Sauerkraut the Greek Whey

How to make low-salt, lacto-fermented sauerkraut using the whey from Greek-style yogurt.

1) Chop or Shred finely one to four heads of ORGANIC red and/or green cabbage;
2) Put the shredded cabbage in a crock or large bowl, and for every head of cabbage, add: 1 Tablespoon of NON-IODIZED Celtic or kosher salt; 1 teaspoon of caraway seeds; 4-to-6 dried juniper berries; and, 1 Tablespoon of whey.
3) Stomp or crush the cabbage for about 10 minutes per head of cabbage to produce nice cabbage juice; I use Lehman's stomper but a good meat tendizer or mallet works well too. It's IMPORTANT to stomp especially if you use red cabbage. I like to stomp to music with a good beat; therefore, I stomp to Kaiti Garbi's 2001-hit "To Kati".
4) Cover your cabbage with a couple unshredded outer cabbage leaves, then press the cabbage and leaves down below the juice-level; next add stones to keep the cabbage below the juice level.
5) Cover your crock, or if using a Harsch crock put on the lid and add water to the water-seal.
NOTE: I let the sauerkraut ferment at room-temperature for two-to-four weeks. I check the sauerkraut after 2 weeks by tasting it (and making sure the pH is below 4.1), it will get more sour or acidic the longer it sits at room temperature. Once it has reached the taste I like, I put the sauerkraut in mason jars and refrigerate for up to one year.
Καλή Όρεξη
pronounced "kali oreksi" is Greek for Bon Appetit.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• Sauerkraut
• Crebs
• Greek
• yogurt
• fermentation
• organic
• cabbage
• Harsch
• Crock
• Kaiti
• Garbi

[robreke]

I like your video. I have some basic questions. How long will fermented foods stay good for?....how long can you store them before eating ...a year, two...more? Also....do you have to continually 'vent' them.....if so, how often.

[tjcrebs]

@robreke I really don't know how long fermented foods stay tasty--my 1 year old pickles are still tasty but not as crisp as I like. If you put your fermented foods in a refrigerator with temps below 44°F you shouldn't ever have to vent. CO2-gas production from cabbage-fermentation essentially stops below about 46°F.

[thepecanshop]

Thanks for all the great information! What temperature, in your opinion, is best for fermenting? Also, if the cabbage is not organic, is there any chance of any probiotics growing in it? Thanks.

[tjcrebs]

@thepecanshop Good question. Kaufman and Shöneck's book "Making Sauerkraut" on pages 30 & 31 state that 68-to-72°F (20-22°C) is the ideal temperature for kraut in the crock during the fermenting stage (the first 10-to-14 days); after fermentation stops the ideal temp for storage is 46-50°F (8-10°C). Strain some yogurt or kefir with live cultures to get probiotic-rich whey and add to cabbage. Don't worry, conventionally-grown cabbages have lactobacillus on the outer leaves, just not as much.

[cocolonger]

nice cabbage patch you've got there...how do you grow them so nice ?? awesome! how do you cut them... ???? great viideo!

[tjcrebs]

@cocolonger I never fertilize my cabbage patch; just lots (4-to-6-inches deep) of home-made compost which feeds the soil, worms, and microbes during the winter months before I plant in the spring and late summer. Never any pesticides, fungicides, or herbicides either--I only grow organic veggies as I think they taste better. I cut cabbages with my pocket knife as shown on the vid.

[tzaf23]

ωραιο βιντεο πατριώτη...5 αστερια

[patriciaannk]

Great video!Thanks so much.

What size harsch crock do you have and what brand of ph meter do you recommend? Do you have a printed recipe for kimchi?

Blessings to you,

Patricia Ann

[sundancerabq]

You are so good at the making of the sauerkraut-thank you!

Where can someone find that important TOOL, the Stomper?

[computergardener]

I have made sauerkraut a few times and know the basics but you really do a great of putting everything I knew plus a little more in one single video. Great Job!! I can't wait to watch other videos.

[TheFOIBOS]

@tzaf23 GO GRεεΚ!

:)

[OpaHorst]

Salt, dill seeds and juniper berries are the ingredients for Old German sauerkraut. The Germans eat, with boiled cabbage, preferably shank or grilled on charcoal, original Thuringian bratwurst and, of course, German Pilsner beer. Prost!

[cocolonger]

thank  you very much! I got my first batch " delicious!" sure there is no chemicals involved in organic Veggies , how deep do they root? I mean I live in an apartment..I guess I could grow them ..right? ( I saw the seeds in a homedepot store!) and how did you get this knowledge? ...thank you once again!

[tjcrebs]

@heyoehkah Always nice to read about kraut success. I prefer a crunchy sauerkraut, so I usually wait about 14-to-20 days to open and check my crock; longer in the crock is usually a softer and "tangy" kraut.