History of canning food

[patandchickens]

I would *think* that the reason for "store refrigerated, use promptly" is that commercial sauerkraut is pasteurized, thus not necessarily going to have (or keep) sufficient acidity and culture to exclude pathogens from growing.

I suspect, but do not know, that the added preservatives are a) partly for that reason, and/or b) to maintain a standard color of the product, and/or c) because commercial sauerkraut is less salty than many traditional long-keeping ones (salt acting as a preservative)


Pat

 

[ORChick]

"Living here in Ohio, we only have access to free freeze from December to March"

SKR8PN - Living here in SW Oregon I don't have access to Nature's freezer at all, at least not reliably . I wasn't trying to suggest that anybody should turn in their freezer and rely solely on Mother Nature, just that freezing food has been around a lot longer than canning.

"Are you trying to discourage me and the 14 y/o jar of jam i opened the other week from meeting over bread and butter? *gasp*."

Blackbird - Don't know if I've actually ever opened a jar of jam of such a noble vintage, but certainly a few that weren't much younger. Its the sugar that keeps it safe; scrape off the mold, and things should be fine

"i think most folks know the risks and most of us are pretty 'do your own thing' kinda people. have you seen some of the farming/canning sites from europe? they think we are nuts for all the precautions."

OFG - What prompted the OP was that yes, many of you are "do your own thing" kinda people, and yes, most of you are careful and know the risks. But lately a lot of new people have joined our ranks, and there isn't always a disclaimer when things are mentioned that might be risky for those who may not know their way 'round a canning kettle. When I read of apparent newbies getting excited about the prospect of canning potatoes in a WBC I get nervous. And, like I wrote, none of my European friends know anything at all about pressure canning, only jams and pickles.

Thanks for keeping it civil, Folks. I know that canning is a beloved pastime for many. I guess I just wanted to point out that it is not such a venerable one as many seem to believe; it didn't come with the Pilgrims on the Mayflower.

 

[ORChick]

i'm taking a whack at kraut right now in a crock and everything. i'm pretty sure i'll die from it... but here's to nothing, right?

ha!
;-)

I am married to possibly the only German who doesn't like Sauerkraut, and even he eats my home fermented stuff - not a lot of it, mind you, but he will eat it, and says that its "not bad"

 

[~gd]

I would *think* that the reason for "store refrigerated, use promptly" is that commercial sauerkraut is pasteurized, thus not necessarily going to have (or keep) sufficient acidity and culture to exclude pathogens from growing.

I suspect, but do not know, that the added preservatives are a) partly for that reason, and/or b) to maintain a standard color of the product, and/or c) because commercial sauerkraut is less salty than many traditional long-keeping ones (salt acting as a preservative)


Pat

In other words I wasted my money to get a product no better than the canned stuff I used to buy. Heck I can't even get decent Hard cabbage (called white cabbage here) all I can get is the green stuff shipped in from farther south. Bummer!

 

[~gd]

Speaking of preserving foods, a national brand of Sauerkraut (Hebrew National) was advertised on sale in a bag. I grew up in a area settled by Germans in western New York and I miss the taste of real 'kraut canned Kraut is off in both taste and texture for me (nothing like a Ruben sandwich to me) Well I searched that store and the more I searched the madder I got. I finally trapped a stockboy that I wouldn't set free until he showed me to it. He said it is right where it always is and he took me to the FROZEN SECTION of the store. There it sat in bags with ice crystals inside but not frozen rock hard either. Got it home and looked it over closely to see where it should be stored. Distributed by ConAgra (I wonder if they "answer to a Higher Authority" as is Hebrew National's motto? On the Front of the bag "IMPORTANT MUST BE KEPT REFRIGERATED TO MAINTAIN SAFETY' "INGREDIENTS CABBAGE WATER SALT SODIUM BENZOATE AND SODIUM BISULFATE added as preseratives"
Does anyone know what I bought? my old German neighbors just kept kraut submerged in a barrel in a celler at about 50F with no preseratives. The fermatition and the salt were supposed to preserve it Frozen and loaded with chemicals doesn't sound like Kr aut to me.

It's probably going to be mushy. My mom makes sauerkraut by pouring hot water over the cabbage in canning jars, and adding canning salt, then sealing. So, it's kind of cooked. Mushy. Then it is left to ferment, and it's mushy. That is how the cans at the store are done as well, and I figure how this has been processed before bagging maybe? Mushy. Did I mention it is likely mushy? Like really not cabbage texture at all. Make your own. Ya can't buy the good stuff.

Heck I can't even buy decent cabbage either. good kraut is made from huge Flat heads maybe 15 inches across and rock hard. All I can buy is "green cabbage grown to have small heads not much harder than iceburg lettus. ~gd

 

[Blackbird]

You can get some really decent sauerkraut up here in Many-Snow-ta!

Apparently us Germans and Nordic folks up here love it. We even have Sauerkraut Days in June!

I've only had my homemade sauerkraut before.. Not tempted to buy any now! Hell, maybe I'll try lutefisk next!

 

[patandchickens]

In other words I wasted my money to get a product no better than the canned stuff I used to buy.

I dunno, to my taste the stuff refrigerated in plastic bags IS better than the stuff in jars -- I forget what brand I used to like, I want to say something like "Silver Floss"? Anyhow you can't get it around here -- it's just not the SAME as homemade unpasteurized kraut.

Basically AFAIK there are very, very, very few places you can buy unpasteurized kraut in the US... a few NYC deli's, and possibly a few places in Amish country or the upper midwest. Out of big barrells. If it's packaged and sold in stores, it's pasteurized.

Heck I can't even get decent Hard cabbage (called white cabbage here) all I can get is the green stuff shipped in from farther south. Bummer!

IME later in the winter, the winter cabbages do appear in most areas' supermarkets. YOu may just be too early yet. (I think the reason it often doesn't turn up til winter or spring is that it's late-maturing and good-storing and thus is not put out to compete with readily-available summer-type cabbages while they are still available.)

I am pretty sure you can buy seeds for the old-school kraut-style flat cabbage varieties, if you have a garden to grow them in, I forget whether you do.

Pat

 

[~gd]

In other words I wasted my money to get a product no better than the canned stuff I used to buy.

I dunno, to my taste the stuff refrigerated in plastic bags IS better than the stuff in jars -- I forget what brand I used to like, I want to say something like "Silver Floss"? Anyhow you can't get it around here -- it's just not the SAME as homemade unpasteurized kraut.
I have been to the Silver Floss kraut factory many times mostly delivering that Flat head cabbage I mentioned but twice I was given a tour of the place It was sold to one of the big Ag companies and is now run by accountants! so sadBasically AFAIK there are very, very, very few places you can buy unpasteurized kraut in the US... a few NYC deli's, and possibly a few places in Amish country or the upper midwest. Out of big barrells. If it's packaged and sold in stores, it's pasteurized.

Heck I can't even get decent Hard cabbage (called white cabbage here) all I can get is the green stuff shipped in from farther south. Bummer!

IME later in the winter, the winter cabbages do appear in most areas' supermarkets. YOu may just be too early yet.Well I know my cabbages it is way early for white cabbage heck back in western NY they are still loading it into cold storage!in hopes of a decent price later in the winter. The last cutting but the first to market will be going straight from the fields for Thanksgiving.Many people make a finely grated cabbage salad which is much finer and stronger tasting than the tipical Cole Slaw, usually with onions and some pickled beet root for color. The market demands move to a smaller and smaller head as families get smaller and the best white cabbage has large heads. When did you ever see a half head of cabbage in a supermarket?Like water melon used to be sold cut all the time, now they want to sell you a personal watermelon and like melon the small ones don't have the taste of the large ones. (I think the reason it often doesn't turn up til winter or spring is that it's late-maturing and good-storing and thus is not put out to compete with readily-available summer-type cabbages while they are still available.)

I am pretty sure you can buy seeds for the old-school kraut-style flat cabbage varieties, if you have a garden to grow them in, I forget whether you do.

Pat

Had a garden but the cold climate cabbage doesn't do well here even during our winters

 

[FarmerDenise]

My mother never made sauerkraout from scratch. We always bought it in bags. It does taste better than the canned stuff. I also buy the sauerkraut in jars, but I check the brands. I like eating it straight out of the jars and I like it crispy and not too sweet.

I can get real sauerkraut here though. I am lucky because the community I live in is quite progessive. We have lots of farmers markets and smallish food producers. In recent years our farmers market got huge.

We also have some "farm stands" that got pretty big and have a wonderful selection of locally grown and made, organic foodstuffs.
The prices of this stuff is a bit high, but at least it is available.

In Germany my grandmothers and mother canned lots more than just pickles and jams in the water bath method. Actually my mother was a bit more cautious and did not can green beans that way. But my grandmothers did.

I like using the pressure canner, because it is safer for canning low acid foods and if there is a power outage during a SHTF moment, we wont loose all our food. I prefer freezing food, because of the taste and retained food value. But I also like canned stuff, because it is quicker from opening to eating time. Kind of my own fast food.

I go for a combination of all the different ways of preserving. That way we have variety.

I have been curious as to how canning started and I thank you ORChick for the post.

And it is always good to put a "caution" statement in. People need to be aware of the risks. Then make your own judgement call.