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Sauerkraut Blues
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Posted by david52 z5CO (My Page) on Mon, Nov 9, 09 at 14:34
| I started 3 X 3 gallon crocks of sauerkraut 7 weeks ago. I checked the brine level 24 hours after starting, added some to two of the crocks, the 3rd was fine. Checked again 24 hours later, still good, checked again a week later, still good, and then now and again I'd do it as I walked by. All good. It's been maybe a week since I last looked, and thats when I sampled a bit, it was just the right level of sourness, and today was the day to can it up.
All the liquid is gone, in all three crocks, except maybe the bottom two inches. I think I caught it just in time, but had to throw out about the top inch in each crock. Then the next layer, the majority of the contents, are just starting to turn color from blinding white to off white, but still crunchy, still tastes good. I've never had this happen.
So I'm packing the jars a bit loose, topping them up with a vinegar / water / salt solution, as if I were making straight up pickles.
And to top it all off, using brand new in the box Kerr jars, 2 out of 24 have shattered as I put them in the BWB.
We'll see how this all turns out. |
Follow-Up Postings:
correction
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| Make that 4 shattered jars. This just isn't my day to can stuff. |
RE: Sauerkraut Blues
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| David, that is, indeed, a bad canning day. I wouldn't have added the vinegar at all, just a salt and water brine, and then canned it all up. I've never added vinegar to kraut, so I have no idea what you'll get. I usually just dump a big pot full of kraut/brine on the stove, bring it to a boil, pack it loosely in jars, top off with brine and can it. It's still good, I'll bet. Annie |
RE: Sauerkraut Blues
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| Well, thats probably what I shoulda done. I'm recovering from the Scrabble® flu, aka H1N1, and all wheels are not turning in sinc. I'll let it sit in the cold pantry for a week or so, let the aroma clear from the kitchen, then give a plate full a try. Nibbling as I went, it sure was good. |
RE: Sauerkraut Blues
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Sorry about the jars. Did the bottoms fall out ? If so, that means the water in the canner was either too hot or too cold, a difference in temp. between the water in the canner and the temp. of your jars. It is called "thermal shock".
If it broke in another manner, there are reasons for that, too.
Sorry you had the swine flu. My daughter has been ill for over a month due to it. She got bronchitis from it and is still on antibiotics and predinsone.
I got the vaccine a week ago today. I have basically kept myself in isolation until the vaccine protects me. They said between 8 to 10 days. I did go for a medical test today. I sure hope they did not infect me when there. I used Purell after touching the pen, etc. I used it when I got off the elevator and again in my car.
Hope you get your strength back soon. |
RE: Sauerkraut Blues
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| Well, it was the temperature shock - the sauerkraut was in a 55º shed, and filling the jars then putting them into the boiling water, and a few minutes later, that distinctive "snick" sound of one cracking. I left the next batches to warm up an hour in the kitchen, but not enough, I guess. I probably should do like Anne says and dump it all in a large pot, boil it up, then can it. My kids are not particularly fond of the smell of sauerkraut, so I tried to minimize the aroma, but breaking four jars of the stuff sort of put that theory to rest. Oh well. This flu has me hammered for over two weeks now, I've decided I just need to get up and do stuff and not get any weaker. Anyway, 29 qts done and put away. I still have a half dozen large heads of cabbage, and the wife says to do those as well. |
RE: Sauerkraut Blues
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I will pass this along to you about preventing thermal shock.
If you do a raw pack food, such as putting the raw food in the jar and filling with boiling liquid, the water in the canner should be 140 degrees.
If a hot pack, where all food and liquid is brought to a boiling temp. then packed, the temp. in the canner should be 180 degrees.
You will sure be busy with all of that cabbage. I made cabbage rolls the other day.Sure tasted good on these cold, dreary, rainy days.
Please, don't overdo things. You need to rest still. That is one wicked virus. Take care of yourself. You don't want to get bronchitis afterwards. |
RE: Sauerkraut Blues
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| What sort of weight did you put over the cabbage? I used 2.5 gallon ZipLoc bag filled with saline solution, and there was no evaporation of the brine whatsoever, due to the bag conforming exactly to the bucket dimensions. I did put a little ACV in mine for no particular reason, and it is more tart than usual, but very good kraut. Hope you are feeling better soon! |
RE: Sauerkraut Blues
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| Thats what I did as well, using doubled plastic bags filled with a brine solution to press it all down. They certainly were sealed, and certainly pressed down, had to dig it out..... Thats what so strange about it all - I dunno how many times I've successfully made 'kraut the same way, and never had this happen, let alone 3 crocks at once. A mystery. I asked a neighbor who makes sauerkraut in some massive 20 gallon crock, and he swears its has to do with the phase of the moon. He's also in his mid-eighties, and growing up in the depression, lived off of sauerkraut, and thinks a 3 gal. crock is a toy. :-) We opened a jar this weekend, and its fine. The flu is leaving. I am gaining back some strength, but its going to be a few more weeks before I can rejoin the winter olympic racing team. |
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