Sauerkraut
Contrary to most popular beliefs, sauerkraut is not originally German. The Chinese ate ‘sour cabbage’ as early as the third century B.C. Sauerkraut is high in Vitamin C, so the workers on the Great Wall ate it as part of their diets. The process of fermenting cabbage was brought from Asia to Eastern Europe by a group of people called the Tartars.
The first printed recipe for sauerkraut was published in 1485 in Nuremberg in a cookbook called Mastery of the Kitchen. The popularity of the dish spread throughout Germany and France, and became especially well-known in the Alsace-Lorraine region. Today, it makes up a large part of the diet of American who claim German-Russian as part of their heritage.
The first printed recipe for sauerkraut was published in 1485 in Nuremberg in a cookbook called Mastery of the Kitchen. The popularity of the dish spread throughout Germany and France, and became especially well-known in the Alsace-Lorraine region. Today, it makes up a large part of the diet of American who claim German-Russian as part of their heritage.
How to Make Sauerkraut
20 lbs (or more, if desired) mature, large headed cabbages
2 tsps. Pickling salt per pound of cabbage
Other flavorings such as onions or bay leaves, if desired
Let cabbages stand for a day or two to allow leaves to wilt and become softer. Trim outer leaves and wash the heads. With large, sharp knife, trim the heads into halves or quarters. Remove core if desired. Using a kraut cutting board with blades set at about the width of a dime, shred the cabbage.
Mix the salt and cabbage together in batches of 3 to 5 pounds. Let stand for 5 minutes (this is important!). Wash and sterilize the container (large stone crocks work well) you chose for your kraut, and pack cabbage down inside, to no more than 80% of container capacity, as cabbage will expand. Use a large wooden tamper to get the juices flowing and force any air out. Place a weight on top of cabbage (such as a plastic bag partially filled with water) on top of the cabbage to keep the brine (juices) at the top near the cover of the container, but not over it. If brine level is too high, remove some. If brine level is too low, add some water (non-chlorinated).
Allow to ferment for 3-4 weeks, checking every 3-4 days, at about 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Scum will form on surface of the brine, and you should skim in off every few days. Fermentation is complete when bubbling has stopped and no bubbles rise when the crock is tapped.
2 tsps. Pickling salt per pound of cabbage
Other flavorings such as onions or bay leaves, if desired
Let cabbages stand for a day or two to allow leaves to wilt and become softer. Trim outer leaves and wash the heads. With large, sharp knife, trim the heads into halves or quarters. Remove core if desired. Using a kraut cutting board with blades set at about the width of a dime, shred the cabbage.
Mix the salt and cabbage together in batches of 3 to 5 pounds. Let stand for 5 minutes (this is important!). Wash and sterilize the container (large stone crocks work well) you chose for your kraut, and pack cabbage down inside, to no more than 80% of container capacity, as cabbage will expand. Use a large wooden tamper to get the juices flowing and force any air out. Place a weight on top of cabbage (such as a plastic bag partially filled with water) on top of the cabbage to keep the brine (juices) at the top near the cover of the container, but not over it. If brine level is too high, remove some. If brine level is too low, add some water (non-chlorinated).
Allow to ferment for 3-4 weeks, checking every 3-4 days, at about 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Scum will form on surface of the brine, and you should skim in off every few days. Fermentation is complete when bubbling has stopped and no bubbles rise when the crock is tapped.