Making Sauerkraut

This video explains how to make sauerkraut. Learn how to prepare cabbage for making sauerkraut, how to process the cabbage for fermenting in both large and small containers, how to store sauerkraut and causes of spoilage.
FNH-01284

[@raspberrytreacle]

This is the most informative explanation yet on KZbin. Thank you

[@humanonearth1]

Great video and presentation! One thing: I've heard this "metal" stainless steel stuff before that it can interfere in fermenting. I don't think there's anything too it. It's used extensively in the beer and winemaking community and their entire business is controlled consistent fermentation. It's preferred over glass or other things which are more porous thus more susceptible to infection and oxygen ingress.

[@ooolalakatchuli9873]

I would use glass containers ,plastic is not good for fermenting, cause plastic cause its own gas. Also I would take my metal jewelry off while working with this. Just saying....

[@4seasonsTrucker]

What material do you think is cutting the cabbage?

[@ooolalakatchuli9873]

@@4seasonsTrucker I was talking about wearing jewelry while handling food with you bare hands. She's not wearing the knife. Jewlry harbors bacteria. Have a good day!

[@mmercier0921]

Cut a square block for that cutter. Fingertips are nice to keep attached.

[@gladysma308]

7:30 5 pound cabbage 3 tablespoon of pickling salt 17:15 if addition water to cover cabbage, brine water 1.5 TBLS to 1 quart of water 20:35 best room temp for fermentation 70-75°c for 4 weeks

[@canadian-gardening-Zone6A]

Thank you Gladys! I was looking for the brine recipe. Missed somehow.

[@humanonearth1]

Ya the ratio isn't very scientific. It says 3 tablespoon to 5 pounds and under 5 pounds it's 1.33 tablespoon to 1lb of cabbage. It should be by weight ideally. What if it's over 5lbs? I'd stick with 1.33 tbsp salt to 1lb cabbage all the way up to whatever weight.

[@ahappynanac5640]

Thank you😊

[@marvcarrell5777]

This is great, Julie! I place layers of beet and onion slices and caraway seed between layers of packed cabbage and layers of too-be-packed cabbage before fermenting. Works like a charm. Cheers!

[@4seasonsTrucker]

I use my cuisineart food processor to eliminate waste, a German 15 gallon crock with stone and ferment for 2 months. Makes a perfect batch.

[@LockRocker]

This is my go to government approved video I refer to every time I can up some kraut. So far I've run about 7 heads in a Kerazo modern design waterseal crock (1.4 gallon I think) without any failures. Just peel and stick some felt pads on the bottom of the crock as a bonus since stoneware can be abrasive. I've already broke even on the crock purchase especially since a pastor gave me two giant heads from their community outreach (trust me I was reaching out)! My second run I added in a couple layers of cranberries and some carrots upon the reccomendation of a guy from Georgia (in Russia) and that was interesting. I reccomend that fresh as the berries will color the kraut some when canned, but still attractive. For probiotics be sure and set aside some fresh kraut from each batch for immediate ingestion, lol.

[@lolatu8255]

I was surprised to see the 2-3 months refrigerator storage time. I just finished a 3 year old batch and have one left. I made a new one today which is why I visited the video. The old batch tasted great! Am I going to die?

[@Whiteboard7]

lol. I doubt, maybe bad bacteria will.

[@eugeniamoreno9584]

All of as we are going to die. Meanwhile we have to be nice with each other and trying not to be sarcastic.

[@lolatu8255]

I have always been a very sarcastic person. It is just the way I am. I was just making fun of the "expiration date" of the sauerkraut that was supposed to feed the family through winter which is sometimes more than 3 months. I meant no harm. I wish you and your family the best and yes we should be nicer to each other!

[@hitachicm721f]

Eventually.

[@pineapplesoul56]

What’s “safest” doesn’t mean that your kraut won’t last much much longer. I’ve got kraut I canned a year ago and because I have a spare refrig, it’s stored there. It’s still as golden and tasty as the day I canned it. But I sterilize my jars and use all other safety/sanitary practices, as well as test it for proper seal. Proper color, smell, etc. I’m sure you’ll know if and when a jar is suspect and dump it.

[@legman5706]

Easy, but choices of methods. Bravo Zulu!

[@ozzieman4392]

Great video, thank you!

[@brramzi31]

Superb demonstration!!

[@amalalzoubi4039]

Woow what a creativ intellegant trik to cover cabbage !

[@antonhuman8446]

Very well done Mam. Thank you!

[@davidwhitten928]

Very good information thanks for what you do

[@phyllisgordon6577]

Did you have to open the lid and stir as others suggest? This is such a professionally done tutorialm

[@sanaabakers]

Great and professional video… Many thanks 😊

[@gladysma308]

21:25 ferment in small jars

[@kennethwestfall4769]

Where can I get a mandeline like yours

[@jamespavlock9615]

I’d always been told not to use plastic containers. glass or stone

[@marlenechambers3122]

What does it smell and taste like?

[@shinigglory3689]

Can you drink the juice nice video ❤❤

[@UAFExtension]

Yes, it is okay to drink the juice. However, it is high in salt.

[@idiot-983]

All of my krout cutters are probably close to 100 years, May I ask where you got a new ?

[@damiandamiano3651]

i bought non ruin steel one and its like eternal

[@GlitterCreek260]

Mine is over 100 years old..Belonged to my great -uncle my family came from Germany

[@robertorzech8922]

Isn't simmering temperature going to kill all the probiotics ?

[@pendopendo7166]

I wonder if you can use a beer fermenting container with an airlock to ferment sauerkraut and to prevent moulds, using a waterbag inside for the weigh to compress the cabbage. ?

[@UAFExtension]

From Sarah Lewis: My husband brews beer so I’m picturing a big carboy (sp?) bottle. I think this container configuration would work for fermentation, with the “waterbag” filled with brine (1 1/2 Tablespoons pickling salt to each quart of water) and an airlock. I’m just not sure how one would get the kraut out of the container to taste it to check on the stage of fermentation, or at the end. The bottle neck is pretty small, it might be a frustrating process.

[@callheramazing]

A plastic fermenting bucket would work. Use a brine in the water bag. Checking the kraut will introduce air but yes, use the airlock! The next beer might taste like cabbage but if cleaned carefully it would probably be fine.

[@callheramazing]

@@UAFExtension there’s a primary fermenting bucket…car boys are usually used after the first stage of fermenting the beer.

[@billstanley5317]

@@UAFExtension You can buy widemouth jar lids with airlocks or valved to release pressure buildup.

[@cladkerson8479]

Yes you can, I have. Just be aware if you use a fermenting bucket, the bucket will smell like kraut.

[@vilmadelgado5242]

a cabbage that i bought in the market is not safe can we wash it before beginning the process? most of the vedio in making saurcraut not washing it

[@KS-ts3le]

I would never ferment in aplastic container

[@guilhermedantas5067]

"It should smell like Sauerkraut." "It tastes like Sauerkraut." It must be Sauerkraut then.

[@gretchendavis8974]

Mason jar set up, wouldn’t it make jar crack if you put a lid and ring on it?

[@billstanley5317]

Normally don't tighten too much.

[@LJTomlinson1]

Doesn't the boil bath canning processes kill the probiotic in the krut?

[@UAFExtension]

From Julie Cascio: "I have not been able to find a solid research-based answer to the temperature that stops probiotics. If a person does not want to heat the sauerkraut to store it in a properly sealed container in the pantry, then the sauerkraut can be kept in the refrigerator (41 degrees Fahrenheit or lower) for an extended period of time."

[@enascott5963]

Yes!! Just like heat processed citrus kills the vit. C!!!

[@helenewilliams1702]

Can we use any type of salt

[@UAFExtension]

The recommendation is to use canning salt -- salt that does not have iodine added to it.

[@normanmarino7285]

Better to just cut it with a knife it’s a lot faster !

[@ljrockstar69]

Hi will this work with lettuce?

[@juliecascio1532]

No, as lettuce has even more moisture in it.

[@MrRufusjax]

This lady's family better like sauerkraut because they'll be eating a lot of it.

[@robertkattner1997]

You don't add water to the kraut, you stomp it so the juices come out, works best in a stainless steel pot. Then cut a piece of food grade cutting board to fit into the pot. Put a stone on top so the juice covers the disc. Leave for 2 weeks, done.

[@jhb61249]

Can you use this product for making Asian (Korean) Kimchi?

[@juliecascio1532]

Kimchi uses numerous other ingredients so is not the same as fermenting cabbage to make sauerkraut. Kimchi and sauerkraut are different fermented products. Julie Cascio, University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service

[@lowdog2121]

"Two to three percent salt" - by weight?

[@UAFExtension]

Yes

[@UAFExtension]

Most instructions will give a weight of vegetables and tablespoons of salt.

[@chriskostecki8777]

I was taught how to do this when I was 8 year's old , 52 year's ago in a clean wooden wine barrel , a wooden top plate and a granite 10 pound rock !!! When canning , Never place your canning jar directly on the bottom of the metal pot, it could explode !!! Use 1/2 inch thick wooden strip's and a metal grate on top as a barrier from direct heat !!! Even tempered glass can explode on direct heat ... Just an observation

[@UAFExtension]

Thanks for watching the video. Sauerkraut has been made for over 2000 years although the "modern" methods were adopted in around the 16th century. Obviously this was before plastic was invented and probably wooden barrels or clay crocks were used. So, what you were taught is not wrong! Our video shows a method that can be made in a modern kitchen with reliable results. The keys to successful sauerkraut fermentation include: • use equipment that is food safe (this could be a wooden barrel previously used for fermenting beer or wine) • use equipment that will not corrode or break down in a high salt and high acid environment • using very clean equipment - you may need to use boiling water in your wooden barrel to destroy any unwanted microorganisms • weighing your cabbage • using the right amount of pure, non-iodized salt (3 tablespoons salt to 5 pounds of cabbage) • keeping the cabbage under a couple inches of brine while fermenting (use a clean, food safe weight that keeps all the cabbage submerged and that excludes air as much as possible). This will also keep the product from drying out. • keeping the crock, barrel, plastic tub or glass jars at an appropriate temperature Jarring sauerkraut or other high acid foods in glass jars requires proper use of a boiling water bath canner. Although our video doesn't show the entire process, the boiling water canner should always have a rack of some sort to keep the jars off of the bottom. As noted, even tempered glass may break if put on the hot bottom of the canner.

[@chriskostecki8777]

@@UAFExtension Thank you , now I can throw out my 50 year's of experience out the old school window !!! Just an observation

[@melinaz3385]

kimchi is a fermented vegetable and cabbage product with larger pieces of vegetable, it's similar to sauerkraut with chili spices added to it. so, this being said, what can the difference be for sauerkraut cabbage size, are you looking for a specific fermenting time, or are you looking for a scientific form of a gauged ferment?

[@juliecascio1532]

Julie Cascio, UAF Extension: Kimchi uses numerous other ingredients even sometimes including thickeners. The concern is that during the fermentation process we must be able to halt the growth of pathogenic microorganisms while allowing organisms involved in fermentation to grow. This requires a delicate balance. In a commercial operation the product undergoes a processing a validated process and the food is produced under stringent GMPs (Good manufacturing processes) and preventive controls for human food rules which requires controls for pathogens. Since these are not in place for home food fermentation of kimchi, we need to have a researched process that has been proven to be effective at limiting the growth of pathogens. This research is very costly to conduct, and a lack of federal and state funding has limited the ability to develop safe new recipes for use at home. The Cooperative Extension Services have safe and well researched recipes for sauerkraut but have not had the ability to do the same for other foods like kimchi, confirms S. Smith, Washington State University Food Safety Specialist.

[@melinaz3385]

@@juliecascio1532 thank you for the concise answer, it makes perfect sense to me now. thank you

[@richardkarre7903]

There is so many ways that are so much easier 😂

[@normanmarino7285]

Why are you not wearing clean rubber gloves to pack the cabbage in the jar?

[@pauldaystar]

Main Importance, 30%+ Increases Vit C + Enzymes

[@jonathanfox3285]

O V ER THE TOP! 5 gallons is too far in most peoples lives.

[@GlitterCreek260]

Ours canned stored in cool dry place lasted over 5 years ….Mama couldn’t can enough..

[@jonathanfox3285]

@@GlitterCreek260 Yes. These things age like Miso. I bet it got REAL good at about 2.

[@catharina2022]

What an unpractical cutting device, and it will take to much space when stored. Use a knife. Also I go by wait in salt, that's more accurate! And at last I have a wooden masher..... so I m not impressed by this explanation 🙋🏼‍♀️🇱🇺🌷

[@noralibid1203]

Pbb

[@erickv993]

My goodness! I’m glad I didn’t watch this video the first time I was looking to make sauerkraut! So much talking and never gave a proper recipe 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@eugenekalinowski17]

About 12 min. Putting food-grade bowl on the floor? Who does that? Bad food handling practices for sure. And she is from some kind of expert food institute? BS. Very disappointed. She lost credibility to me.