Sauerkraut debate... How do you cook it?

[mantis49]

My husband and I have been having this debate for 21 years. I decided it was finally time to get some outside opinions!

I'm of the opinion that it shouldn't be cooked to death. It should still have its "bite" and be crisp-tender.

My husband says that "everybody" knows it should be soft. He cooks it to death (IMO) until there is no bite and it is soft. Very bland.

OK, everyone, how do you cook/ eat sauerkraut?

[geardaddy]

1. I'm with you, mantis49

It should still have some bite. But really why cook it at all? It's best cold, if you ask me.

[Sekhmets Daughter]

5. YES! I love it cold...

is right!

[OriginalGeek]

15. Yep! from fridge to hot dog

no need to spend time in between.


I've only ever had it from a jar so I don't know if things would change if I made it myself. My favorite German restaurant brings it warm but still crunchy-ish.

[SteveG]

2. In beer

with hot dogs. Otherwise it should be warmed and served over corned beef and swiss on rye.

[alphafemale]

3. Your talking about cooking from scratch?

Cause I just open a can.

I just recently acquired a taste for it.

Hated it all my life.

And then this Reuban walked in...

[mantis49]

7. No, I'm talking from out of the can/ jar.

I like to heat it up with Polish sausage. The tartness complements the sausage IMO.

[alphafemale]

11. OK. I just warm it a little in a pan.

Definitely like it with a little snap to it.

How do you say al dente in German?

[MADem]

22. From out of the jar?

Crisp-ish...heat it just enough to warm it through....or have it cold in the right dish.

[mantis49]

9. I love Reubens!

n/t

[alphafemale]

19. Try this then.

Get those chedderwurst sausages.

Carmelize some onions.

Add sauerkraut when onions are done.

Cook wurst in same pan.

Serve on buns with honey mustard.

[LeftInTX]

35. I was 16 and they served Rubens on an airline flight

That was my first taste of "stink up the school cafeteria" sauerkraut too.

[femmocrat]

4. I don't anymore. But when I did ...

I would rinse off all the "juice" and add about a tablespoon of sugar and sprinkle with caraway seeds. I just heat it through, not overly soft. Somebody makes a "Bavarian" style sauerkraut that is similar. Good on hot dogs or kielbassa.

Couldn't you just remove yours and then continue to cook his until soft?

[mantis49]

8. He does most of the cooking.

He likes to put it with potatoes and/ or uncured meat like pork ribs.

[siligut]

23. Yes, caraway seeds bring sauerkraut to a new dimension

Though I haven't tried adding sugar.

[RILib]

26. caraway seeds, mandatory.

[Sekhmets Daughter]

6. I prefer it crisp and with plenty of 'bite'

I'd make it both ways rather than eat mushy, bland sauerkraut!

[MiddleFingerMom]

10. This has ruined me for any other brand:

.
.
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The caraway seeds make it EXCELLENT!!!
.
.
.

.
.
.

[ohiosmith]

13. Yep!

[GentryDixon]

38. I bought this today on your recommend.

I have been sneaking bites while waiting for it to drain.

We are having pork chops and smashed potatoes as well.

[MiddleFingerMom]

43. I meant to come back in and tell everybody that I squeeze the liquid out by hand. Enjoy!!!

[Tuesday Afternoon]

12. in a frying pan.

[geardaddy]

14. This is my preferred brand

It's made the proper way, without vinegar. Just salted/fermented cabbage. Scrum-diddly-umptious!

[Generic Brad]

16. We're supposed to cook it?

No wonder mine always tastes like cold, soggy cabbage soaked in vinegar.

[RevStPatrick]

17. Crisp-tender with some bite.

I think you need to tell your husband that everybody knows that's the way to cook it.
And show him this thread as proof.

[d_r]

18. I agree with your husband

and with carroway seeds

[Flashmann]

20. How do you cook it?

For use on sandwiches,hotdogs,brats,ruebens and the like,I prefer it your way...

With spare/short ribs or porkchops,your husbands way...

[mantis49]

21. I like to heat it in a pan with Polish or smoked sausage.

Brats would be good, too. I like to order Reubens sometimes when I'm out, but have rarely made at home. I like to put horseradish on Reubens, too. Some waiters/ waitresses look at me weird when I ask for horseradish and many times the restaurant doesn't have any.

Until I met him, I'd never had it cooked with ribs or pork chops. He claims it is a classic dish. If it is, it never made it into my consciousness!

[RILib]

25. sauerkraut, pork chops, and chilled apple sauce.

A staple at my house when I was growing up. A good German recipe. Mashed potatoes as well.

Now I'm a vegetarian, so alas...

[RILib]

24. warm and crisp.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

27. You don't. You call a HAZMAT team and have it hauled away

to one of those hazardous waste disposal sites.

Sauerkraut -

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

28. Our usual approach...

...is to saute onions until soft and translucent and then add the kraut along with a bit ketchup and heat until quite warm.

add hot dogs, kielbasa, corned beef...

[Sheldon Cooper]

29. Very crisp with a lot of bite. I hate mushy, soggy kraut.

I just made this:

1 lb. Polish kielbasa, sliced
1 box frozen pierogies
1 onion, chopped
1 apple, cored, and sliced
1 large can sauerkraut, drained
3 T brown sugar
1/2 can beer
salt and pepper to taste

The recipe said to mix ingredients in casserole dish, pour beer over mixture, cover and bake at 325 for 90 minutes. I mixed everything but the kraut and baked for one hour. I then added the kraut and cooked, uncovered, for the last 30 minutes - and it came out great.

[LeftInTX]

36. I cannot cook, but I think I can manage this

Sounds yummy.
Had to look up pierogies.
Don't know if my grocers carry them, but recipe sounds like it will still be good without them.

[MiddleFingerMom]

44. Ask at any grocery store -- frozen foods. Mrs T's is the main brand -- different "flavors".

[WorseBeforeBetter]

45. That's how I make mine, but for the pierogies.

Never would have thought of that! I do add caraway seed. Mmm mmm good.

[The empressof all]

30. In the Crockpot

I mix the kraut with shredded cabbage, onions and bacon fried together and about a cup of white wine.


You can take it out at what ever doneness pleases you best.

When you cook it with the cabbage like this the kraut gets soft but the cabbage has a bit of a bite.

It's perfect....

If you are veggie..you really don't need the bacon but if not it does guild the lilly. Just make sure the onions are browned preferably in butter.

[GoCubsGo]

31. That's my favorite way.

Only, I like some sliced kielbasa in it, too.

[JDPriestly]

49. Aren't Kraut and cabbage the same thing?

Kraut is the German word for cabbage.

What do you mean by Kraut?

[The empressof all]

50. Ha! Saurkraut

It's the fermented stuff. I do a half and half mix

[JDPriestly]

52. What I would like to know is how to make the sauerkraut.

Homemade sauerkraut. I had an old recipe, tried it, and it spoiled.

So if anyone on DU knows the secret, I'd love to learn it.

[MrSlayer]

32. In beer.

I don't mind it either way but it must be simmered in beer.

[sarge43]

33. Agree with you, mantis49

No point in eating it unless it clears your sinus cavities

[Dash87]

34. Fry with some Polska kielbasa. Caraway seeds necessary.

Don't overcook - I always make it to have very little if any browning. Then, stuff that chit down your throat like you're trying to plug holes in the Hoover Dam.

[MadrasT]

37. I don't. I would be more inclined to bury in the back yard.

But I would be afraid of creating a toxic waste site.

EEEEEEEEEyuck. Can't even stand the smell of it.

[Chan790]

39. I don't.

It's meant to be eaten cold or just slightly warmed. Also, I only buy good kraut.

[winter is coming]

40. Bury it, like kimchee. Skip the "digging up" part. n/t

[Graybeard]

41. I'm supposed to rinse it before cooking?

Some replies here mention that they wash off the pickling liquid. Is this common? Recommended? How much flavor and 'bite' is lost?

[harmonicon]

42. I'm not sure I even understand the premise.

Isn't it already soft once it's done? (done being produced/fermenting, I mean, no matter how it's then cooked). I've had lots of different kinds of sauerkraut in lots of different countries, but I don't know if I would ever describe it as "crisp." On occasion when I make it (store-bought, I mean), I cook it in a pan with sausages.

[peacefreak]

46. I asked my friend from Germany.

Slice an onion, thin. Add to skillet with a mix of butter & oil. Saute until golden. Ad 1 can sauerkraut, drained. She then adds about 1/2 the can of water to it. She adds meat powder (beef boullion), sliced apple, bay leaf, 3-4 cloves, pepper. She lets it simmer for a bit. If she has leftover bacon, she'll add that.
Sometimes she'll put pork chops on top, cover & cook.

I've had it & it is wonderful.

[LiberalEsto]

47. Estonian method

Adapted by me from "Estonian Tastes and Traditions" cookbook by Karin Annus Kärner.
Serves 6 to 8.

1 two-pound bag of sauerkraut
1 bottle of dark beer
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
a tablespoon or two of butter or olive oil
OR
1/2 pound cut up bacon or other pork with some fat (I'm vegetarian so I don't use pork)
1 finely diced medium onion (I don't use onions)

(Some people add caraway seeds, grated apple, a bay leaf, uncooked barley and/or chopped fresh cabbage/coleslaw mix)

Put sauerkraut in a colander and rinse with cold water. Squeeze out excess water.

If you're using onion and bacon, saute lightly until clear.
Add this to a pot with the sauerkraut and other ingredients, bring to a boil, cover and simmer on very low heat for about an hour. Add more liquid if needed.

I put everything in a crock pot, set it on low and let it cook for several hours

[Jddarr66]

48. Personal taste

My mom is from Austria and she makes her own kraut. In fact I just made a batch recently.

At any rate she has always cooked it tender with onion sauteed in bacon fat. I prefer it tender. She will cook it 5 or 6 hours.

It's obviously personal taste. The only thing I insist on is if I read the label and it contains anything else other than cabbage and salt, it's going back on the shelf because it is not kraut. Kraut does not contain vinegar like Klausen.