sourkrout?

[bornthrifty]

I made a batch 12 days ago
I was told it should sit out for about 10 to 14 days
then it should go in the fridge

after looking around on google,

I see some say don't touch for 4 months,
do you think they mean 4 on the counter or in the fridge

it was unclear where I read this,
but they said it got better tasting with time




also, one site said to add brine if it got low,
well mine looked low, so I guess it was low for a while because
a full quart of brine fit in the a gallon jar

so, was it to low to add, meaning is all of that drier krout really not consumable since i don't know how long it was dry,

and did I just ruin it by adding brine?

should I just start over?

thanks

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

I have never made saukraut with that method. So I'm not sure what to advise with this batch.

I will share what we do, for future referance though.
We follow the method detailed here, minus that caraway seeds, as we do not care for them.
http://nourishedmagazine.com.au/blog/articles/sauerkraut-with-answers-to-questions-by-sally-fallon
The kraut is ready for cold storage in 3-4 days, and it will keep for a full year, even longer possibly.
No canning needed, so it retains all its food probiotics.

 

[rty007]

hi there.

About the saukraut, I come as may or may not know, from Poland. As a Slavic nation we did and still do use sauerkaut, however these days we tend to buy it premade, instead of making it ourselves, it does not mean however that the tradition of making SK was lost.

the very traditional way was to take a barrel, and flat out some leaves on the bottom, then adding layer of chopped cabbage sprinkled with sea salt and dill. after you get to about half a feet, start beating it down with a tamper, until it lets some juices out. Continue this process until the barrel is about 3/4 full then put again like on the bottom some fresh leaves flat out and use a lid a bit smaller then the opening and weight it with a stone.

After a couple of days when it starts fermenting, pierce down to the bottom using a wooden stick to allow the bitterness out, remove the foam, put a cloth over it wash the lid and stone and weight once more.

after about 3 weeks it is done. It is said however that if you are planning to keep it in a rootcelar or a cold basement you need to remember about it, and wash/rinse down the cloth every week and keep the sides of the barrel clean as you use the SK up.

It is also said, that you can add and experiment with things such as: apples and cranberry which might give it a richer, better taste.

Hope you don't mind the English but it was written in a bit of a hurry.

 

[Dace]

I left mine in a dark closet for 6 weeks and just checked on it occasionally.

Here as a lengthy thread on the subject, hopefully this will help you!

http://www.sufficientself.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=1861

 

[bornthrifty]

rty007 I used a very similar method shown to me by my Russian friend, (she isn't available right now to ask so I ask here)

is it ok that the sourkrout got dry on the top several inches

and is it ok that I added brine, (salted water)

or should I start over,



thanks

I see that the length seems to vary in peoples opinions, it must just effect the flavor more than any thing else...

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

rty007 I used a very similar method shown to me by my Russian friend, (she isn't available right now to ask so I ask here)

is it ok that the sourkrout got dry on the top several inches

and is it ok that I added brine, (salted water)

or should I start over,



thanks

I see that the length seems to vary in peoples opinions, it must just effect the flavor more than any thing else...

I think your kraut will be just fine. Generally, ferments will tell you in no uncertain terms if they have gone off, as long as they are not heat processed.

Our method is very short, but you get the exact same result, as if it had been brined for many weeks.
We just no longer can it, and we generally enjoy it raw.
You should try a quart sometime for comparison.