Every so often I buy bagged sauerkraut from the refrigerated section at Whole Foods. I can't remember the brand. I am no authority, but it's good enough for me.

I am more a prepper than a cook. I eat the same thing for 5 or 6 days. If it's good I'll make it again and go another 6 days. Usually I just mix some of the kraut with cuts of thick boneless pork chops I've broiled. I put that on a plate with some mashed potatoes I've made along with brocoli or some other veggie. By the way, the mashed taters are great, very low calorie, about 3 pounds of peeled yukon gold taters mashed with only two or three tablespoons of butter or olive oil along with enough buttermilk to soften it up.

I was wondering if there is a simple way to doctor up the kraut, maybe some carraway seeds, a spice or two, nothing fancy. It's good enough as as but I think the kraut/pork input could be better. Any ideas on how to doctor up the bagged kraut (I get it because it's fermented, if that means anything, and because other than salt it's just kraut.....? I don't want to be a dictator but will say that I'm looking for something simple, nothing requiring lots of prepping and cooking or buying of spices I might not use again for the next ten years. Thanks.

TJ

TJ

I also buy the refrigerated kraut....I generally drain it and thoroughly rinse it with just straight Apple juice,
storing it In the fridge with a little extra juice. I also always add caraway seeds. This
minor treatment plus some good black pepper when i serve it, is all I ever do to it.

N.

On 1/20/2015 10:35 PM, Nancy2 wrote:
> I also buy the refrigerated kraut....I generally drain it and thoroughly rinse it with just straight Apple juice,
> storing it In the fridge with a little extra juice. I also always add caraway seeds. This
> minor treatment plus some good black pepper when i serve it, is all I ever do to it.
>
> N.
>
Nancy2, I have no idea who or what thread you're replying to. I've said
it before, a little quoting would help.

Jill

On Tue, 20 Jan 2015 19:35:55 -0800 (PST), Nancy2
> wrote:

>I also buy the refrigerated kraut....I generally drain it and thoroughly rinse it with just straight Apple juice,
>storing it In the fridge with a little extra juice. I also always add caraway seeds. This
>minor treatment plus some good black pepper when i serve it, is all I ever do to it.

If you add apple juice and caraway you may as well buy canned...
Silver Floss makes a very nice sweetened kraut with caraway, I always
have at least a half dozen cans in my pantry.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Silver-Flo....4-Oz/10452864

On Wednesday, January 21, 2015 at 1:26:39 PM UTC+10, Tommy Joe wrote:
>
> I was wondering if there is a simple way to doctor up the kraut, maybe some carraway seeds, a spice or two, nothing fancy.

Caraway seeds work. Could try: garlic, chilli flakes, small crispy bacon pieces.

On Tuesday, January 20, 2015 at 7:26:39 PM UTC-8, Tommy Joe wrote:
> Every so often I buy bagged sauerkraut from the refrigerated section at Whole Foods. I can't remember the brand. I am no authority, but it's good enough for me.
>
> I am more a prepper than a cook. I eat the same thing for 5 or 6 days. If it's good I'll make it again and go another 6 days. Usually I just mix some of the kraut with cuts of thick boneless pork chops I've broiled. I put that on a plate with some mashed potatoes I've made along with brocoli or some other veggie. By the way, the mashed taters are great, very low calorie, about 3 pounds of peeled yukon gold taters mashed with only two or three tablespoons of butter or olive oil along with enough buttermilk to soften it up.
>
> I was wondering if there is a simple way to doctor up the kraut, maybe some carraway seeds, a spice or two, nothing fancy. It's good enough as as but I think the kraut/pork input could be better. Any ideas on how to doctor up the bagged kraut (I get it because it's fermented, if that means anything, and because other than salt it's just kraut.....? I don't want to be a dictator but will say that I'm looking for something simple, nothing requiring lots of prepping and cooking or buying of spices I might not use again for the next ten years. Thanks.
>
The key here is that you will not be cooking the sauerkraut very long. So no
bay leaves, no juniper berries, etc. that take long cooking to extract the
flavors. No salt -- there should be enough in the kraut. Maybe some coarse
ground pepper.

Saute some mushrooms in butter and/or olive oil. The brown crimini have
a nice flavor. Some sauteed chopped garlic perhaps. If you had a apple
slicer throw in some apple slices. If you add caraway, I would simmer
it a bit to soften it. Perhaps use the juice from the kraut for the
simmering liquid.

On 1/20/2015 9:26 PM, Tommy Joe wrote:
> Every so often I buy bagged sauerkraut from the refrigerated
> section at Whole Foods. I can't remember the brand. I am no
> authority, but it's good enough for me.

> I was wondering if there is a simple way to doctor up the kraut,
> maybe some carraway seeds, a spice or two, nothing fancy.

This is a very popular recipe for kraut from Schumacher's, a former
Czech/wild game restaurant in New Prague, Minnesota.

Schumacher's Tasty Sauerkraut

2 lbs sauerkraut
2 tsp caraway seeds
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp chicken base (bouillon concentrate)
1 1/4 cup pork stock (may substitute chicken stock)

Mix together the flour and sugar, toss with the kraut, caraway, and
chicken base. Add stock. Heat and serve.

On Tuesday, January 20, 2015 at 10:26:39 PM UTC-5, Tommy Joe wrote:
> > I was wondering if there is a simple way to doctor up the kraut, >
> TJ

How about some onions sauteed in butter?

Jill, but...here you are in the proper thread! My post stood alone; I said I bought refrigerated kraut.
What more do you need?

N.

On Tuesday, January 20, 2015 at 9:35:59 PM UTC-6, Nancy2 wrote:
>
> I also buy the refrigerated kraut....I generally drain it and thoroughly rinse it with just straight Apple juice,
> storing it In the fridge with a little extra juice. I also always add caraway seeds. This
> minor treatment plus some good black pepper when i serve it, is all I ever do to it.
>
> N.
>
>
I don't rinse mine but do drain it and add apple juice back to it for the liquid. And LOVE it cooked with caraway seed. Mmmmmmmmmm.

On 01/20/2015 07:35 PM, Nancy2 wrote:
> I also buy the refrigerated kraut....I generally drain it and thoroughly rinse it with just straight Apple juice,
> storing it In the fridge with a little extra juice. I also always add caraway seeds. This
> minor treatment plus some good black pepper when i serve it, is all I ever do to it.
>
> N.
>

Rinse it and add some white wine, to taste. Juniper berries go well with
it also also.

On Wednesday, January 21, 2015 at 1:03:24 PM UTC-8, Nancy2 wrote:
> Jill, but...here you are in the proper thread! My post stood alone; I said I bought refrigerated kraut.
> What more do you need?
>

Tommy Joe started the thread.

Recently a couple threads have been broken -- I wonder if that happened
to TJ's original post.

Brooklyn1 wrote:

> If you add apple juice and caraway you may as well buy canned...
> Silver Floss makes a very nice sweetened kraut with caraway, I always
> have at least a half dozen cans in my pantry.


I'll check it out.

TJ

wrote:

> The key here is that you will not be cooking the sauerkraut very long. So no
> bay leaves, no juniper berries, etc. that take long cooking to extract the
> flavors. No salt -- there should be enough in the kraut. Maybe some coarse
> ground pepper.
>
> Saute some mushrooms in butter and/or olive oil. The brown crimini have
> a nice flavor. Some sauteed chopped garlic perhaps. If you had a apple
> slicer throw in some apple slices. If you add caraway, I would simmer
> it a bit to soften it. Perhaps use the juice from the kraut for the
> simmering liquid.

On Wednesday, January 21, 2015 at 12:14:55 AM UTC-5, wrote:
> On Tuesday, January 20, 2015 at 7:26:39 PM UTC-8, Tommy Joe wrote:
> > Every so often I buy bagged sauerkraut from the refrigerated section at Whole Foods. I can't remember the brand. I am no authority, but it's good enough for me.
> >
> > I am more a prepper than a cook. I eat the same thing for 5 or 6 days. If it's good I'll make it again and go another 6 days. Usually I just mix some of the kraut with cuts of thick boneless pork chops I've broiled. I put that on a plate with some mashed potatoes I've made along with brocoli or some other veggie. By the way, the mashed taters are great, very low calorie, about 3 pounds of peeled yukon gold taters mashed with only two or three tablespoons of butter or olive oil along with enough buttermilk to soften it up.
> >
> > I was wondering if there is a simple way to doctor up the kraut, maybe some carraway seeds, a spice or two, nothing fancy. It's good enough as as but I think the kraut/pork input could be better. Any ideas on how to doctor up the bagged kraut (I get it because it's fermented, if that means anything, and because other than salt it's just kraut.....? I don't want to be a dictator but will say that I'm looking for something simple, nothing requiring lots of prepping and cooking or buying of spices I might not use again for the next ten years. Thanks.
> >
> The key here is that you will not be cooking the sauerkraut very long. So no
> bay leaves, no juniper berries, etc. that take long cooking to extract the
> flavors. No salt -- there should be enough in the kraut. Maybe some coarse
> ground pepper.
>
> Saute some mushrooms in butter and/or olive oil. The brown crimini have
> a nice flavor. Some sauteed chopped garlic perhaps. If you had a apple
> slicer throw in some apple slices. If you add caraway, I would simmer
> it a bit to soften it. Perhaps use the juice from the kraut for the
> simmering liquid.


Sounds good, I will try it. You say, "You will not be cooking the kraut long", which seems to imply that cooking too long is bd. Does cooking too long destroy it somehow? I have caraway seeds here in my freezer that I have no real use for. I will use them for the kraut, maybe some garlic, softening them up as you said. Thanks to all on this. I will be making this tomorrow but will look at all suggestion for next time I make the stuff. Thanks again. Oh, one more thing - to soften he caraway, appox how long? Simmer?

TJ

TJ

Moe DeLoughan wrote:

> Schumacher's Tasty Sauerkraut
>
> 2 lbs sauerkraut
> 2 tsp caraway seeds
> 1 1/2 tablespoons flour
> 1/3 cup sugar
> 2 tsp chicken base (bouillon concentrate)
> 1 1/4 cup pork stock (may substitute chicken stock)
>
> Mix together the flour and sugar, toss with the kraut, caraway, and chicken base. Add stock. Heat and serve.


Thanks, that sounds simple enough, not too many ingredients. TMI scares me every time. TMI (too many ingredients) equals TMA (too much aggravation). Here is a recipe I typed out of the newspaper last week. I have never made it and cannot vouch for it, but some of its ingredients are oddly similar to the ones your recipe calls for - even the flour. You might be interested. Thanks, enclosed below is the recipe, and anything appearing in parenthesis is from my own questioning brain.



Sweet and Sour Cabbage

8 slices bacon
1 large head cabbage, cored, shredded
1 quarter cup flour
1 tablespoon caraway seed or more to taste
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 cup white vinegar, or to taste
1/2 cup white sugar, or to taste

Lay two slices bacon across bottom of large pot. Cover with layer of cabbage, shredded. Sprinkle light dusting of flour and pinch of caraway over cabbage layer. Add salt and pepper. Continue layering until all bacon and cabbage are used.

Fill pot with enough water to come about 3/4 up the sides (I guess they mean the sides of the cabbage). Bring to boil and cook about 45 minutes or until cabbage is soft. (Might be wise to lower the heat, 45 minutes seems like a long time).

Let cool slightly, then stir in the vinegar and sugar, gradually, tasting as you go. The idea is to strike a balance between sweet and sour.

On Wednesday, January 21, 2015 at 11:17:39 AM UTC-5, Thomas wrote:
> On Tuesday, January 20, 2015 at 10:26:39 PM UTC-5, Tommy Joe wrote:
> > > I was wondering if there is a simple way to doctor up the kraut, >
> > TJ
>
> How about some onions sauteed in butter?


That sounds good. I suppose really what I felt was lacking was a bit of fat. The pork I will have with the kraut is pretty lean, so yes I think a bit of butter sounds good. I'm not a big kraut freak. Best I ever had was in a small Czech restaurant in Hollywood Cal years ago - a cheap place, very simple dish, very tender pork swimming in kraut juice along with 'dumplings' they said were made from stale bread. The kraut was reddish and sweet but also tangy - great the way it melded in with the dumplings and meat. I would never have the patience to make my own kraut from scratch, at least as far as I know.

TJ

On Tuesday, January 20, 2015 at 10:35:59 PM UTC-5, Nancy2 wrote:
> I also buy the refrigerated kraut....I generally drain it and thoroughly rinse it with just straight Apple juice,
> storing it In the fridge with a little extra juice. I also always add caraway seeds. This
> minor treatment plus some good black pepper when i serve it, is all I ever do to it.
>
> N.

Nancy2 wrote:

> I also buy the refrigerated kraut....I generally drain it and thoroughly rinse it with just straight Apple juice, storing it In the fridge with a little extra juice. I also always add caraway seeds. This minor treatment plus some good black pepper when i serve it, is all I ever do to it.


Thanks, sounds nice and easy. I will save the juice. It's loaded with salt but I love it, just a sip now and then. I used to have a problem with caraway seeds. My teeth could not handle them. They'd get stuck between my teeth and cause discomfort, so even though I enjoyed rye bread I had to start getting it without seeds. When you add the seeds after the apple rinse, do you heat the kraut up? If so, does that soften the seeds in any way? Thanks again.

TJ

On Wednesday, January 21, 2015 at 10:50:10 PM UTC-8, Tommy Joe wrote:
> wrote:
>
> > The key here is that you will not be cooking the sauerkraut very long. So no
> > bay leaves, no juniper berries, etc. that take long cooking to extract the
> > flavors. No salt -- there should be enough in the kraut. Maybe some coarse
> > ground pepper.
> >
> > Saute some mushrooms in butter and/or olive oil. The brown crimini have
> > a nice flavor. Some sauteed chopped garlic perhaps. If you had a apple
> > slicer throw in some apple slices. If you add caraway, I would simmer
> > it a bit to soften it. Perhaps use the juice from the kraut for the
> > simmering liquid.
>
> On Wednesday, January 21, 2015 at 12:14:55 AM UTC-5, wrote:
> > On Tuesday, January 20, 2015 at 7:26:39 PM UTC-8, Tommy Joe wrote:
> > > Every so often I buy bagged sauerkraut from the refrigerated section at Whole Foods. I can't remember the brand. I am no authority, but it's good enough for me.
> > >
> > > I am more a prepper than a cook. I eat the same thing for 5 or 6 days. If it's good I'll make it again and go another 6 days. Usually I just mix some of the kraut with cuts of thick boneless pork chops I've broiled. I put that on a plate with some mashed potatoes I've made along with brocoli or some other veggie. By the way, the mashed taters are great, very low calorie, about 3 pounds of peeled yukon gold taters mashed with only two or three tablespoons of butter or olive oil along with enough buttermilk to soften it up.
> > >
> > > I was wondering if there is a simple way to doctor up the kraut, maybe some carraway seeds, a spice or two, nothing fancy. It's good enough as as but I think the kraut/pork input could be better. Any ideas on how to doctor up the bagged kraut (I get it because it's fermented, if that means anything, and because other than salt it's just kraut.....? I don't want to be a dictator but will say that I'm looking for something simple, nothing requiring lots of prepping and cooking or buying of spices I might not use again for the next ten years. Thanks.
> > >
> > The key here is that you will not be cooking the sauerkraut very long. So no
> > bay leaves, no juniper berries, etc. that take long cooking to extract the
> > flavors. No salt -- there should be enough in the kraut. Maybe some coarse
> > ground pepper.
> >
> > Saute some mushrooms in butter and/or olive oil. The brown crimini have
> > a nice flavor. Some sauteed chopped garlic perhaps. If you had a apple
> > slicer throw in some apple slices. If you add caraway, I would simmer
> > it a bit to soften it. Perhaps use the juice from the kraut for the
> > simmering liquid.
>
>
> Sounds good, I will try it. You say, "You will not be cooking the kraut long", which seems to imply that cooking too long is bd. Does cooking too long destroy it somehow? I have caraway seeds here in my freezer that I have no real use for. I will use them for the kraut, maybe some garlic, softening them up as you said. Thanks to all on this. I will be making this tomorrow but will look at all suggestion for next time I make the stuff. Thanks again. Oh, one more thing - to soften he caraway, appox how long? Simmer?
>

Cooking a long time is not bad, it just makes the end product closer to
the canned product, as Brooklyn pointed out. So why pay extra for
refrigerated?

We slow cook jarred kraut with caraway for several hours. This leaves
the caraway soft. I couldn't tell you how long to simmer. Try 15 minutes.

wrote:

> Cooking a long time is not bad, it just makes the end product closer to the canned product, as Brooklyn pointed out. So why pay extra for refrigerated. We slow cook jarred kraut with caraway for several hours. This leaves the caraway soft. I couldn't tell you how long to simmer. Try 15 minutes.


I must be psychic, I figured about 15 minutes. I think I'll go with some butter too to give it a brown color and some fat. I guess I've got all the info I need now. This all started with a search for sauerkraut juice that started about 4 years ago. At one time, in my youth, and even as little as 20 years ago, I remember seeing the juice is markets. Now it's some kind of rarity. So I bought some kraut just for the juice and figured I might as well put the kraut to use, so I added it to some cooked pork I had on hand. It was good. I just thought it could be gooder. That's why I asked about dolling it up a bit. Thanks to all who helped on this.

TJ

TJ

Tommy Joe, re caraway seeds, I add them before returning the kraut to the fridge, so they are heated
only when I heat a portion to serve. The seeds are a necessary annoyance for me. 😃

N.

On 1/22/2015 1:25 AM, wrote:
> On Wednesday, January 21, 2015 at 1:03:24 PM UTC-8, Nancy2 wrote:
>> Jill, but...here you are in the proper thread! My post stood alone; I said I bought refrigerated kraut.
>> What more do you need?
>>
>
> Tommy Joe started the thread.
>
> Recently a couple threads have been broken -- I wonder if that happened
> to TJ's original post.
>
Yep, TJ started the thread.

Jill

Nancy2 wrote:

> Tommy Joe, re caraway seeds, I add them before returning the kraut to the fridge, so they are heated
> only when I heat a portion to serve. The seeds are a necessary annoyance for me. 😃


I do not have bad teeth but they are fragile and have been filled and refilled many times since I was a young punk in an institution. Not a lot of tooth left around the filling. Small things like a tomato peel for example can be really annoying. If soaking or pre-boiling the seeds doesn't reduce them to mush, I might as well go with your method. Plus, using them as you do, only when you're ready to eat, I won't waste the whole bunch on an experiment. If I can't handle it it's not the end of the world. I enjoyed the bagged kraut unadorned and mixed with pork broiled separately. So I'll try the caraway but won't stress over it. I like to take some of the broiled pork and mix it with the kraut with some pepper and stick it on a plate with mashed potatoes and some veggies. I even cook brocoli separately and cut it into small pieces and mix it into the mashed taters with a bit of cheddar cheese tossed in. I am a prepper more than a cook and that is not necessarily a bad thing. Some of the stuff I sling together I'm sure a good many people would never suspect the ingredients were made mostly separately. I've used a pot for rice, the broiler for meat, the microwave for spinach - whatever it takes. Sling it together, if it tastes good it's a meal.

Carried away with caraway,

TJ

TJ