GIVEAWAY!!! Pickle it!!!

I love fermented foods, especially sauerkraut. Fermented foods offer so many health benefits, they are yummy, and they extend the shelf life of veggies without having to can them.

I have tried various ways to ferment my own kraut. I even bought a beautiful stone crock must for making mounds & mounds of sauerkraut. Unfortunately, my crock does not come with a fitted top, so I had to improvise. Let me tell you the kraut story I will never live down:

One day, kept smelling "gas" in my kitchen. I live in an old house, built in 1950, so gas smells are always taken seriously. I called PG&E, and they had someone out within the hour to check. He came and smelled it too, but could not pinpoint a leak anywhere. After checking all the pipes and deeming the house safe, he left. I returned to the kitchen, and while walking into my pantry, I got a whiff again! I looked over,  and there stood my crock with kraut in it. I lifted the towel, and realized it was the benign, but smell culprit!

Now I have discovered  a fantastic, and non-smelly, way to make kraut. I love it because I do not have to worry about my kraut creeping out of the brine. All you need is a Mason Jar, and you can go from cabbage to kraut in 4-5 days! It also looks real cool, and fascinates little (and big) scientists, watching the bubbles as the concoction ferments!

I wanted to take a picture of our finished kraut, but this little bowl is all we had left when I went to take pictures. My kids ate it already. We are on our third batch.

 I was so excited to share this with you, I contacted Kayleigh, the fabulous owner of "Pickle-Biotic", and now you have a chance to win your own fermentation kit!! Just enter the Rafflecopter below!

You can find all kinds of cool recipes on Kayleigh's website. I just cut up the cabbage, pounded it into a 1/2 gallon Mason Jar, added the brine water, and 5 days later we have crispy kraut. I put my jar in a bowl to catch any overflow.


You know how much I love SIMPLE.


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The Kraut is making 'kraut :)

I have been contemplating making Sauerkraut for a long time. For one thing, we love it...especially on hot links. I also know what good Sauerkraut tastes like, since, yes, I am really born and raised German :).

Last week my favorite hardware store was having a "25% off everything that fits in your cart" sale, and that beautiful crock I have been fondling every time I go just jumped right in there.

At about the same time I signed up to join the "Preserve the Bounty" challenge(d) at The Nourished Kitchen. Normally not one to join such committed adventures, :), I was hooked when I read that we will be preserving the old fashioned way, with Mother Nature. As long as it is edible when I am done, without too much dirt from grubby little hands that can never stay way, I am good.

Imagine my delight when the first week's challenge is announced: FERMENTATION!! That is serendipity.

So, my friends, I am making Sauerkraut in my beautiful crock. And I am going to share with you. It is quite simple, yet you should really check out Wild Fermentation. Sandor Elix Katz is quite entertaining, and he makes it all look very easy. Though the site is very comprehensive, I ordered his book.

First, chop up about 5lbs of cabbage. I used red and green, because I want pretty PINK sauerkraut.

As I put the cabbage in the crock, I sprinkle it with sea salt and stomp it down with my firs to release the water in the cabbage. I add salt as I layer. Very therapeutic...

Voila'! Weigh it down with a plate (though I will make myself a round wooden cover soon) and a large glass jar or gallon milk jug.

Now you just need to check it, and keep down the pressure. Check out Sandor's site for details. I will post as it progresses.

Happy fermenting!

P.S. If you are German, and take offense to the word "Kraut" (and yes, I was called one as I was growing up with military kids), please don't. I say it with pride & love :).