sauerkraut

[Guest guest]

Hi Ella, I have been following this thread and have a question: What

utensil do you use to pound the cabbage?

Thanks, Jane

> > >

> > > Hi April,

> > >

> > > I've used that recipe once but wasn't happy with it. I'm from

> > Germany

> > > and I've never had caraway seeds in it so I didn't like the

taste.

> > > Also, it didn't seem to be long enough of a fermentation, so

when I

> > > transferred the batch to cold storage it didn't do a thing.

Even

> > > after months it was still hard and not sour at all. I use a

> > different

> > > recipe now and I'm quite happy.

> > >

> > > Hope this helps. Maybe you just need to let it sit out longer

than

> > I

> > > did.

> > >

> > > Monika

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Jane,

Many things will work for pounding vegetables. I custom turn wooden vegetable

pounders, but mainly use them for packing quart, widemouth canning jars. Instead

of pounding, I mix salt and my innoculant (Spectrabiotic) into the shredded

cabbage (or other vegetables that might require pounding). Let the vegetables

sit for about an hour until the salt begins to pull out the juices. Then I pack

them into jars using the " pounder " . I pack them tightly enough that I get juice

over the top of the vegetables by the time the jar is full. Actually, I must

stop using the full sized pounder and switch to a small one before the jar is

full because the juice will run over the top of the jar.

If you want to see what I have for pounders, you can go to my web page

http://heinfamilyenterprises.com/health/pounder.html.

Ellis Hein

Re: Sauerkraut

Hi Ella, I have been following this thread and have a question: What

utensil do you use to pound the cabbage?

Thanks, Jane

> > >

> > > Hi April,

> > >

> > > I've used that recipe once but wasn't happy with it. I'm from

> > Germany

> > > and I've never had caraway seeds in it so I didn't like the

taste.

> > > Also, it didn't seem to be long enough of a fermentation, so

when I

> > > transferred the batch to cold storage it didn't do a thing.

Even

> > > after months it was still hard and not sour at all. I use a

> > different

> > > recipe now and I'm quite happy.

> > >

> > > Hope this helps. Maybe you just need to let it sit out longer

than

> > I

> > > did.

> > >

> > > Monika

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Jane wrote:

>Hi Ella, I have been following this thread and have a question: What

>utensil do you use to pound the cabbage?

Jane, you don't have to pound the cabbage. I just mix the salt into the

shredded cabbage in large bowls, then pack into the jar with a large

wooden spoon to push the cabbage into the corners. By the time all of

the cabbage is in the jar, there is cabbage juice about 2/3 of the way

up. I fill a smaller jar with water and sit it in the top of the jar on

top of the cabbage as a weight, and the liquid continues to rise over

the next couple of hours. No pounding required.

+1 for adding juniper berries, my favourite style of sauerkraut.

--

Ross McKay, Toronto, NSW Australia

" Let the laddie play wi the knife - he'll learn "

- The Wee Book of Calvin

[Guest guest]

Eight weeks in, I finally, finally, finally made the GAPS-essential sauerkraut!!!To give some context to my concerns/questions, below my sig are the prep instructions from NCM.I had been chicken because I had read on the 'net somewhere that fermenting in a closed jar could cause toxicity but I could not locate a suitable container for the open-crock version. In the end, I bit the bullet and washed out a 4 litre jar. I did everything just so. In preparation, the juice didn't quite cover the veggies, so I added salt water reaching about 2 cm above the veggies --significantly more than I had intended to. Between the water and the lid is a good 3 litres of air (ie. empty, closed-in space).24 hours later, the

cabbage has expanded such that again there is no 'brine' above the cabbage.I don't know how fussy fermenting is, and the impact air, etc, have on it, so...Questions:1. Is a 2 cm top-up of salt water too much?2. Could 3 litres of air adversely impact the

batch?3. Does it matter that on Day 2 the cabbage is again at the top of the brine level?Thanks,Baden¡ü with a food processor or by hand, slice thinly or shred a medium size white cabbage¡ü add two shredded carrots¡ü add some salt (to your taste)¡ü add dill seeds (and/or seaweed, juniper berries, caraway seeds, black pepper corns, any other spicy seeds you like)¡ü with your hands, knead the mixture well until a lot of juice comes out¡ü pack the mixture into a 1 or 2 litre glass jar, leaving about 3-5 cm at the top empty (the cabbage will expand with fermentation)¡ü pack the cabbage into the jar, pressing firmly so there is no air trapped and the cabbage is drowned in its own juice¡ü if there is not enough juice to cover the cabbage, add some salty water ¡ü close the jar with a lid¡ü cover the jar with a kitchen towel to keep it in the dark¡ü leave at a room temperature

5-7 days to

ferment¡ü when ready, keep in fridge

[Guest guest]

Hi Baden,

I have made my kraut 2 different ways, and the closed-jar method seems to work better for me.

Method 1 - Make the kraut, close the lid, keep it in a warm part of the house for about 4 days. when I do this, the top of my kraut turns brownish, and I scoop that out and don't eat it. I then keep my kraut on the counter in the kitchen (pantry would work fine too) for as long as I want it to continue to develop flavor. The ferment part is over, but flavor can continue to develop for months. When it tastes good to me, I put it in the fridge.

Method 2 - Make the kraut, put the lid on, and keep it warm. The difference is that twice a day, I open the jar and mash the veggies back under the liquid. The ferment is over (about 3-4 days) when you no longer have to do this. You'll just see that the cabbage no longer expands because air pockets are no longer forming because the ferment is over. Then keep the jars in a convenient place where you can taste it every so often, and then when it's yummy, put it in the fridge.

My kraut gets eaten mostly while it's sitting on my counter waiting to " get good. " Fo my preference, it's pretty delish after about 2 weeks, but it does get better with more time. But mine rarely lasts that long. I've tried making huge batches before, but it seems that when I do that, my batch goes bad.

Oh, and you'll know if you've got a bad batch. The smell/taste will be so horrid that you will have no doubt! LOL!

Cheers!

Marla

2008/7/19 Baden M <mbadenoo@...>:

Eight weeks in, I finally, finally, finally made the GAPS-essential sauerkraut!!!To give some context to my concerns/questions, below my sig are the prep instructions from NCM.I had been chicken because I had read on the 'net somewhere that fermenting in a closed jar could cause toxicity but I could not locate a suitable container for the open-crock version. In the end, I bit the bullet and washed out a 4 litre jar. I did everything just so. In preparation, the juice didn't quite cover the veggies, so I added salt water reaching about 2 cm above the veggies --significantly more than I had intended to. Between the water and the lid is a good 3 litres of air (ie. empty, closed-in space).

24 hours later, the cabbage has expanded such that again there is no 'brine' above the cabbage.I don't know how fussy fermenting is, and the impact air, etc, have on it, so...Questions:

1. Is a 2 cm top-up of salt water too much?2. Could 3 litres of air adversely impact the batch?3. Does it matter that on Day 2 the cabbage is again at the top of the brine level?Thanks,Baden

¡ü with a food processor or by hand, slice thinly or shred a medium size white cabbage¡ü add two shredded carrots¡ü add some salt (to your taste)¡ü add dill seeds (and/or seaweed, juniper berries, caraway seeds, black pepper corns, any other spicy seeds you like)

¡ü with your hands, knead the mixture well until a lot of juice comes out¡ü pack the mixture into a 1 or 2 litre glass jar, leaving about 3-5 cm at the top empty (the cabbage will expand with fermentation)¡ü pack the cabbage into the jar, pressing firmly so there is no air trapped and the cabbage is drowned in its own juice

¡ü if there is not enough juice to cover the cabbage, add some salty water ¡ü close the jar with a lid¡ü cover the jar with a kitchen towel to keep it in the dark¡ü leave at a room temperature 5-7 days to ferment

¡ü when ready, keep in fridge

[Guest guest]

I just realized I had this fermenting. I put it up on top of the frig and

forgot it was there. Is this going to be okay to eat or should I chuck it

and start over? It's been fermenting since July 5.

--

April

The Lotus rises from the mud and dirt

Sweet Lotus Creations

www.sweetlotuscreations.com

On Sat, Jul 5, 2008 at 10:40 PM, April McCart <sweetlotuscreations@...>

wrote:

> I just got a batch of sauerkraut going following the directions from the

> Nourishing Traditions book. It says to let it sit on the counter for three

> days, then transfer to cold storage and can be eaten right away but improves

> in taste over time.

>

> Has anyone made the sauerkraut following this book and if so, how long a

> time does it take for it to taste like a true sauerkraut?

[Guest guest]

If you press it down twice daily, you'll know the ferment is over because one time you'll go to press it down and you'll see that it no longer needs it. If you don't do the squish method, just wait about 4 days and then squish it down. If it stays that way, the ferment is done. If it expands again, it wasn't done, but no harm is done by squishing it down.

Marla

On Sun, Jul 20, 2008 at 12:26 PM, Baden M <mbadenoo@...> wrote:

Thank you so much, Marla and Millie!! I am now very excited about my sauerkraut! Very relieved to hear I can simply remove the exposed layer if necessary.I only put crushed peppercorns in this batch. I will try other stuff later.

How do I know when it's done fermenting? I can't actually *see* any bubbling going on, so how do I know when it has stopped?Baden

[Guest guest]

>

> > I just got a batch of sauerkraut going following the directions from the

> > Nourishing Traditions book. It says to let it sit on the counter for three

> > days, then transfer to cold storage and can be eaten right away but improves

> > in taste over time.

> >

> > Has anyone made the sauerkraut following this book and if so, how long a

> > time does it take for it to taste like a true sauerkraut?

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi April -

I'm sure it is fine. I've kept sauerkraut for months in the fridge

with no problem. It may just be a bit more sour than you'd planned.

Nora

[Guest guest]

Thanks, Nora. This had been sitting on the counter all that time. I put it

in the frig this morning.

--

April

The Lotus rises from the mud and dirt

Sweet Lotus Creations

www.sweetlotuscreations.com

On Mon, Jul 21, 2008 at 9:32 AM, nvbraverman <nvbraverman@...> wrote:

> Hi April -

>

> I'm sure it is fine. I've kept sauerkraut for months in the fridge

> with no problem. It may just be a bit more sour than you'd planned.

>

> Nora

>

[Guest guest]

April,

The best way to tell is to see if it smells and tastes ok. If it is bad, it will

smell bad.

Ellis

www.health-helps-you.com

Re: Sauerkraut

I just realized I had this fermenting. I put it up on top of the frig and

forgot it was there. Is this going to be okay to eat or should I chuck it

and start over? It's been fermenting since July 5.

--

April

The Lotus rises from the mud and dirt

Sweet Lotus Creations

www.sweetlotuscreations.com

On Sat, Jul 5, 2008 at 10:40 PM, April McCart <sweetlotuscreations@...>

wrote:

> I just got a batch of sauerkraut going following the directions from the

> Nourishing Traditions book. It says to let it sit on the counter for three

> days, then transfer to cold storage and can be eaten right away but improves

> in taste over time.

>

> Has anyone made the sauerkraut following this book and if so, how long a

> time does it take for it to taste like a true sauerkraut?

[Guest guest]

OOPS! I just realized that you said ON the fridge not IN it. I agree

with Ellis - Smell and Taste.

Nora

>

> > I just got a batch of sauerkraut going following the directions

from the

> > Nourishing Traditions book. It says to let it sit on the counter

for three

> > days, then transfer to cold storage and can be eaten right away

but improves

> > in taste over time.

> >

> > Has anyone made the sauerkraut following this book and if so,

how long a

> > time does it take for it to taste like a true sauerkraut?

>

>

[Guest guest]

I have *SOURkraut*...WOOWEE!!! LOL! It's actually pretty good. It's in

the frig now. Guess now I just need to figure out what to do with it.

--

April

The Lotus rises from the mud and dirt

Sweet Lotus Creations

www.sweetlotuscreations.com

On Mon, Jul 21, 2008 at 12:00 PM, nvbraverman <nvbraverman@...> wrote:

> OOPS! I just realized that you said ON the fridge not IN it. I agree

> with Ellis - Smell and Taste.

>

[Guest guest]

Hey Guys..I just tried my first go at sauerkraut..and my hubby

freaked out at the jar just sitting in the cupboard, so I panicked

and stuck it in the fridge...and now it's just half-soft bland

cabbage. What would happen if I took it back out? I also have a

crock of kraut in the basement (that he doesn't know about)that grew

a big hairy thing and now I'm afraid of it...(can you tell I'm new

at this?) Should I go down and unveil my franken-kraut assuming it's

still safe? And for my refigerated batch, will it continue to

ferment if I take it back out? Wow, kefir is a lot more forgiving

than this project!

thanks, Ginger

>

> I have *SOURkraut*...WOOWEE!!! LOL! It's actually pretty good.

It's in

> the frig now. Guess now I just need to figure out what to do with

it.

>

> --

> April

> The Lotus rises from the mud and dirt

> Sweet Lotus Creations

> www.sweetlotuscreations.com

>

> On Mon, Jul 21, 2008 at 12:00 PM, nvbraverman <nvbraverman@...>

wrote:

>

> > OOPS! I just realized that you said ON the fridge not IN it. I

agree

> > with Ellis - Smell and Taste.

>

[Guest guest]

It can go in and out of the fridge just fine. Remember,

in the old days one made it on the porch, sometimes

in freezing weather.

On Tue, Jul 22, 2008 at 7:15 AM, grchenier <gin_u_n@...> wrote:

> Hey Guys..I just tried my first go at sauerkraut..and my hubby

> freaked out at the jar just sitting in the cupboard, so I panicked

> and stuck it in the fridge...and now it's just half-soft bland

> cabbage. What would happen if I took it back out? I also have a

> crock of kraut in the basement (that he doesn't know about)that grew

> a big hairy thing and now I'm afraid of it...(can you tell I'm new

> at this?) Should I go down and unveil my franken-kraut assuming it's

> still safe? And for my refigerated batch, will it continue to

> ferment if I take it back out? Wow, kefir is a lot more forgiving

> than this project!

> thanks, Ginger

>>

>> I have *SOURkraut*...WOOWEE!!! LOL! It's actually pretty good.

> It's in

>> the frig now. Guess now I just need to figure out what to do with

> it.

>>

>> --

>> April

>> The Lotus rises from the mud and dirt

>> Sweet Lotus Creations

>> www.sweetlotuscreations.com

>>

>> On Mon, Jul 21, 2008 at 12:00 PM, nvbraverman <nvbraverman@...>

> wrote:

>>

>> > OOPS! I just realized that you said ON the fridge not IN it. I

> agree

>> > with Ellis - Smell and Taste.

>

>>

>

>

>

> ------------------------------------

>

>

[Guest guest]

On Mon, Jul 21, 2008 at 7:25 PM, April McCart

<sweetlotuscreations@...> wrote:

> I have *SOURkraut*...WOOWEE!!! LOL! It's actually pretty good. It's in

> the frig now. Guess now I just need to figure out what to do with it.

>

> --

> April

Congratulations!

As for what to do with it (besides eating it raw, which is good!):

Put some potatoes in the bottom of a baking dish.

Cover with kraut.

Bake til the potatoes are done.

Add some sausages to the top.

Bake til the sausages are hot and crisp.

This is outstandingly yummy ...

--

[Guest guest]

I love pork cooked in the kraut with potaoes

but

does not the cooking kill off the " good " bugs

that kraut provides?

--

M. Ask

Certified Herb Specialists

The Natural Apothecary

http://thenaturalapothecary.com

----

[Guest guest]

Sounds yummy! Remember that if the kraut is too sour for you, you can always

rinse it before using. Rinse only the amount you are going to use. You'll

still have lots of good bugs in there, but it won't be quite so sour.

----- Original Message -----

From: "

[Guest guest]

Yes, cooking kills off the bugs. I usually try to use at least some of the

kraut as a condiment to get the whole goodness. A little mound of raw kraut

goes well on the plate with many things. But it sure is good cooked,

especially with pork products and potatoes. Sometimes you just have to go

for the flavor!

----- Original Message -----

From: <rma@...>

<nutrition >

Cc: "

[Guest guest]

Even if the " good bugs " are cooked though, the end product

is healthy. Cooked kraut sustained many of our ancestors, and it

turns out there is good stuff in there, raw OR cooked. It doesn't take

a whole lot of " probiotics " to make life good .. a tsp. of raw kraut

has about as many good bacteria as most of the pills you buy.

But there is a lot more to it than that:

1. The bacteria get rid of some toxins/chemicals that your body

doesn't like

2. The bacteria change the glycemic profile of the food

3. The bacteria create some chemicals that are protective

against cancer etc.

These things don't change, whether or not the food is cooked

or the bacteria involved is alive. Most bacteria die in your

stomach at any rate: their byproducts don't.

It's not an " either/or " situation, is what I'm saying, (as is SeaDruid.)

Cultures that eat fermented foods, eat them both raw AND cooked.

That is the case in our house: we do both, but once our health problems

got resolved we don't worry much about it. I truly love kraut cooked with

potatoes and wurst. I also have some raw kimchi with most of my

meals (otherwise it doesn't feel like " a meal " ). We also do " kefir beer "

and other probiotics. But once people are healthy, it isn't such an

issue of " how much is cooked " vs. " how much is raw " .

On Tue, Jul 22, 2008 at 1:45 PM, SeaDruid <seaorca@...> wrote:

> Yes, cooking kills off the bugs. I usually try to use at least some of the

> kraut as a condiment to get the whole goodness. A little mound of raw kraut

> goes well on the plate with many things. But it sure is good cooked,

> especially with pork products and potatoes. Sometimes you just have to go

> for the flavor!

>

>

> ----- Original Message -----

> From: <rma@...>

> <nutrition >

> Cc: "

[Guest guest]

Thanks . I'll give that a try. If I eat it raw, how much would you

suggest daily? It tasted pretty good.

BPI to provide beef tallow for new biodiesel plant By Janie

Gabbett<jgabbett@...>on 7/22/2008

On Tue, Jul 22, 2008 at 2:16 PM,

[Guest guest]

, I make kefir daily with grains. What is " kefir beer " ?

--

April

The Lotus rises from the mud and dirt

Sweet Lotus Creations

www.sweetlotuscreations.com

On Tue, Jul 22, 2008 at 8:04 PM,

[Guest guest]

Hm. I don't have the writup on the website. There is a little

bit about it under the Kefiili link under " kefir-ade " at:

http://www.eatingoffthefoodgrid.com/a/index.htm

I'll see if I can post the kefir beer writup. It's good stuff.

Basically like kefir-ade but more ethanol and with hops.

Tastes like lambic ale!

On Wed, Jul 23, 2008 at 11:15 PM, April McCart

<sweetlotuscreations@...> wrote:

> , I make kefir daily with grains. What is " kefir beer " ?

>

> --

> April

> The Lotus rises from the mud and dirt

> Sweet Lotus Creations

> www.sweetlotuscreations.com

>

> On Tue, Jul 22, 2008 at 8:04 PM,

[Guest guest]

Hi Millie,I am about to make my second batch of sauerkraut. Are these ingredients to be in specific proportions or just random? Also, how does one make brine with celery and apple? Finally, why is sea salt/starter in brackets?I bought Dulse and Kombu today. They are both sun-cured. (Other seaweeds said "cooked seven hours"!) I'm going to throw some Kombu into this one.Are you comfortable posting this recipe (and the one for Ramen) to the GAPShelp files?BadenI am making mine with the following ingredients and we love it: Cabbage Carrot Daikon Parsley Wakame (mild tasting seaweed) Kale Brine made with celery and Granny apple to feed the culture (Sea salt or culture starter) The combination of the flavors is amazing and the nutrients are abounding. Also with the summer heat, it's ready in 4 days. Yum!Millie_

[Guest guest]

I'm a little behind on catching up on some of my group emails. I just saw

this link you posted . Thanks. I've bookmarked this site for future

reference.

--

April

The Lotus rises from the mud and dirt

Sweet Lotus Creations

www.sweetlotuscreations.com

On Thu, Jul 24, 2008 at 12:50 PM,