I've wondered a little about making my own Sauerkraut so as to control
additions like juniper and caraway seeds. I looked up a recipe by Alton
Brown and I find the cabbage/salt mixture should stand for about 4
weeks. Is this long steeping necessary and can I get any recommendations
for commercial Sauerkraut?
--
Jim Silverton (Potomac, MD)

Extraneous "not." in Reply To.

On Wednesday, January 21, 2015 at 8:57:39 AM UTC-5, James Silverton wrote:
> I've wondered a little about making my own Sauerkraut so as to control
> additions like juniper and caraway seeds. I looked up a recipe by Alton
> Brown and I find the cabbage/salt mixture should stand for about 4
> weeks. Is this long steeping necessary and can I get any recommendations
> for commercial Sauerkraut?
> --
> Jim Silverton (Potomac, MD)
>
> Extraneous "not." in Reply To.

I don't like kraut and I'm part German.

On Wednesday, January 21, 2015 at 8:57:39 AM UTC-5, James Silverton wrote:
> I've wondered a little about making my own Sauerkraut so as to control
> additions like juniper and caraway seeds. I looked up a recipe by Alton
> Brown and I find the cabbage/salt mixture should stand for about 4
> weeks.

I let it ferment for about 4 weeks. Be sure to use non-iodised salt (kosher works) I use a five gal food safe bucket. Layer the cabbage and salt. Pound the crap out of it at each layer. I use a Nalgene 32 oz full water bottle to pound until liquid soaked. You want the liquid to cover the kraut. You should not need to add any water. You need to cover it. I use Saran wrap with zip lock baggies full of water on top to hold it all down. After the 4 weeks, skim any scum off (hopefully sealed good enough to have little) Also, don't keep it in a cold basement. It will take longer. Been there.
Far better than the best store bought.

On 1/21/2015 11:12 AM, Thomas wrote:
> On Wednesday, January 21, 2015 at 8:57:39 AM UTC-5, James Silverton wrote:
>> I've wondered a little about making my own Sauerkraut so as to control
>> additions like juniper and caraway seeds. I looked up a recipe by Alton
>> Brown and I find the cabbage/salt mixture should stand for about 4
>> weeks.
>
> I let it ferment for about 4 weeks. Be sure to use non-iodised salt (kosher works) I use a five gal food safe bucket. Layer the cabbage and salt. Pound the crap out of it at each layer. I use a Nalgene 32 oz full water bottle to pound until liquid soaked. You want the liquid to cover the kraut. You should not need to add any water. You need to cover it. I use Saran wrap with zip lock baggies full of water on top to hold it all down. After the 4 weeks, skim any scum off (hopefully sealed good enough to have little) Also, don't keep it in a cold basement. It will take longer. Been there.
> Far better than the best store bought.
>
Thanks! It does seem a process involving a lot of time but other
pickles, like British Pub Onions take a while too.

--
Jim Silverton (Potomac, MD)

Extraneous "not." in Reply To.

"James Silverton" > wrote in message
...
> On 1/21/2015 11:12 AM, Thomas wrote:
>> On Wednesday, January 21, 2015 at 8:57:39 AM UTC-5, James Silverton
>> wrote:
>>> I've wondered a little about making my own Sauerkraut so as to control
>>> additions like juniper and caraway seeds. I looked up a recipe by Alton
>>> Brown and I find the cabbage/salt mixture should stand for about 4
>>> weeks.
>>
>> I let it ferment for about 4 weeks. Be sure to use non-iodised salt
>> (kosher works) I use a five gal food safe bucket. Layer the cabbage and
>> salt. Pound the crap out of it at each layer. I use a Nalgene 32 oz full
>> water bottle to pound until liquid soaked. You want the liquid to cover
>> the kraut. You should not need to add any water. You need to cover it. I
>> use Saran wrap with zip lock baggies full of water on top to hold it all
>> down. After the 4 weeks, skim any scum off (hopefully sealed good enough
>> to have little) Also, don't keep it in a cold basement. It will take
>> longer. Been there.
>> Far better than the best store bought.
>>
> Thanks! It does seem a process involving a lot of time but other pickles,
> like British Pub Onions take a while too.

Yes, I usually leave mine minimum of a couple of months before they are
ready.


--
http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/shop/

On Wednesday, January 21, 2015 at 5:57:39 AM UTC-8, James Silverton wrote:

> I've wondered a little about making my own Sauerkraut so as to control
> additions like juniper and caraway seeds. I looked up a recipe by Alton
> Brown and I find the cabbage/salt mixture should stand for about 4
> weeks. Is this long steeping necessary and can I get any recommendations
> for commercial Sauerkraut?

It's a lactobacillus fermentation, as with brined pickles. Although the
surface-to-volume ratio is much smaller

On 1/21/2015 7:59 AM, James Silverton wrote:
> I've wondered a little about making my own Sauerkraut so as to control
> additions like juniper and caraway seeds. I looked up a recipe by
> Alton Brown and I find the cabbage/salt mixture should stand for about
> 4 weeks. Is this long steeping necessary and can I get any
> recommendations for commercial Sauerkraut?

I don't do kraut, but you might be interested in these two sites:

http://www.fermentersclub.com/

http://www.wildfermentation.com/

Lot of information at both of them for DIY fermenters of well, just
about anything.

On Sat, 24 Jan 2015 00:13:57 -0600, Sqwertz >
wrote:

> I looked up a recipe by Alton
>> Brown and I find the cabbage/salt mixture should stand for about 4
>> weeks. Is this long steeping necessary
It's not "steeping" but rather "fermenting". Saurkraut is fermented
cabbage and the fermenting is what makes it different from pickled
cabbage..

--
Bob
www.kanyak.com

Opinicus wrote:
>Sqwertz wrote:
>
>> I looked up a recipe by Alton
>>> Brown and I find the cabbage/salt mixture should stand for about 4
>>> weeks. Is this long steeping necessary
>It's not "steeping" but rather "fermenting". Saurkraut is fermented
>cabbage and the fermenting is what makes it different from pickled
>cabbage..

Fermented is also pickeled, only in a brine solution as averse to a
vinegar solution.... with fermentation the process creates it's own
acid. If vinegar is added to the brine solution it will not properly
ferment.