The Texas BBQ Forum

My first batch of it. So far so Good! Popped the top to release some pressure and smelling on point so far. 9 days in and 5 to go. I may give it 3 weeks rather than 2.. I'll have to play it by ear. Lol!

I tried this a couple times and failed.
Made it in a 5 gal crock according to grandma's recipe salted and weighted it down with a heavy plate but the juice didn't form fast enough to cover the shredded cabbage and it molded.
Must have missed something like beating the cabbage or such.

Grandma had no troubles. Another skill lost.

Papa Tom wrote:I tried this a couple times and failed.
Made it in a 5 gal crock according to grandma's recipe salted and weighted it down with a heavy plate but the juice didn't form fast enough to cover the shredded cabbage and it molded.
Must have missed something like beating the cabbage or such.

Grandma had no troubles. Another skill lost.

I cheated just a tad and added about a cup of water to it. The fresher the cabbage, the better the moisture pull will be. I don't believe the source of the liquid is as important as promoting the good bacteria while preventing the bad.

I'm thinking that had I mashed the cabbage down good then placed ALL the salt on top of it that may have delayed the fungi until the juice came up.

Let me ask the guy at work about this. Maybe he can share his secrets.
He makes home made Kraut weekly.Hes what I call a Kraut,Shine and Scrapple FANATIC !
He just did 100 gallons and gave me some 3 days ago. It's great stuff, that's for sure. Especially with some Ring Bologna sliced up and on the Black Stone. Add some good beer to the kraut and mix it all up.

the absolute best Kraut that I ever had was in a storm cellar in the Panhandle of around 1947 and it was in a very large crock container - - - - since the Lady of the House wasn't around we ate it with our fingers and I haven't had anything close since

I love sauerkraut! My Dad used to slow simmer sauerkraut with country style pork ribs in a cast iron skillet. I'm going to have to put this on my to do list.

woodenvisions wrote:Let me ask the guy at work about this. Maybe he can share his secrets.
He makes home made Kraut weekly.Hes what I call a Kraut,Shine and Scrapple FANATIC !
He just did 100 gallons and gave me some 3 days ago. It's great stuff, that's for sure. Especially with some Ring Bologna sliced up and on the Black Stone. Add some good beer to the kraut and mix it all up.

100 gallons?! Wow! I'm having quite a fit over just a pint. Lol!
I remember all the old, OLD jars of pickles and various other veggies in my great-grandmother' s garage that she would dig out from time to time. When she passed, my cousin moved into the house and about 20 years later he finally did a full renovation on that garage. Still sealed, there were 30 varied veggie jars in a box under a stack of papers. I think he kept them just because. Lol!

Swamp Donkeyz BBQ wrote:I love sauerkraut! My Dad used to slow simmer sauerkraut with country style pork ribs in a cast iron skillet. I'm going to have to put this on my to do list.

I say roll with it. Incredibly cheap to make, just need patience. Lol!

OldUsedParts wrote:the absolute best Kraut that I ever had was in a storm cellar in the Panhandle of around 1947 and it was in a very large crock container - - - - since the Lady of the House wasn't around we ate it with our fingers and I haven't had anything close since

At that time, the old world style was dying, but not yet dead. I'd love to see it back in full swing!

Txdragon wrote:At that time, the old world style was dying, but not yet dead. I'd love to see it back in full swing!

Yes Sir, I don't think it was a hunnert gallons but it was a large crock and I remember my Dad hadn't been home from the War for very long so life was starting over for Mom, Dad and I.