Sauerkraut: must it be cooked for a long time?

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Old 10-18-2017, 10:36 AM
jnieman jnieman is offline
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Originally Posted by bbbbbb View Post
OK, Kapusta is Polish for Cabbage. And as you know Sauerkraut is a cabbage shredded and treated with vinegar, salt etc. So here is what we do and it is awesome.
Brown some thick pork chops or sausages very well in Olive oil.
In the frying pan you will have a dark residue. So, when the Pork or Sausage or both is well done, lift them out of the pan and put in the sauerkraut direct form the jar, not from a can. I believe the can lining impacts the flavor, glass does not. Put the cooked meat on top of the Kraut. So then I let the mixture simmer for an hour or so on very low heat. Corning ware is good for this or an electric skillet. It is awesome for sure. You can sprinkle in a bit of garlic powder and some onion powder and mix it in to the batch while it is cooking on low.
Yes, you can drink beer when you are eating it.
bbbbbb
I use Johnsonville Brats for this recipe and brown them whole, let them sit for 10 minutes before slicing keeps in the juice. A great recipe and a family favorite.
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Old 10-18-2017, 10:54 AM
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[QUOTE=LittleDog;1462917 In addition to it tasting good it also is a great laxative.

John[/QUOTE]

Way TMI!
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Old 10-18-2017, 01:29 PM
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This made me hungry reading yesterday so as I'm typing the crock pot is doing its job with pork chops and kraut will be ready at 4:00 I'm ready for it right now.
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Old 10-18-2017, 02:21 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bbbbbb View Post
OK, Kapusta is Polish for Cabbage. And as you know Sauerkraut is a cabbage shredded and treated with vinegar, salt etc. So here is what we do and it is awesome.
Brown some thick pork chops or sausages very well in Olive oil.
In the frying pan you will have a dark residue. So, when the Pork or Sausage or both is well done, lift them out of the pan and put in the sauerkraut direct form the jar, not from a can. I believe the can lining impacts the flavor, glass does not. Put the cooked meat on top of the Kraut. So then I let the mixture simmer for an hour or so on very low heat. Corning ware is good for this or an electric skillet. It is awesome for sure. You can sprinkle in a bit of garlic powder and some onion powder and mix it in to the batch while it is cooking on low.
Yes, you can drink beer when you are eating it.
bbbbbb
Thanks! But did you know you can drink beer even when you're not eating it?
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Old 10-18-2017, 02:22 PM
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Originally Posted by vintageogauge View Post
We dump it in a crock pot, add 4 thick pork chops with bones and 4 hours later ready to go and the pork cannot get any more tender. I would add dumplings but someone in our home won't let me.
Oh! Add the dumplings, but deny you did it.
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Old 10-18-2017, 02:29 PM
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Originally Posted by graciegirl View Post
Some people like to dull the sharp taste of sauerkraut. That would be me.

Note...in defense; my grandmother was born in Stuttgart and my grandfather south of Munich.

I like sauerkraut rinsed, sugared with onion and cooked a long time.
Gracie, dear, you just reminded me of a moment. I was a sophomore in college in Boston. At the conservatory, due to space limitations, only freshmen could live in the dorm, so I had an apartment. My (100% Polish) father came to visit and I decided to make a Polish dinner for him including pierogis, herring in sour cream, I forget the main dish, and stewed sauerkraut. He loved it all!

And BTW, he was called Henry. Or Hank. Of course, his name was Henryk like mine, but after WWII, one tried to make one's name sound "American," not "foreign."
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Old 10-18-2017, 02:48 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bbbbbb View Post
OK, Kapusta is Polish for Cabbage. And as you know Sauerkraut is a cabbage shredded and treated with vinegar, salt etc. So here is what we do and it is awesome.
Brown some thick pork chops or sausages very well in Olive oil.
In the frying pan you will have a dark residue. So, when the Pork or Sausage or both is well done, lift them out of the pan and put in the sauerkraut direct form the jar, not from a can. I believe the can lining impacts the flavor, glass does not. Put the cooked meat on top of the Kraut. So then I let the mixture simmer for an hour or so on very low heat. Corning ware is good for this or an electric skillet. It is awesome for sure. You can sprinkle in a bit of garlic powder and some onion powder and mix it in to the batch while it is cooking on low.
Yes, you can drink beer when you are eating it.
bbbbbb
Love the recipe. My mother used to do that.

My Polish grandfather would occasionally call the kids "kapusta głowa." (If you can't see this well, try Ctrl+ a few times.) The "ł" is unique to Polish, I think. It's hard to transliterate, but instead of sounding like "ell" it's sort of eh-wlh, so it sounds like kah-poos-tah gwo-vah, which means "cabbage head." LOL.
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Old 10-19-2017, 07:18 AM
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LOVE kraut! Going to have some with my meatloaf at lunchtime today. Yes, we have made our own. All it takes is some cabbage, salt, water, and time. We put the "raw" cabbage in canning jars. After tending to the water level in the jars for 6 weeks, we pop them into a pressure cooker and process the jars for canning. Comes out great. Always add caraway seeds when heating it up.
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Old 10-23-2017, 07:34 AM
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Originally Posted by Henryk View Post
I had a dear friend of German lineage who said that if using sauerkraut, it must be cooked.

I like sauerkraut, whether alone, on a dog, in a choucroute garnie, or with kielbasa.

Do you think it should be cooked for awhile (for flavor or texture) or does it matter?

I read a story long ago that a family wanted to make their own kraut and, since they would be away for a month, decided to let it ferment on the kitchen counter. Upon returning home, that had to keep every window in the house open for weeks!

Have you ever made your own from scratch? Inquiring minds want to know.

In answer to your question.....IMO, sauerkraut does not have to be 'cooked', as it is already 'cooked' in it's own juices during the fermentation process. Sauerkraut is made by layering sliced or shredded cabbage and salt and then breaking down the cabbage with the salt to release the moisture from the cabbage. It then is allowed to sit, lightly covered for a period of weeks and the reaction of the salt and the cabbage ferments. At that point the bubbly fermentation at the top of the container is carefully removed and the cabbage & juices can be canned or kept under refrigeration until used.

It is not necessary to cook it further, with heat, unless that is your preference. My grandmother would make a wonderful salad with her 'new' sauerkraut, fresh out of the crock in the basement, mixed with celery, carrots and radishes and a dressing of a bit of cider vinegar, water, sugar and celery seeds. She also taught me how to layer the sauerkraut with pork and allow it to bake, low and slow, until the pork was 'fall-off-the-bone' tender and the kraut was soft and mellow, without it's sharp sour taste. Sometimes she would add sliced or grated apple to 'sweeten' the kraut.

So, in answer to your original question, NO, it is not absolutely necessary to cook sauerkraut. You do so to alter the flavor or crispness. It's all a matter of personal preference.

And let me add, whether you cook it or not ~ it's a wonderful addition to so many meals and a personal favorite of mine!
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Old 10-23-2017, 09:16 AM
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Originally Posted by Bogie Shooter View Post
When growing up we would make kraut. It was always fun on a brisk fall day to go to the crock where the kraut was curing and eat the chilled fresh sauerkraut.
I do remember there was some yucky looking stuff on the top layer, that we scrapped off. That would most likely kill us today.

LOL! My grandmother referred to that as 'the mother'. Same thing with jelly and jam sealed with wax. Just scrape it off.

Today, you can pay a premium for apple cider vinegar with the mother. It is a bacterial/amino acid complex, and foodies claim it is really good for you.
  #26  
Old 10-23-2017, 12:11 PM
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Originally Posted by bethk View Post
In answer to your question.....IMO, sauerkraut does not have to be 'cooked', as it is already 'cooked' in it's own juices during the fermentation process. Sauerkraut is made by layering sliced or shredded cabbage and salt and then breaking down the cabbage with the salt to release the moisture from the cabbage. It then is allowed to sit, lightly covered for a period of weeks and the reaction of the salt and the cabbage ferments. At that point the bubbly fermentation at the top of the container is carefully removed and the cabbage & juices can be canned or kept under refrigeration until used.

It is not necessary to cook it further, with heat, unless that is your preference. My grandmother would make a wonderful salad with her 'new' sauerkraut, fresh out of the crock in the basement, mixed with celery, carrots and radishes and a dressing of a bit of cider vinegar, water, sugar and celery seeds. She also taught me how to layer the sauerkraut with pork and allow it to bake, low and slow, until the pork was 'fall-off-the-bone' tender and the kraut was soft and mellow, without it's sharp sour taste. Sometimes she would add sliced or grated apple to 'sweeten' the kraut.

So, in answer to your original question, NO, it is not absolutely necessary to cook sauerkraut. You do so to alter the flavor or crispness. It's all a matter of personal preference.

And let me add, whether you cook it or not ~ it's a wonderful addition to so many meals and a personal favorite of mine!
Thanks for your reply. I think I'll try to make my own. I've made kimchee a few times with good success. Kraut has got to be easier than that!
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Old 10-23-2017, 12:12 PM
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Originally Posted by bluedivergirl View Post
LOL! My grandmother referred to that as 'the mother'. Same thing with jelly and jam sealed with wax. Just scrape it off.

Today, you can pay a premium for apple cider vinegar with the mother. It is a bacterial/amino acid complex, and foodies claim it is really good for you.
Actually, if your mother is still active, you can use it to start a new batch, too.
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Old 12-28-2017, 08:51 PM
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We make all the wonderful Polish foods on New Year's Day. We buy kraut, pierogies and kielbasa at the Polish deli in Leesburg. Bob cooks the kielbasa, kraut and beer in a crockpot just until heated. Sometimes the kraut needs a little brown sugar. So good.
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Old 12-28-2017, 10:00 PM
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For a lazy way, go to Aldi's and buy the Deutsche Kutchen (spelling?) brand straight from Germany. Very good. I do cook it a bit and any good pork based products can be added. Bacon, chops, pork ribs, Kielbasa, or these days, lower fat Turkey sausage. I’m only half German and cooked with my German grandmother. And yes, she added dumplings. I drank and sang with my Irish father! The best of both worlds. How I long for those days again.
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Old 12-29-2017, 08:21 AM
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I buy prepackaged in a bag. Rinse it once and throw it in crockpot for few hours with kielbasa. Tastes great.
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