Making Sauerkraut

[Arya]

Amazing, what is next?


I do not have a clue what kale/kail/ cole is in Swedish or One of the Norwegian languages.

(Wiki says it is called Grönkål in Swedish)

Cabbage is "kål" or "hodekål" (head-kail/kale/cole) in Norwegian.
"Grønnkål" in Norwegian, or "grönkål" in Swedish is this:

https://goo.gl/images/PGmkqD

Grønnkål just means green-cabbage/kail/ etc etc...

 

[Arya]

Really cool to see similarities between languages! Thank you Toddy 😀

 

[Arya]

Just to be sure that I don't confuse you peeps, this is "kål" or "hodekål":

https://goo.gl/images/MDHD3h

 

[Toddy]

We call that a head of cabbage and the first image is kail


M

 

[rik_uk3]

I use very crisp white cabbage. Here's a good simple recipe for newbies

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/simple-sauerkraut

 

[Janne]

Just to be sure that I don't confuse you peeps, this is "kål" or "hodekål":

https://goo.gl/images/MDHD3h

In Swedish that one would be Vit kål ( white cabbage). Or less specific kål huvud ( 'head cabbage' referring to the shape) but that can aldo refer to the red cabbage.
Note that this is cabbage that can be stored for periods of time.
To make our life even more confusing / interrsting, in Sweden we have something called Färsk kål (Fresh cabbage) which is fluffier and greener and does not store well. Same veg as cabbage but picked later.

In Europe I would say Brassicas were the most important sources of Vitamins and Minerals before the South American imports.
Brand, peas and lentils were the most important sources of protein ( plus vitamins and minerals).

One Brassica I love with all my heart is Kohlrabbi. Raw, gently braised, pickled.

I am not do much a Chernobyl guy, more a Yellowstone guy.

 

[Janne]

I use very crisp white cabbage. Here's a good simple recipe for newbies

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/simple-sauerkraut

I would say that is THE recipe. Classic.

 

[Arya]

We also have Nykål "New Cabbage" since it is an earlier harvest. It is a regular head of cabbage. It is one of my favourites! Ooooh, I always look forward to the season for Nykål. Yummy!

Thanks for the recipe Janne!

 

[Janne]

Yes! Steamed with lots and lots of butter, and sprinkled with salt.
When I buy Kohlrabbi in Norway, it usually comes with the leaves. Those I use as a veg separately. Here it is imported from the US without leaves and waxed.

 

[Arya]

My mouth is watering just thinking about it.... *drooling*

 

[Janne]

In UK we used to pick Sea Kale on our weekly walks in Seven Sisters Country Park or Dungeness. Delicious, better than Kale, more flavour and 'meatier' leaves.
Was never sure if it was allowed, never asked.

 

[TeeDee]

Can't find any other thread to add this as relevant , so its going here.

I've been wanting to incorporate more lacto fermented things in my diet for gut health that don't feel like a chore to add to the plate. It has to be genuinely desired to be incorporated on a regular basis.

Anyway - Had a large jar of Saurkraut , had put it on the naughty step for no fault of its own - just found it hard to utilise it.

I mixed in a good handful of kimchi powder ( Gochugaru ) some time back and left it for a bit to mingle - probably not getting the same kimchi type result but it definitely helped move the saurkraut from somewhat insepid to somewhat interesting.

Put that all in a blender with garlic ,tomato paste , little sugar ,little vinegar and a avocado and now I have a very usable healthy lacto fermented ketchup/catsup. Spicy , tangy and usable - clearly easier to incorporate on my food as a condiment as opposed to a side dish/serving.

Just sharing.

 

[Glow_worm]

Don't mean to teach you to suck eggs, and it's been hinted at before in this thread, but there is very little live sauerkraut or kimchi for sale in the UK- the supermarket stuff is all pasturised and therefore dead, so there's no probiotic content. Bit of a scam really. It would need to be in the refrigerated section if it was the real thing.

Live sauerkraut can sometimes be found in Polish shops, live kimchi in asian shops. Making you own is dead easy, and you can then control what goes in it (veg which hasn't absorbed from the soil- or been directly sprayed with- chemicals which kill beneficial gut bacteria, for one!).

 

[TeeDee]

Don't mean to teach you to suck eggs, and it's been hinted at before in this thread, but there is very little live sauerkraut or kimchi for sale in the UK- the supermarket stuff is all pasturised and therefore dead, so there's no probiotic content. Bit of a scam really. It would need to be in the refrigerated section if it was the real thing.

Live sauerkraut can sometimes be found in Polish shops, live kimchi in asian shops. Making you own is dead easy, and you can then control what goes in it (veg which hasn't absorbed from the soil- or been directly sprayed with- chemicals which kill beneficial gut bacteria, for one!).

True, Twas my own home made sauerkraut . Made it some time back.

 

[Glow_worm]

The older the better! Up to a point... Anyway, like the creativity!

 

[Chris]

Don't mean to teach you to suck eggs, and it's been hinted at before in this thread, but there is very little live sauerkraut or kimchi for sale in the UK- the supermarket stuff is all pasturised and therefore dead, so there's no probiotic content. Bit of a scam really. It would need to be in the refrigerated section if it was the real thing.

Live sauerkraut can sometimes be found in Polish shops, live kimchi in asian shops. Making you own is dead easy, and you can then control what goes in it (veg which hasn't absorbed from the soil- or been directly sprayed with- chemicals which kill beneficial gut bacteria, for one!).

Waitrose and Ocado both sell live culture Saurkraut/Kimchi, I’ve been eating it for gut health and it seems to have had a positive impact. Frightfully middle class, I know.

 

[Glow_worm]

Good for them, it ought to be available everywhere.

 

[Keith_Beef]

Can't find any other thread to add this as relevant , so its going here.

I've been wanting to incorporate more lacto fermented things in my diet for gut health that don't feel like a chore to add to the plate. It has to be genuinely desired to be incorporated on a regular basis.

Anyway - Had a large jar of Saurkraut , had put it on the naughty step for no fault of its own - just found it hard to utilise it.

I mixed in a good handful of kimchi powder ( Gochugaru ) some time back and left it for a bit to mingle - probably not getting the same kimchi type result but it definitely helped move the saurkraut from somewhat insepid to somewhat interesting.

Put that all in a blender with garlic ,tomato paste , little sugar ,little vinegar and a avocado and now I have a very usable healthy lacto fermented ketchup/catsup. Spicy , tangy and usable - clearly easier to incorporate on my food as a condiment as opposed to a side dish/serving.

Just sharing.

Yes, plain Sauerkraut can be a bit bland. When I was a student I used to buy big jars of Krakus brand and eat it as salad.

Pickled onions and shallots are a lot more flavoursome, I put cracked black pepper, coriander seeds, cloves and a few bay leaves in the jar with the salt, pour on boiling water and leave to cool before adding the peeled onions and shallots.

I did a jar of leeks (the thickness of my index finger) once. Nice flavour but a bit fibrous.

 

[Falstaff]

Little extra trick to Danny's excellent description - I use a clean wooden spoon or rolling pin end to pack it down. As Danny says, you must ensure it is kept underwater and away from air.
The modern fix for this is to put a freezer bag, or one inside another, on top filled with cold water.
The bag takes up the shape of the container perimeter making a good seal, and the weight of the water helps press it down as it settles and ferments. Any gas just bubbles past and the waterbag reseals itself.
I have found that I sometimes need to add more water when not enough comes out of the cabbage, to ensure there is water on top(under the bag weight).
The only fails I've had, have been due to insufficient water letting air get to it, and using too much salt.

 

[Mesquite]

Waitrose and Ocado both sell live culture Saurkraut/Kimchi, I’ve been eating it for gut health and it seems to have had a positive impact. Frightfully middle class,

You can get live cultured kimchi from Tesco as well, very tasty