try!
I followed this tutorial -- http://www.makesauerkraut.com/sure-fire-sauerkraut-in-a-jar/ The author gave exact weights for all ingredients to exactly make a quart of kraut, and that amount of hand holding was reassuring to me as a first timer. I'm sure I'll get more comfortable about the process with a couple of good batches under my belt. I have to say, my mouth is watering to try the end result ... but kraut making is as bad as soaping about the issue of having to wait!
I don't like caraway in bread unless there's only just the tiniest hint. I did add caraway to the kraut -- 1 tsp for the quart-jar recipe -- just to see what it's all about. I tasted some of the brine and it wasn't half bad. So I hope I can make friends with caraway, at least in kraut if not so much in bread.
This is the tutorial I used. First, I had a quart jar but John found another half a head of cabbage in the fridge and when I added that, it was too much for the jar. My brine came up to the very top so I found a larger glass jar and used that instead.
I'm with you on the caraway, DeeAnna, except in rye bread. I do like it in rye bread. I'm something of a purist when it comes to sauerkraut... just the salt for me. No carrots, no garlic, just that sauerkraut goodness.
And because I can see this becoming a "thing", I ordered a set of Pickle Pipes through Amazon.
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Arthur Dent
Well-Known Member
Those Pickle Pipes are interesting. I had a few standard air locks left over from my wine making days, so I just used one of those in a canning lid. Couldn't find any plastic storage lids.
nikkisessence
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I love the feel of the cabbage while mixing in the salt. I use a quart canning jar with a baggie or plastic wrap over the top of the cabbage to keep the air out. My latest batch is almost ready to eat. I like adding caraway but not nearly as much as I like rye bread. Has anyone tried kimchi? How was it?
Arthur Dent
Well-Known Member
Here's mine. It hasn't started bubbling yet.
While I'm waiting for this to start fermenting, I would be interested in trying some Kimchi if anyone has a good recipe they would like to share or link to.
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I noticed a few bubbles this morning. When I got home from work today, there were a few fruit flies hanging around. For now, I've sealed the jar and will "burp" it each morning.
My granddaughter is really excited about our experiment. She can't wait to try homemade sauerkraut and has decided that the leaf I used to keep everything submerged is hers. We shall see. She loves sauerkraut and pickles so much that one year, her other grandmom gave her two jars of pickles for her birthday. She still says that was THE. BEST. GIFT. EVER!
My granddaughter is really excited about our experiment. She can't wait to try homemade sauerkraut and has decided that the leaf I used to keep everything submerged is hers. We shall see. She loves sauerkraut and pickles so much that one year, her other grandmom gave her two jars of pickles for her birthday. She still says that was THE. BEST. GIFT. EVER!
Kraut doesn't bubble anything like fermenting wine or mead. One gal seals her jars tight, but says she faithfully "burps" them once or twice a day by releasing the cap to let the CO2 out. (I would never remember this, so there will be no sealing my jars tight!) A person couldn't do that with a fermenting wine or mead -- you'd have an explosion!
Arthur Dent
Well-Known Member
I would never remember to burp it either, especially after the first few days, hence the airlock.
Here's mine. It hasn't started bubbling yet.
While I'm waiting for this to start fermenting, I would be interested in trying some Kimchi if anyone has a good recipe they would like to share or link to.
my set up is just like yours, grommet and all.
I sampled my sauerkraut today; it's quite salty, without that sour tanginess. Obviously, not ready yet.
I have to say, though, this experiment with sauerkraut inspired me to look at other fermented foods, most notably kombucha. I've been buying bottles of the stuff in different flavours so I can try it, see if I like it. I'm finding that, after having consumed a couple of bottles, I'm starting to crave it.
My experiments in fermenting may need to branch out.
I have to say, though, this experiment with sauerkraut inspired me to look at other fermented foods, most notably kombucha. I've been buying bottles of the stuff in different flavours so I can try it, see if I like it. I'm finding that, after having consumed a couple of bottles, I'm starting to crave it.
My experiments in fermenting may need to branch out.
Mine is 1 week old and it's not tangy either, but the tutorial I am following says to let it ferment 1-4 weeks and refrigerate when it tastes right. So it's a baby yet, from what I gather. Misschief -- the two samples of kombucha I've tried were so incredibly sour. I guess you get used to it?
This waiting is a lot like having to let soap cure, hey? I wonder if the fermenting folks see beginners with the same McDonald's mentality that new soapers sometimes have:
Dang. Wait maybe another 3 whole weeks???? I don't have the patience ... is there a short cut to eliminate the wait? I want my sauerkraut and I want it NOW! :mrgreen:
This waiting is a lot like having to let soap cure, hey? I wonder if the fermenting folks see beginners with the same McDonald's mentality that new soapers sometimes have:
Dang. Wait maybe another 3 whole weeks???? I don't have the patience ... is there a short cut to eliminate the wait? I want my sauerkraut and I want it NOW! :mrgreen:
I've tried a few flavours of store bought (GT's) kombucha and they haven't been all that sour, really. Tangy, yes, but not sour. So far, my faves are the original (no flavouring) and cranberry. From what I've read, it can be sampled after a few days and when it's to your liking, you bottle it and store it in the fridge. We shall see. I started a batch to make the SCOBY this afternoon. If it doesn't work, I've only put out the cost of a bottle of store bought kombucha.
You know, I think if it wasn't for soapmaking, I wouldn't have had the patience to even try making sauerkraut or kombucha.
Arthur Dent
Well-Known Member
Hmmm... I was planning to sample my kraut this weekend, but from the sound of it there's no need, I'll just wait until next weekend. It is generating bubbles, and I can get a whiff of "sauerkrautness" every once in a while. I found myself perusing the produce section at the market today with an eye toward kimchi ingredients... just looking. :angel:
And I have been going through my closets fishing out half gallon and gallon jars saved from pickles and whatnot. For "just in case". :mrgreen:
And I have been going through my closets fishing out half gallon and gallon jars saved from pickles and whatnot. For "just in case". :mrgreen:
coffeetime
Well-Known Member
I haven't been on here much lately (new job and gardening), so I just saw this thread. I'm a crazy fermenter too. Fermented radishes are awesome and so are dilly carrot sticks. I also do purple sauerkraut with carrot and dill pickles. Oh and yellow snap beans are awesome too! Can't wait for local produce to start fermenting all the things!
Last night, I checked mine once more. OMG, the smell! It stinks! I've been told though, (by my house guest who has made a ton.... possibly literally... of sauerkraut over the years; her family is Ukranian and her mother used to sell her homemade sauerkraut) that it's normal. I was brave enough to pull a sample from further down in the jar and the flavour is starting to sour. It isn't as salty as it was when I tried it after 7 days.
I'm late to this, but yes I make saurkraut, as well as fermented pickles (the best) and then last year, we made fermented tabasco peppers! Love to ferment and this year I actually got the airlocks, so that makes it even better!
Dahila
Well-Known Member
Mischief have you make a holes in it after 24 hours? For the gas to escape? It has a smell but i find it not to bad. Maybe because I am from Poland and sauerkraut is a base of VC in winter, Very popular in north Europe, in Germany same.
