Anyone make sauerkraut?

I had some homemade sauerkraut last weekend while visiting family, and it was delicious. I already make my own beer, cheese, bread, sauces, etc, so I thought it would be fun to add another thing to the list. I was reading up online though, and it looks like sauerkraut is just naturally fermented? Kind of goes against my tendencies as a sanitation-crazed brewer. Anyone here make their own sauerkraut and have any good recipes?

Alton Brown did a show on it once - I'd start there.

I haven't tried it - thought about it; but I only eat kraut maybe once a year.

I have tried it, mine never got quite sour enough. I will likely try again, it is extremely easy, just cabbage and salt.

Here is a link:
http://www.wildfermentation.com/resources.php?page=sauerkraut

I haven't make sauerkraut, but I started some dill pickles last night after watching this:



He briefly mentions sauerkraut refering to the quick fermentation process because of the surface to mass ratio blah, blah blah...

Other than it just being something fun to do, it's not really that practical to make your own kraut unless you have a big vegetable garden that produces way more cabbage than you can ever get rid of.

You need crocks or jars to make it in, and then when it's done you need to put it up in mason jars. It smells bad while it's working in the crocks.

The end result, while certainly good, is not really any better than what you can get in stores, since it's all just cabbage, salt and sometimes caraway seeds.

If you really want to do it, though, it can be fun.

Uhh, one of the regulars in chat makes it in his kitchen, in smaller amounts and does not can it. He just keeps on eating it until it's gone, and the older it gets, the better.

I have crocks and all, but with cheese, salsa and beer, another current hobby thing is hard to swing right now-but I'm darn close to starting.

I make sauerkraut fairly regularly. The rest of my family doesn't like cabbage, so when it started showing up in the CSA box I had to do something with it. Unlike the poster above, my kraut is significantly better than store bought. It stays crunchy, and you can control the level of souring and fermentation simply by putting it in the fridge when it's about where you want it. I ferment in 4qt lexan containers, available at any restaurant supply, but any non reactive vessel with a wide opening will work. I use a zip-top bag filled with brine as a weight to keep the cabbage submerged. Using a brine bag you don't even have to skim. Nothing simpler.

The National Center for Home Food Preservation has a sauerkraut page that is worth reading.

I've never had a problem with pickles, sauerkraut, sausages, cheese or other fermented food cross-contaminating my beer with unwanted organisms.

Chad

My GF's dad has a farm in the middle of nowhere, and he and my GF's step-mom do a large food garden. She makes sauerkraut from almost all the cabbage they grow-- not sure how much, but a lot!

I'll tell you this.. it's far better than anything you can buy in the store. If you have the room to do it, even if you don't grow your own cabbage, do it...it's worth it for the taste and texture alone.

Just watched that Alton Brown episode and I am totally going to make pickles now!! Thanks. I've wanted to try this for a long time. I want to make pickled beets too.

EDIT - Wow! Crocks are expensive!

Henry Hill said:

Uhh, one of the regulars in chat makes it in his kitchen, in smaller amounts and does not can it. He just keeps on eating it until it's gone, and the older it gets, the better.

I have crocks and all, but with cheese, salsa and beer, another current hobby thing is hard to swing right now-but I'm darn close to starting.

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Yeah that would be me, I just do it my kitchen. Same goes with any other wild ferments: kimchee, kvass, unprocessed oats, sourdough, etc....
All come out wonderful. And as long as you're sanitary and keep your kraut (or other) equipment separate from your brewing equipment the odds of souring your beer is minimal to non existent.

I just jarred up some my sauerkraut today you can see some pics here.

I have thought about it before and it sounds so simple that I really ought to do it. Nobody in my family really likes it though, and I only like small quantities. I bet a small container and a bit of time is all I need.

So, I decided to face my fear of spontaneous fermentation, and I'm giving homemade sauerkraut a try. Went to the farmer's market this morning, got a gigantic head of cabbage.

Chop or shred the cabbage, layer it in your crock or other fermenting vessel. I used one gigantic head of cabbage, so I did it in quarters. Once you have 1/4 of the shredded bits in there, sprinkle it lightly with kosher salt.


Then, get a potato masher or other implement and pack it down as tightly as you can.




Continue the layering, salting, and packing until you're out of room or don't have any cabbage left.

Lastly, use a plate or something that will fit inside your fermenting vessel and cover most of the surface. Put on a nice heavy glass jar or something else that's heavy and food safe.



After this pic, I put it in a corner of the dining room and covered it with a large clean towel. After a couple of hours, the salt should have pulled enough moisture out of the cabbage to let the plate sink down and have it under the liquid level (hence the food-safe weight). If the cabbage doesn't leech out enough water to have a layer of brine covering everything, then mix up your own brine with some more kosher salt and some water. The cabbage needs to be completely submerged to make sure nothing nasty ferments in it.

Anyway, that's it. Now I just need to wait 3-4 weeks before sampling. I'll try and keep the thread updated with any progress, or with tasting notes at the end.

I remember that my mom used to buy kraut at the vegetable-store back home.. And it tasted WAY better than anything you could buy in a can or anything.. Now, they also had little black peppers (round ones) in theirs, and it was goooood..

I kinda wish i could buy it here. Now, they had theirs in little (1 gal or so) wooden barrels, aged and i'm sure they kept for a good time until sold.

Damn guys.. now you got me wanting to do this also! (Adding another thing to my to-do list)

McCall St. Brewer said:

Other than it just being something fun to do, it's not really that practical to make your own beer unless you have a big grain field that produces way more barley than you can ever get rid of.

You need buckets or carboys to make it in, and then when it's done you need to put it up in kegs. It smells bad while it's working in the carboys.

The end result, while certainly good, is not really any better than what you can get in stores, since it's all just malt, water and sometimes hops.

If you really want to do it, though, it can be fun.

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Bump this

My favorite kraut is 8 bucks for a 12 oz jar, and im definitely learning to do this

Wow, this came back from the dead. I guess it's time for a long-overdue followup. I managed to wait approx 4 weeks before giving it a try. It was delicious, but just didn't seem like it was quite all the way there yet. I topped up the brine and recovered to let it sit awhile longer.

And then disaster struck. I'm not sure what I introduced when pulling samples, but the stuff that started growing pushed far beyond what I was comfortable ingesting. So I'm sad to say that the batch got trashed and two years later I have yet to do another. The relative who inspired me in the first place is still making some amazing stuff, I'm thinking about adding a crock to my christmas wishlist and giving it another go.

When I was a kid in the 1960's my grandparents (dad's side) used to have a wooden barrel in the basement that they had filled with homemade giardiniera which was an Italian version of pickled vegetables. There was a huge brick on top to keep it all pressed down - not sure why, that's just how they did it.
My moms side did make sauerkraut though. Some were butchers and more than one had a smokehouse in their yard. Eveyone had gardens and making kraut was a big way to preserve cabbage ... not to mention a way to dispose of some that home-smoked bacon when it came time to make the dish.

I made a batch back in August (first time) and just tried it last week. It was amazing. We are making some Reubens next week that it should go awesome with.

My only gripe is that it's a tad salty, but depending on the dish can be blended well. I let it sit for about 6 or 7 weeks in the low 70s. It is easily the most sour version I have tried, which I was going for.

Also, I wasn't sure how to store it. I just packed it into mason jars. The liquid level in them doesn't cover the kraut. Is this a problem? I realize there are nasty O2 loving bacteria around that could be a problem, but I am storing them in the fridge.

ndsgr said:

My only gripe is that it's a tad salty, but depending on the dish can be blended well.

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Easy fix man, just let it sit for a bit in some water before you eat it. Then just drain out the water and a lot of the salt goes with it. This is what I do with my kraut that ends up saltier than I'd like.

AlligatorCadaver said:

Easy fix man, just let it sit for a bit in some water before you eat it. Then just drain out the water and a lot of the salt goes with it. This is what I do with my kraut that ends up saltier than I'd like.

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Thanks! I'll give it a go next week. My 3 year old daughter eats this stuff like candy. It's awesome.

Making sauerkraut is easy and cheap, you do not need to invest in an expensive crock or anything, I make mine a 2 gallon glass jar I got from Wally World for like $4.

If you don't eat a lot it is no sweat, the stuff lasts for ages in the fridge.

Wild Fermentations is the bible as far as this stuff goes, got into making kraut, kimchi, yogurt, pickled peppers, fermented hot sauce, etc - Just don't read his chapters on brewing or you may toss the book in the trash

I made a 15 lb batch in a brewing bucket, it worked great.

I have had sauerkraut a few times (with brawts - delish!), and would certainly be interested in trying to make it myself. Would it be possible/reasonable to try out a nano-batch of this, perhaps in a wide-mouthed, 1qt mason jar? If so, what would you guys recommend as a weight for this vessel?

Thanks!

I tried one time and it spoiled...I was very sad.

I made it once in a 1 gallon glass cookie jar from Wally world and it worked great. I also made 1 quart versions in some mason jars with the leftover cabbage. They all worked fine.

The plan is the same. Just make sure to use Kosher (non-Iodized) salt.

Homercidal said:

I made it once in a 1 gallon glass cookie jar from Wally world and it worked great. I also made 1 quart versions in some mason jars with the leftover cabbage. They all worked fine.

The plan is the same. Just make sure to use Kosher (non-Iodized) salt.

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Excellent, thank you! I've seen a few recipes with a quart jar where you don't use a weight, but rather just constantly push down the cabbage so it's submerged. This is an OK strategy? Or would you recommend using a smaller weight for it?

You could probably put a baby food jar full of water on top or basically anything like that. It really is just to keep the cabbage from surfacing so that it doesn't come into contact with air.

My method was to put a bit of water in a small ziplock and jam the bag on top. The weight of the water pushes the Kraut down. Sometimes it works good, but I wonder if it can also help prevent the formation of the kraut. The last batch wasn't as krauty as I expected after so many weeks.

I'd prefer a crock with a neck as wide as the sides, but the 1 gallon jar from Wally world has been working pretty good for something like $5...

Homercidal said:

My method was to put a bit of water in a small ziplock and jam the bag on top. The weight of the water pushes the Kraut down. Sometimes it works good, but I wonder if it can also help prevent the formation of the kraut. The last batch wasn't as krauty as I expected after so many weeks.

I'd prefer a crock with a neck as wide as the sides, but the 1 gallon jar from Wally world has been working pretty good for something like $5...

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I use a plastic disposable plate that I cut to the size of the jar and then just force it in and put a jar full of water on top of it.

If your kraut is not as "krauty" as the last batch it is more than likely either (a) the temperature or (b) the amount of salt used. Higher temp (up to 80'F) / less salt = more sour. Lower temp (down to 65'F)/more salt = less sour.

This last time I went with the amount of salt recommended by a website. I want to think it was 4% by weight in ounces. Funny thing is that it didn't seem that salty either!

I'll have to try a plastic plate or something similar. The bag works, but it can seal up against the sides pretty good.

When I make kraut I inoculate the batch with a 1/4 cup or so of juice from either a previous batch or a non pasteurized store brand. It makes it go way quicker, and ensures krautiness. Like a yeast starter!

That's it, I'm doing this! My mouth is watering.

bottlebomber said:

When I make kraut I inoculate the batch with a 1/4 cup or so of juice from either a previous batch or a non pasteurized store brand. It makes it go way quicker, and ensures krautiness. Like a yeast starter!

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OH yeah I was going to do this same thing! I guess I better eat that last 1/2 jar of kraut and chop up that cabbage I bought last night!

Well, the second batch didn't go so well. I kind of went with a "hands off" approach and probably should have checked on it sooner. I was busy searching the basement for the accident the cat might have had when I realized it was my kraut in the closet.

My theory is that one little piece of cabbage was sticking out above the water and I never scooped anything off of the surface.

I threw out my plastic fermenter and will be going to walmart today to try and find a glass one. It's really a shame since I was hoping to have some reubens with friends over next weekend and I only have one jar from the first batch left. Oh well, it's a learning experience. I'm ordering the book mentioned above today as well.

So I was gifted a crock and the book Wild Fermentation for my bday. Giving this another go. Unfortunately the crock I got is one of the models that does not have straight sides, and when i checked last night some of the kraut had floated to near/on the surface around the edges where the weights don't cover.

Going to give the ziplock bag idea a shot. For those who have done it before, should i scoop out the top layer of kraut first or just dump the bag in right on top?

A couple of things:

1. Is it OK if the cabbage is exposed to air momentarily? For instance, I have a glass full of water currently weighing down the cabbage (in a mason jar), and I have to pull it out to scrape the white foamy stuff off of the surface of the solution. When I do this, some of the cabbage is sticking up pokes out of the water. Is this OK?

2. It's been in the jar for a week now, and I have been periodically applying extra pressure every time I walk by it. If it's been awhile since the last time I pressed (e.g., overnight), A LOT of bubbles and white scum come out of the cabbage bed. Is this normal? And is the continual pressing down good for the kraut?


Thanks so much! I'm excited to sample it next Wednesday at the 2 week mark.

There is always going to be a little cabbage floating. It's fine, you don't need to try to get it out. Relax don't worry have some sauerkraut

Lucky137 said:

A couple of things:

1. Is it OK if the cabbage is exposed to air momentarily? For instance, I have a glass full of water currently weighing down the cabbage (in a mason jar), and I have to pull it out to scrape the white foamy stuff off of the surface of the solution. When I do this, some of the cabbage is sticking up pokes out of the water. Is this OK?

2. It's been in the jar for a week now, and I have been periodically applying extra pressure every time I walk by it. If it's been awhile since the last time I pressed (e.g., overnight), A LOT of bubbles and white scum come out of the cabbage bed. Is this normal? And is the continual pressing down good for the kraut?


Thanks so much! I'm excited to sample it next Wednesday at the 2 week mark.

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Momentary contact does not matter, spoilage takes days or weeks.

Keep in mind that, assuming the lacto has taken hold (you will know by the smell/taste/bubbles), the brine is now an acidic, anerobic environment that is hostile to airborne molds and bacteria that would cause spoilage.

If you have any problems, you will know - you will see the mold forming on the surface. Even if you do, as long as it has been less than a few days or so, just scrape the mold off and give the crock a swirl and the mold will be gone. This is a food PRESERVATION process that is meant to preserve the food first and foremost, the delicious taste is just a side effect.

It's only been a week, just tasted it, it's sooooo delicious. I seriously cannot wait for brawts and kraut next Wednesday!

After it's done, what's the best way to store it? In its own juice, or should I drain it and store it in an airtight container?

Do not drain it! The fresh kraut juice is an unmatched health tonic, and besides that it can be used to jump start your next batch. Just pack it into a jar and put it in the fridge.