Fall sauerkruat

[James R. Coplin]

Looking over what I typed there are a couple of things confusing/misstated
on my part.  You need to keep the sauerkraut at 65-70F (18-24C) for the
entire time, not just two weeks.  What I meant to write was that 2 weeks is
the minimum time if you want a really mild sauerkraut.  I like it in the 4-6
week range.  You need to skim any scum or mold that forms on the top of the
water daily.  If you keep things nicely sterilized, you might not need to
skim anything for weeks.  Once you skim, you will need to skim daily as it
is likely the spoon or whatever you use will not be completely sterile and
so you will actually increase the mold/scum cultures.  I do mine daily, if
you forget a day it isn't the end of the world but you really do need to
keep on it.  If you can, boil the skimming utensil first.  Even if you do
end up with a bunch of "bloom" the top layers of whole leaves should protect
you.  Don't let the mold formation put you off if it happens.  Just skim it
and go.  You will know when you taste the kraut if you have a problem and
you probably won't.  I often end up with a thin mat of bloom on mine and it
isn't a problem.  It's a bigger issue with something like dill pickles where
you don't have the protective layer of leaves.  

You really need to keep your fermenting vegetables at or below the listed
temp or you definitely will get spoilage.  What you are trying to do is
encourage the growth of lactobacillus and discourage all the other bacteria.
The salt acts to keep the growth down of many bacteria but has little effect
on lactobacillus in low quantities.  Once the lactobacillus is established,
it just pushes out the other bacteria as there is not enough nutrients to go
around.  This is true of any fermented vegetables, not just kraut.  If your
temps are lower than listed, it means more time will be required.  Once you
make your pickles, if you do not can them, they will need to be
refrigerated.  While the refrigeration will slow down the metabolism of the
lactobacillus it will not stop it.  Your vegetables will continue to get
more sour over time in the fridge.  Canning kills the lactobacillus (and
hopefully everything else) and so the pickling process stops.  However, you
then lose the dietary benefits of eating the live cultures.  I eat enough
yogurt and such anyhow that I don't really care about this.  I keep some in
the fridge as the texture is better and can the rest. 

James R. Coplin - 郭杰明
University of Minnesota
Department of History


> -----Original Message-----
> From: music-bar-bounces at lists.music-bar.org [mailto:music-bar-
> bounces at lists.music-bar.org] On Behalf Of Joost Schuttelaar
> Sent: Sunday, October 24, 2010 5:34 AM
> To: Music-bar
> Subject: Re: Fall sauerkruat
> 
> Awesome recipe! I might try that these days. What temperature do you
> need to ferment it at, after the 65-70F phase? That's actually room
> temperature, no? Tried making cabbage kimchi a few times, but failed
> miserably. Probably because oxygen got in... How do you make your
> cucumber kimchi?
> 
> --
> 
> Joost Schuttelaar
> The Hague, NL
> 
> On Oct 24, 2010, at 2:50 , James R. Coplin wrote:
> 
> > Cucumber kimchi is great as are dill pickles of course.  My
> sauerkraut is
> > straight up simple and wonderful.  I use a food grade plastic bucket
> with
> > lid for fermenting.  The ones I use I picked up from a beer homebrew
> supply
> > place.  I hate them for beer, I use a stainless steel conical
> fermeter for
> > my beer but they work great for pickles, kraut, kimchi, etc.  They
> are cheap
> > and readily available here in the US.  I can't imagine they would be
> > difficult to get anywhere.  Here is the base - multiply and divide as
> > necessary.
> >
> > 5 pounds green cabbage, shredded
> > 3 tablespoons pickling salt
> > 1 tablespoon juniper berries
> > 2 teaspoons caraway seeds
> >
> > For the brine:
> > 1 1/2 Tablespoon of salt per quart of water.
> >
> >
> > You can either use a cabbage shredder or a large kitchen knife to cut
> of the
> > cabbage.  I have a special kraut slicing thingee but I actually
> prefer my
> > knives.  I get more consistent size cuts and it really doesn't take
> any
> > longer.  I actually like mine cut a little thicker and courser than
> what is
> > typically sold in the US.  I find the large pieces have more flavor,
> > texture, and are better for cooking with.  Of course, you do what you
> like
> > but don't feel obligated to cut it up razor thin.  Clean and remove
> the
> > outer leaves on the cabbage head until you get down to the more solid
> part
> > of the head.  You'll know what I mean once you've peeled off a few.
> Cut out
> > the core.  Keep the outer leaves and the cores, set aside for the
> moment.
> > *It is essential to not throw these out!* Using a grater, grate up
> the cores
> > and mix them in with the shredded cabbage.  The core contains a lot
> of sugar
> > and enzymes that not only help the fermentation along, but also
> greatly add
> > to the flavor.
> >
> > In large mixing bowl, mix shredded cabbage thoroughly with salt,
> juniper
> > berries, and caraway seeds, using hands or tongs. If using your hands,
> make
> > sure that they are very clean prior to mixing. Let stand for 10
> minutes.
> >
> > Pack cabbage mixture down into a large plastic food container.  And
> by pack,
> > I mean take your fists and beat the tar out of it.  You want the
> kraut
> > really tight and bruised to get the juices up.  Don't fill your
> fermenter
> > more than around 80% full as the cabbage will expand during
> fermentation.
> > The fermentation you want is anaerobic so packing it in tightly
> really helps
> > prevent spoilage.  Also, molds won't form under water.  After it is
> all
> > packed in, top it with the outer leaves you kept from the heads.  If
> you get
> > a little mold on top of the kraut, you want these leaves to get
> ruined, not
> > your kraut.  I like to have a solid 1" of these leaves as a buffer.
> Add
> > enough brine to just cover the leaves.  How much you need will vary
> but it
> > is easily mixed together so make a quart or two and if there is some
> left,
> > just dump it.  Now you need to improvise or purchase some crock
> weights.  I
> > have a couple of heavy ceramic weights that I use but a large plate
> with
> > some canning jars full of water etc will also work.  Basically, you
> need
> > enough weight to keep everything under the level of the water.  If
> you
> > packed the cabbage tightly, you shouldn't need to add much water at
> all to
> > cover it.
> >
> > Place it covered in cool area overnight (65 to 70 degrees F). In a
> day, the
> > cabbage should have given up enough liquid to be completely submerged.
> The
> > jar serves as a weight to keep the cabbage submerged and away from
> air.  If
> > there is not enough water, make up some more brine and top it off.
> Don't be
> > surprised if you need to add water a couple times during fermentation.
> >
> > Check cabbage every other day for approximately 2 weeks and skim the
> surface
> > of scum, if necessary. Let stand for 4 -6 weeks. Here you have some
> personal
> > preference calls.  The longer you let it ferment, the more sour it
> will be.
> > I like mine sour but still with a slight bit of cabbage flavor and
> texture
> > so I typically let it go for 5 weeks.  ^ will be full on sour and 4
> weeks
> > will give you a more mild kraut.  Transfer to an airtight container
> and
> > store in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.  Alternately you may
> can it in
> > a hot water bath process and store it much longer.  Caning it will of
> course
> > kill all the lactic bacteria so you lose some of the health benefits
> of the
> > kraut but it will still taste killer. Let me know if you have any
> questions,
> > I highly recommend making your own.  It is completely different than
> the
> > store bought stuff and infinitely better.
> >
> >
> > James R. Coplin - 郭杰明
> > University of Minnesota
> > Department of History
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