Sunday, May 4, 2014

[Kraut Korner] SauerKraut Invades 9-O'Clock Nets!

Steve [N7GWG] -- The SauerKraut King of Seattle
[Kraut Korner]
Breaking News -- 
SauerKraut Invades 9-O'Clock Nets!

Did you hear those alarms of the SauerKraut Invasion the last 2 weeks? They are not RF, but something called: "SBD"!

We have heard from Elaine [KG7CME], Steve [N7GWG] (aka SauerKraut King of Seattle) and Ken [W7KKX] -- with their tales of

 SK Sweet-Sour Smell of Success 
(and the dismal reek of failure).
How about you?
Send email & photos (<500Kb preferred) & (public email contact) to:
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-- PRELIMINARY -- Still fermenting this Section! --

(Note: Listed from most recent to oldest)
The story so far.  More to come!!
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 [008] 2014-05-04
 From: LW [K7LWA]
    Shelley [KF7TBA] & I enjoyed a Sunday Brunch with Lisa & Kerry [KF7USX] at Von Trapp's this afternoon -- and guess what we had as an appetizer?
Sauerkraut Croquettes
(potato / sauerkraut / speck / Emmental cheese / dill aioli)
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[007] 2014-02-22
From: Ken [W7KKX]
   Here is another for the fun blog. I got out the Microscope and snapped this picture from my sauerkraut water.  This is what I presume to be Lactobacillus Bacteria at 800x magnification. 
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[006] 2014-02-22
From: Steve [N7GWG]
   How to make SauerKraut while listening to German Music..  LOL
[NOTE:   A MUST SEE!] 
Making SauerKraut to Beethoven's 9th
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[005] 2014-02-20B
From: Elaine [KG7CME]
Email: KG7CME@gmail.com
   I seem to have hit a stumbling block, the plate I used to weigh down the kraut fits so snugly inside the crock that I don't know how I'm going to get it out.
   I'm hoping Doug, with his engineer's brain can solve that one without having to dump out the whole crock.
   I guess those crocks with the special weights are worth the extra, but I didn't really want to invest all that money in something and then not use it.  

   I have a friend with a beautiful big German sauerkraut crock with weights and a special rim to keep it from bubbling over, a present from her mother. . . very expensive.  And she has never used it.  
   She can't lift it by herself ;-)
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[004] 2014-02-20A
From: Elaine [KG7CME]
Email: KG7CME@gmail.com
 This website looks interesting.
 http://www.foodrenegade.com/3-biggest-fermenting-mistakes-youre-already-making/   +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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[003] 2014-02-20
From: Ken [W7KKX]
   Here is a "Liberty Cabbage" pic for the fun-blog should you need it.
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[002] 2014-02-19
From: Steve [N7GWG] aka The KING of KRAUT
Here you go..  The recipe is simple.

 Cut or slice the cabbage as fine as you can, or to your taste.
Mix approx. one table spoon of Sea Salt, to each average head of cabbage.
Mix thoroughly, let sit for about an hour, then with some blunt instrument, pound and squish for at least 10 minutes.
The water will start to come out, and then STUFF into your fermenting vesicle..  A Jar,  a Crock, what ever.
BUT the Kraut must be squished so the liquid comes above the kraut, at least an inch.
Fermenting proceeds in a room temperature environment.
Two weeks seems to be a minimum of time to bring the Sauer  into the SauerKraut.
More time will bring more sauer.
Transfer to smaller jars, and keep refrigerated.  I am finding that 3 liters lasts less than a week, so I am
back to chopping and pounding this week.

 Variations...  shredded carrot,  caraway seeds, KIMCHE variations add hot peppers, onion, etc.
Lots of directions, recopies and videos on the WEB.
 Enjoy !!
--
Steven S Lough

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[001] 2014-02-18
From: Elaine [KG7CME]
Email: KG7CME@gmail.com
Hello there LW
    You asked for it.  Attached is a photo of a failed batch of sauerkraut.  One of the recipes said I could use a scrubbed and boiled rock to hold the cabbage under the brine.  First of all, it didn't hold the cabbage down, because it wasn't big enough, and then it introduced some unwanted microorganisms, despite being scrubbed, run through the dishwasher and boiled.  This was in a gallon jar with a wide mouth (pickle jar).  I am now using a 1 gallon crock with a saucer laid on top of the cabbage and a growler (2 quarts?) full of water holding the saucer down.  So far (3 days) so good.
    I also found that cutting the cabbage by hand is better than using the food processor, just because you have more control over the size of the slices.
   I've also attached the recipe I'm currently using. 5 lbs of cabbage = 2 medium sized heads minus the cores, pretty well fills the gallon sized crock.
   As for the health benefits: my sister in law is a nutritionist, and I have a friend who is a registered nurse.  They both say that much of the strength in a person's immunity system lies in their gut.  The better off your population of beneficial bacteria, the better able you are to resist illness.  Naturally fermented sauerkraut is a very good source (plus cabbage is high in vitamin c).  There's a reason my Alsatian ancestors ate Choucroute garnie (French for dressed sauerkraut) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choucroute_garnie) they had their priorities straight, the sauerkraut was main thing, all the rest is window dressing.
--- Elaine KG7CME 
Email: KG7CME@gmail.com

RECIPE: Elaine recommends
Making Sauerkraut | Wild Fermentation :: Wild Fermentation
Sandor Ellix Katz, the creator of this site, has earned the nickname “Sandorkraut” for his love of sauerkraut. This is Sandorkaut’s easy sauerkraut recipe from his book Wild Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods (Chelsea Green, 2003).
(NOTE:  Elaine supplied the following recipe  -- reproduced as jpgs)
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