How to Can Fruits & Vegetables : Make Sauerkraut

[4Timesdafunky]

What seed?

[manderkae1]

@4Timesdafunky he said caraway seeds or fennel seeds are better.

[brandonGCHACHU]

Thats all there is to making sauerkraut? Shoot, I guess I'll give it a shot..............watch I end up food poisoning myself.

[ShelterDogs]

I've been buying canned sauerkraut from Wal-Mart lately. It's only .64 cents per can. But it's very high in sodium. So what I learned to do is rinse it out in cold water. However, even if I do that... are there still health benefits from this type of sauerkraut? Dr. Weil says a lot sauerkraut is "nutritionally dead" and that you have to buy in the deli section of a health food store. What say you?

[greenanarchyify]

"Nutritionally dead" may refer to the fact that many store bought fermented foods have been pasteurized, rendering the pro-biotics that some find useful for gastro-intestinal health. I say, don't buy it in the store...a head of cabbage is .64 cents and you can control sodium levels at home. For a low salt requirement kraut, store it in a cool, not cold, place...like a dark closet or garage if you live in a cold climate.

[ShelterDogs]

Thanks for your helpful response. I did actually look up the fermentation process after writing this. It requires to buy a special fermentation crock, and then you have to wait like six weeks for it to be ready. So that means you'd really need two crocks to keep the process going. Sounds like a bit of a pain.

[greenanarchyify]

actually, if instead of buying an expensive ceramic crock you wanted to go a cheaper route, you could buy a good grade plastic bucket. This is what I do. I tamp down the cabbage and salt mix with my fists till it's squishy, then set a non-metallic plate on top of the cabbage, then a non-metallic weight on top of the plate, then I cover the bucket with a clean cotton shirt to keep out the buggies. This allows the mix to breathe. The next day, the mix should be submerged in its own brine.

[nuclearG1]

Cutting the cabbage WITH the grain rather than across the grain - just like coleslaw - will give the shredded cut used in sauerkraut. It appears this video shows cutting across the grain?

[seatedcrab]

@nuclearG1 looks like his knife is dull...how bout sharpening that knife first before cutting the cabbage lol

[nuclearG1]

The reason it's hard to cut the whole cabbage in half is that the knife shown is too small. Using the cleaver to chop down through is way easier.

[utooooob]

I am confused as to how the air can escape for fermentation with the airtight lid snapped on???

[dabetha]

No gasket.

[Kikisagent]

Please get a sturdy cutting board that doesn't slide around. I worry out you cutting your self. Thankyou. Himalayan Sea Salt is healthiest?

[nuclearG1]

Place a damp kitchen towel underneath the cutting board to keep it from moving. That's what chefs do.

[HvensFury]

You can make most cutting boards steady by putting a damp dish rag between the board and the surface.

info. compliments of Johnson & Wales Culinary University

[HvensFury]

The Himalayan Sea Salt is the best, though you will pay top dollar. It is also great for pregnate women who have cravings. The trace minerals in this salt usually stop cravings when substituted for reg. table salt. Also, most any cutting board can by stablized by putting a damp dish rag between the surface and the board. Info. compliments of Johnson & Wales Culinary University.

[banjodan99]

I know that kosher or sea salt is better, because the iodide in regular table salt will soften the cabbage. Same thing with pickles.

[greenanarchyify]

iodine is also an anti-microbial...kills the bacteria that is needed for fermentation.

[ataturkdervish]

Can someone please confirm the fermentation period, as every other site I've seen says you need 5 weeks. Obviously this is very different from what the above video says.

Thanks.

[smellydiarrhea]

dont shit yourself man

[jahjazki]

tis sauerkraut thingy is like mah bf's fave food.....so that's it? it's a some sort of cabbage?

[tjcrebs]

An excellent sauerkraut video; nice presentation.

[RainJetSprinklers]

Delicious!