I am making sauerkraut for the first time. Supposed to skim the

[morningglory]

scum off the top every day. No scum yet, day 4. It is cold in here, maybe 60 degrees. Also, recipe said to cover with a white cloth and weigh down the cabbage with a plate. Well, the cloth wicked salt water up like all getout and made a huge puddle of salt water on my countertop. So I weighed down with a plate and covered all with a white cloth. Is that ok? It does start to smell a little like sauerkraut today instead of cabbage. Anyone have a recipe? I am following the Ball Mason jar company canning guide I got in 1972: shred cabbage, put in crock with salt and water and weigh down, etc. Would appreciate any hints. I live in Florida in a drafty wooden house. We do not turn the heater on in the kitchen, and when the sun gets high it gets warm in there (65 degrees or so)

[mr_hat]

1. Best thing to do is throw it away. Yeah.

[Bonhomme Richard]

2. I put some cut up apples...........

in it. I don't eat the apples but it cuts the bitterness a bit.

[dbt]

3. You can trust the Ball guide

Patience. Just do what it tells you. BTW, it won't taste quite the same as yer store-bought kraut, but don't let that deter you.

Mmmmmmmmmm. Home kraut!

:loveya:
dbt

[Kellanved]

4. Never tried it out

But my cookbook says
per 50kg (sic!) cabbage:
500g salt
100g caraway
100-150g juniper berries
one bottle white wine

From there one it's pretty much like your recipe:
stack the sliced cabbage with salt, sugar, caraway and juniper berries,
pound the it until no air left,
cover with complete cabbage leafs,
close the barrel with weighted lid,
leave for one month.

[emad]

5. Are you using white cabbage, standard green or savoy?

It makes a difference to the acidity, especially if you add carrots (trad polish recipe) or a few chillies and sliced salted gherkins (maybe not on the Ball Mason ingredients list). Also whole green peppercorns can pep it up.

Generally, white cabbage produces good results as it's less fibrous than green or savoy. It keeps longer and won't go mushy.

The Polish Hearth Club in South Kensington, London SW7 serves their own recipe which has thinly sliced capers, black olives, anchovies and a dollop of creamed horseradish added. Usually accompanied by Polish pepper/paprika vodka that's been in the freezer for 24 hrs.

Some people jazz theirs up adding thin slivers of sun dried tomato or over roasted capiscum peppers that have been marinaded in balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Herbs such as thyme, rosemary and chives also add a good kick to the base recipe.

Sauerkraut can also bee cooked with smoked pork garlic sausage, salami, frankfurters, back bacon, chunks of lamb meat etc and white wine. Then it becomes BIGOS - or Huntsman's Stew. Throw in all ingredients into a big pot, add 1 medium onion, crushed garlic, herbs of choice, slosh of wine, cook approx 45 mins until meat is tender and serve with mashed potatoes. The Czechoslovak Club in West Hampstead, North London serves this version of sauerkraut and has won prizes for their recipe.

Edit: don't forget the bay leaf (hot or cold recipe)

[Lars39]

6. Sounds like your crock might not be big enough.

:shrug:

[morningglory]

7. Thanks, you guys. You are great! n/t