The Kraut Craft Continues

Well, Adrian and I have decided that my newest attempt at making sauerkraut was a success - hitting the two week mark in the process was the key to taking the bitter edge off, and the flavour has continued to mellow.  We've enjoyed a bit on the side of most of our recent dinners, especially anything meat-heavy, as the kraut is supposed to aid digestion.  Yesterday I packed two more jars of kraut with a twist - one is flavoured with julienned apple and celery seed, and the other is a nod to kimchi with none of the pre-soaking normally involved in the kimchi-making process (and no fish sauce either).  Krautchi?  I've flavoured that jar with garlic and shallots from the garden, and red pepper flakes from the store. The water-filled jars on top are sitting on whole cabbage leaves, holding the vegetables under the cover of the brine, and both jars are draped with a clean dishcloth when I'm not taking pictures.  The casserole dish is there to catch any spills as the fermenting process takes over.  The original kraut is currently residing in the fridge, to slow fermentation.

 

The new krauts should be ready to try by the time we finish our purple cabbage kraut.

 

Krautchi on the left, and you can see the apple peel and flecks of celery seed in the jar on the right.

 

We'll experiment with additions and vegetable combinations, and find what works best and tastes best for us.  I have some mustard greens in the garden that I would like to add to a ferment - if they survive our current drop below zero under their floating row cover. Horseradish leaves would add some interesting heat as well, and I've already promised to use some daikon in the next batch. 

 

Fermentation is a traditional way of storing food where canning and refrigeration are not available. Traditionally, many cultures have fermented vegetables, dairy and meats in all kinds of interesting ways. Cheese, miso, coffee, tea, and chocolate are all products of fermentation.  Recent studies show that sauerkraut contains a greater number of anti-carcinogenic nutrients than cabbage (and other brassicas) which are eaten raw or cooked.  What's important to me, is that I know that it tastes good and I feel good about preparing and eating it.

As I did all of this cutting and mixing and crushing, I had water boiling on the stove to prepare a new batch of kombucha.  We're on and off again with our morning consumption of a swig of this vinegary-tasting 'healthful' brew, but the kombucha mother keeps working, so I keep making it, and we keep trying to remember to drink it in the rush to get ready in the morning. 

I like the kraut better :)