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| looking good on the thirteenth day |
I kept checking it each morning, and topped it up with some plain water on the fifteenth day. And it sat, and it sat ... And on the nineteenth day, I decided enough was enough, and I'd whack it into a jar, and then the fridge. Did I say one jar? Hee hee, I needed four jars! I washed the jars in hot soapy water then shoved them into the oven for fifteen minutes at 170C to sterilise, let them cool for a few and then scooped the kraut into the jars. I tipped the leftover brine into a jug, and then over the kraut in the jars. And luckily, I had the perfect amount of brine:-)
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| peering into the salty depths |
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| and off come the weights |
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| ta dah! |
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| ready to be jarred :-) |
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| piling it into the jars |
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| brine fills the jars and covers the sauerkraut |
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| into the fridge for a week or two or three to mature |
I read one blog post which said she puts it into the fridge for eight weeks! I probably won't last that long. Okay, so I'm not sure how homemade sauerkraut should taste; apparently it is tangier and crunchier than the bought stuff. Yes indeed, mine is crunchier, and it is a bit salty and a bit tangy. I'm hoping it matures a bit more, and gains a bit more tang, but never having done this before, I don't know if it will. I mean, chutneys and mustards etc taste so much better after time ruminating and maturing, don't they? :-) We shall see how it goes. Mmm, Polish cabbage and my chicken and sauerkraut dish coming up soon ...
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| artwork © Sherry's Pickings |
Sherry, Your Sauerkraut should develop further in the frig, and lose that really salty flavour. I've made a lot of sauerkraut, and you know my best results have been when I have used very large glass Moccona coffee bottles with the push in lids. Found at the Tip shop. The sauerkraut goes off after a couple of days and really starts bubbling and fermenting, as long as the weather is cold. I used a large crock for my last batch and it still tasted good and I could ferment a couple of cabbages at the one time, just not as much action:) Carraway seeds give it a nice flavour as well. Hope you enjoy it, great for the gut! Cheers, Pauline
ReplyDeletehi pauline
Deleteno mine never did much of the bubbling and frothing thing. i'm a wee bit worried about it tasting as good as it should but it tastes fine and okay, just not as tangy as i'd hoped for. but as you say, it will improve over time. it wasn't too salty which was good. interesting about the moccona jars. tiffin fiona mentioned using them too! thanks sherry
This has all been very exciting in the Pickings abode. Bubbling things in the corner, followed by bottling. We are looking forward to the matured result.
ReplyDeleteoh yes excitement plus around here Mr P!
DeleteAwesome! I haven't made my own in a really long time. Time to start a batch!
ReplyDeleteyep give it another go angie.:)
DeleteI don't eat sauerkraut that often and I think mine has been sitting in the fridge for a very long time. It has not matured and is still crunchy and tangy.
ReplyDeletehi tandy
Deletei buy sauerkraut only in winter. i make a couple of different dishes with it. so did you make your own?
How exciting! One of these days I’d like to make sauerkraut. It’s a recipe that requires a lot of patience on my part. 😊
ReplyDeletegive it a go Nil. always fun to experiment with new things.
DeleteHow exciting! I can imagine checking on it every day to see how it was going. I was so excited when I made kimchi. Have you ever tried that?
ReplyDeletehi lorraine
Deleteyes it has been exciting for sure. hoping for a great taste after a few weeks resting in the fridge:) Nope never made kimchi; not a big fan of the taste to be honest.
It looks great in the photos but the taste is the thing - hope it calms down - or at least the flavours meld slowly and surely
ReplyDeletehi johanna
Deleteit's not bad, but just a bit bland i think and a bit salty! if that makes sense. yep i'm hoping it all comes together:)
Looks like a very successful effort, especially for a first time. No explosions!!
ReplyDeleteMany people are getting interested in fermentation -- beyond beer and bread. I have a friend who is making black garlic (turns out it becomes black from fermenting, which I never knew). In "Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation" Michael Pollan has a whole chapter on sauerkraut and a few other fermented foods. Have you read it?
best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com
no explosions! thank goodness. yes fermenting is huge atm, isn't it? everybody's doing it, as the song goes. thanks for dropping by.
DeleteLooks good - I made some long ago when I had my huge garden. My Dad said it was perfect, just like his mother. That was enough for me!
ReplyDeletewow that's great judi. i hope mine is a bit perfect :)
DeleteI’m so impressed that you tackled this!
ReplyDeletethanks david. i think i impressed myself too:)
DeleteI haven’t had the nerve to try but you are inspiring. I had had a jar in the corner of the pantry for over a year. I will be watching to see how you use it.
ReplyDeletethanks so much for saying Liz. recipe coming up next month using the sauerkraut.
DeleteGlad to hear your sauerkraut turned out pretty much OK. Does sound as if it still needs a bit of age on it, but what do I know? I've never made it! This has been a fun project to read about -- thanks.
ReplyDeletethanks KR. yep i think a bit of age won't do any harm at all:-) glad you enjoyed the journey with me...
DeleteWhat fun! And I’m glad it didn’t stink you out of the house!
ReplyDeleteNope not at all mimi. :). I hope that still means it’s okay.
DeleteIt certainly looks good. The fresh kraut I’ve had has been much milder than what I’ve bought.
ReplyDeletehi karen
Deletei will taste it today after being in the fridge for a week or so. fingers crossed!...
I have always had trouble making sauerkraut even though I do other fermented foods like vinegar. I do love it though so I think I need to try again. Yours looks beautiful!
ReplyDeletethanks Inger. i must give vinegar a go. cheers S
DeleteGreat instruction. Have you tried doing sauerkraut in an oak barrel or bucket? I found old German books about this tradition. Some information and recipe of Sauerkraut in Oak bucket
ReplyDeletehi hoohla
Deletethanks for commenting. i'm having trouble accessing your blog and profile when i click on them in your comment email. Can you please update them so everyone can find you? cheers
sherry