Kraut is done!

[Peanut]

Thanks ladies, this helped clear it up some. My friend was talking fast on the phone… guess I misunderstood a couple things. I don’t have a good book on pickling or fermenting. I need to order lids from internet store. I’ll check their book section, several things already on my list.

About the crocks, thanks for the link. I didn’t know that churns and crocks were measured in gallons, duh. I got curious about my grandma’s churn. It held 1gal and 3 quarts.

 

[TeeJ]

I Make kraut regularly. I let it ferment for about a month to six weeks. I don’t think 4-5 days is nearly enough. I shred the cabbage along with a bit of carrots, onions and sometimes a few slices of beets. Often I add caraway seeds.
I never make more than a quart mason jar full because I don’t can it. I have glass weights that fit in the wide mouth mason jar. The heat from canning it kills all the good bacteria you just worked up fermenting it. Once it’s done fermenting at room temp, I cap the jar and keep it in the ‘fridge. The kraut might continue to ferment but veeeerrrry slowly in the ‘fridge. For me, the point of making kraut is not just for the deliciousness of it but also for all the gut health in eating it without heating it more than taking the chill off it out of the ‘fridge. YMMV

I'll second the caraway seeds. Maybe it's just the German in me coming out, but to me kraut doesn't taste right without them.

 

[Peanut]

I'll second the caraway seeds. Maybe it's just the German in me coming out, but to me kraut doesn't taste right without them.

I posted earlier in this thread about friends bringing back kraut from Germany. Caraway seeds might have been what made it so good. It was different that what I was used to. Didn't cook in those days so wouldn't have any idea what exactly I liked about it.

Caraway seeds aren't used here in the south often, maybe texas, lots of germans near Fredericksburg.

Do you have a recipe? How much to you add?

 

[TeeJ]

I posted earlier in this thread about friends bringing back kraut from Germany. Caraway seeds might have been what made it so good. It was different that what I was used to. Didn't cook in those days so wouldn't have any idea what exactly I liked about it.

Caraway seeds aren't used here in the south often, maybe texas, lots of germans near Fredericksburg.

Do you have a recipe? How much to you add?

I usually use 1 Tbs of caraway seeds & 1 Tbs of salt per cabbage. Shred, mash, and let sit loosely covered to taste, usually 3-6 days, before transferring to the fridge or canning.

 

[Peanut]

My friend brought me a big churn this morning... Have to clean it yet... My little churn is beside it, along with the perpetual photo bomb.

 

[Peanut]

Pulled 4 big heads of cabbage this morning. Gave them all a good rinse, drying a little now. Gross weight about 20lbs. I still have to strip leaves and core them, then another good rinse..

Glad I stupidly purchased and over sized, fancy mandolin. It'll do great thin slicing with cabbage (no processor). Got it, containers, racks, big pans (including 1/2 sheet pans) washed and ready. Plenty of salt, just have to do it.

Talked to a friend this morning in PA. He makes his adding garlic clovers, mustard seeds (hates caraway seeds).

Anyone add garlic or mustard seeds? Can they be added later during fermenting?

 

[TeeJ]

Pulled 4 big heads of cabbage this morning. Gave them all a good rinse, drying a little now. Gross weight about 20lbs. I still have to strip leaves and core them, then another good rinse..

Glad I stupidly purchased and over sized, fancy mandolin. It'll do great thin slicing with cabbage (no processor). Got it, containers, racks, big pans (including 1/2 sheet pans) washed and ready. Plenty of salt, just have to do it.

Talked to a friend this morning in PA. He makes his adding garlic clovers, mustard seeds (hates caraway seeds).

Anyone add garlic or mustard seeds? Can they be added later during fermenting?

I've used garlic in the past, but always added it at the beginning. I've never added anything later in the process. I can't imagine it hurting much?

Mustard has natural antimicrobial properties, so I could see it slowing down the fermentation process - but most likely you'd just have to let it go a little longer.

 

[winds-of-change]

Pulled 4 big heads of cabbage this morning. Gave them all a good rinse, drying a little now. Gross weight about 20lbs. I still have to strip leaves and core them, then another good rinse..

Glad I stupidly purchased and over sized, fancy mandolin. It'll do great thin slicing with cabbage (no processor). Got it, containers, racks, big pans (including 1/2 sheet pans) washed and ready. Plenty of salt, just have to do it.

Talked to a friend this morning in PA. He makes his adding garlic clovers, mustard seeds (hates caraway seeds).

Anyone add garlic or mustard seeds? Can they be added later during fermenting?

I have put some garlic in my kraut. Sometimes shredded carrots, almost always some sliced onions (I put onions in most everything), sometimes shredded beets. This time I used red cabbage, green cabbage, onions. Salted, and massaged it until I had cabbage juice. I added a dash of beet juice then started it fermenting. It’s been about 3 weeks. I probably should check on it.

 

[Chaosdawn]

The heat from canning it kills all the good bacteria you just worked up fermenting it.

I was thinking this when I read about canning it. Which is fine if the person doesn't care about the probiotic qualities of it, but if you want the good bacteria benefits then storage in fridge is the way to go. That's what I've done in the past.

 

[lilmissy]

I take my shredded cabbage, shove in a jar with 1T salt, pour hot water over it, put lid on and wrap in newspaper, keep in a cool place. I keep mine in a tote in the basement. let it go for 3-4 months, it is good for a little over a year and it is delicious

 

[Peanut]

Thanks everyone! 13lbs of cabbage in the churn. My kitchen looks like there was an explosion at the cabbage factory, bits and pieces of cabbage everywhere.

I used 4 medium onions, 1 clove of garlic peeled and separated.

I went a little shy on the salt, was told to check it in 5days then add more if needed.

I covered it with a couple leaves then a gallon freezer bag filled with brine. The cabbage is covered by about and inch of liquid.

 

[winds-of-change]

I have found making Kraut is messy business, too. But so worth it.

 

[Peanut]

Help! (maybe). I think something is wrong with my kraut. It's been 10 days but has hardly any smell. There is no grungy stuff at the top of the churn.

It's sitting on a concrete slab in my herb room. It's stayed at the constant temperature of 71 degrees. I check it a couple times each day.

Did I get the salt wrong? The water tastes only slightly salty.

 

[joel]

Help! (maybe). I think something is wrong with my kraut. It's been 10 days but has hardly any smell. There is no grungy stuff at the top of the churn.

It's sitting on a concrete slab in my herb room. It's stayed at the constant temperature of 71 degrees. I check it a couple times each day.

Did I get the salt wrong? The water tastes only slightly salty.

From what I’ve read, it should be more salty?
But I never made kraut!

 

[ClemKadiddlehopper]

3T of salt to five lbs cabbage.

Your room temperature is OK. The concrete slab is probably keeping it cooler and that could be an issue (slowing the process down). Taste the actual krout to see if it's souring. If there is no grunge, discoloration, or funky smell it's fine to do so. Get the crock up higher off the floor. It's not unusual to brew it for up to a month or two. You will know if it's spoiling and it doesn't sound like it is.

There doesn't need to be any gunge. Poke a clean wooden spoon handle down to the bottom. Do any bubbles get released?
Yes is good. Poke a few more holes, more if it's a wide crock. I put five holes in a gallon jar.

 

[ClemKadiddlehopper]

Also, did you knead the salt into the cabbage to break it up and release the cabbage juice? This method of kneading the cabbage and salt like bread dough works better than just adding salt brine to cabbage.

 

[Tommyice]

@LadyLocust here’s the picture requested. That’s 2 pounds of cabbage And Masontops pickle pebbles and pipes.

 

[LadyLocust]

@LadyLocust here’s the picture requested. That’s 2 pounds of cabbage And Masontops pickle pebbles and pipes.
View attachment 87860

I've never seen those before. How long do you leave them on? The 3-4 weeks while it's "brewing"?

 

[Wingnut]

Man, those look good... okay, time for me to log out and get crackin' on dinner, y'all are making me hungry, lol.

 

[Tommyice]

This is my first time using them. According to the recipe booklet that came with the set, i should start checking at about 2-3 week—my house is on the warm side. It came as a set of 4 for wide mouth jars.

 

[joel]

I ask for something like that for Fathers day.