While Germans are often belived to be the creators of sauerkraut, it was the Chinese who were first pickling cabbage in wine as early as 200 B.C. Sauerkraut was carried on Dutch ships because it didn't need refrigeration and helped prevent scurvy and fight disease, so naturally kraut was carried to America by Dutch immigrants who sailed to North America and settled in Pennsylvania.
Many cultures enjoy kraut. The Koreans have Kimchi and the Japanese have Tsukemono, but none enjoy sauerkraut more than the U.S. Unfortunately for those on a low-sodium diet, kraut is off limits, but this original recipe duplicates kraut and is nearly sodium free. The second recipe is for a simple but more traditional fermented sauerkraut.
Quick Stove Top Kraut
Ingredients
- ½ head cabbage
- 2 carrots, julienned
- 1 red bell pepper, julienned
- 1yellow bell pepper, julienned
- 1 green bell pepper, julienned
- 1 medium onion, cut in thin strips
- 5 brussel sprouts, quartered (if desired)
- 1 ½ cup white vinegar
- 1 ½ cup cider vinegar
- 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 3 cups water
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp cayenne
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- 1 Tbsp dill
Directions
- Combine vinegars, water, paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, and dill in a large pan. Bring to a boil.
- Add brussel sprouts and carrots and let cook for 5 minutes.
- Add cabbage, bell peppers, and onion. Cover and reduce heat to simmer, stirring occasionally.
- As cabbage softens, there should be enough liquid to cover. If not, add small amount of water.
- Remove from heat just as cabbage gets slightly soft. It will continue to soften as it sits in the hot broth and you want it to retain some crunch.
- Serve when slightly cooled and soft enough to eat.
- To store, after broth has cooled, remove cabbage with a slotted spoon and place in an airtight container. Spoon just enough broth to cover and store in refrigerator. Keeps for two weeks.
Simple Simon Sauerkraut
Ingredients
- 2 large heads of cabbage (about 5 pounds)
- 2 to 3 tbsp non-iodized salt
Directions
- Slice Cabbage into long strips.
- Place half the shredded kraut in a plastic bucket or a crock if available.
- Sprinkle half the salt (1 to 1 ½ Tbsp) over the cabbage strips.
- Add remaining cabbage strips to the bucket or crock along with the salt that remains.
- Press the mixture down with your hands, crushing it until liquid seeps out of the cabbage easily.
- Place a plate or other flat item on top of the kraut, pressing it down firmly, then place a heavy weight on top of the plate to keep it pressed down onto the kraut.
- Cover the container with a cloth or plastic sheet and check after 2 days. Scoop any scum that has collected off the top.
- Repack the cabbage and re-check every 3 days, continuing to scrape any scum that appears off the top. After 2 weeks, taste the kraut to see if it's ready to eat. If it is, take a small amount and repack the rest, leaving it.
- The flavor will continue to develop for the next few weeks.
- Storing the kraut in the refrigerator - or actually canning it - will lengthen its shelf life significantly.
Yields about 2 quarts.
Garlic and Onion Sauerkraut
Follow recipe above, adding 2 or 3 thinly sliced onions and 5 cloves of chopped garlic and 2 sliced onions when you add the layers of salt.
Spicy Sauerkraut
Include some slice jalapeños and poblanos or peppers of your choice.
Optional Veggie Kraut
Consider adding 10 chopped brussel sprouts, peeled and julienned carrots, and sliced tri-color bell peppers.
Less salt will make the kraut less firm. Plus the curing properties of the salt is important. It's not recommended to make this without any salt. Your better off rinsing it as you serve it to remove some salt.
Serve krauts with Crusty Herb French Bread or rustic Italian or Amish white bread.
Christopher T. Reilly - Hello. I have been a professional writer for 25 years with experience that encompasses articles, essays, websites, Internet content, stage ...
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