I’ll be of no help here with putting it in jars. I’ve never done it that way.
I’ve always put mine in a quart sized freezer bag and froze. It’s lasted a year in the freezer. Never had an issue this way.
Good luck making it!
I’ve never cared for kraut that’s been through the hot water bath, just doesn’t keep the right texture for me. I’m definitely gonna freeze it next time I make it, probably in the fall.
Agree with riverruns about the fermentation time, 10-14 days is usually just right for fermentation and a empty corner of the basement floor is where mine lives during that time.
If one likes a bit of caraway seeds, when would be the proper time to add? Front end of fermentation, or add to jars when processing?
IMO any seasonings that you want in any fermented product needs to go in at the start, time is your friend in this case.
I’ve never cared for kraut that’s been through the hot water bath, just doesn’t keep the right texture for me. I’m definitely gonna freeze it next time I make it, probably in the fall.
<nobr style=”font-size: inherit”>Agree</nobr> with riverruns about the fermentation time, 10-14 days is usually just right for fermentation and a empty corner of the basement floor is where mine lives during that time.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>chomps wrote:</div>
If one likes a bit of caraway seeds, when would be the proper time to add? Front end of fermentation, or add to jars when <nobr style=”font-size: inherit”>processing</nobr>?IMO any seasonings that you want in any fermented product needs to go in at the <nobr style=”font-size: inherit”>start</nobr>, time is your friend in this case.
how long did you hot bath it???????? i did mine maybe 5 minutes……enough to get it to seal!!!!!
Glen57, so can you run through your process from the start? I wouldn’t mind trying it in quart jars. Just a half dozen or so. Thanks.
Sure, pretty easy. Take cabbage and I cut it up and run it through a food processor. Stuff it in a qt jar. Pack it a bit tight. Add 1 tsp salt and add boiling hot water. Wipe Tim put lid on. About 3 weeks later a loosen lids for day or 2 then tighten good. It takes a while but it should seal.
Good luck.
Food SaverFoodSaver Wide-Mouth Jar Sealer,
Is this enough to preserve quart jars of kraut? I already have one that is for regular mouth mason jars. Would this provide a safe storage for the kraut in the basement shelves where the rest of our canned goods are?
If I would have the flat in boiling hot water like when canning and apply the vac machine, do you follow me?
When I buy kraut in quart jars that are vaced, the kraut is still crisp, can you get that from either hot water processing or pressure canning?
Sorry Denny, I can’t answer that. I have one of those with my food saver but never used it. I know if the jars don’t seal I put them in the fridge. Never had issues with bad kraut that way. But I only made 4-8 qts a year too.
Got a 10lb batch started. 2, – 1/2 gal jars that is netting close to 8.5 lbs of cabbage. This is minus the couple of outer leaves and the trimed core.
My first attempt and it’s rather kewl to watch how it works!!
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A short video for those that have never done this.Seems it was a tad too large. Just neat to watch. 40 seconds long, darn!
those tops are interesting?????? where did yo get them? and what is the end process with them?????????
They are called “Pickle Pipes”.
They are silicone and can be washed in the dishwasher. There is a small x shaped cut in the top of the nipple.A 3/4″ thick lead free glass weight holds a folded full leaf down to keep the kraut submerged. I started in a bib lug with the approx 5 pounds of sliced cabbage and 3 tablespoons and worked the cabbage with my hands mixing and squeezing for near 10 minutes. Doing so I was making brine and the cabbage was really losing its mass. I hard packed the cabbage in the 1/2 gallon jar and did the second batch the same way. I tried to leave 2″ space below the rim and set the folded leaf and the weight before capping. Now I wait the weeks out.
Among the many things my daughter is producing on her farm is sauerkraut. Just delicious!
S.R.
Steve, I notice the ingredients and your daughter has garlic, jalapenos`, carrot and others. I went to her site to look for varieties that they sold and came up empty.
On another site, I found Caraway seed, Jalapenos` and peppers (I assume bell and sweet Italian but don’t know).
Do you and anyone else know of others?
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Ok, so I’ll be back at it tomorrow morning. I got 28 heads. Family and friends took 13 so I’ll see what I end up with after 15 heads shredded.
Did anyone that tried the canning process like it? Any tips? I would like to try and process it and put it on the shelf. I’m afraid of it getting mushy. Thanks.
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Cabbage weight is good again this year!!
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Ok, so I’ll be back at it tomorrow morning. I got 28 heads. Family and friends took 13 so I’ll see what I end up with after 15 heads shredded.
Did anyone that tried the canning process like it? Any tips? I would like to try and process it and put it on the shelf. I’m afraid of it getting mushy. Thanks.
yea i hot bathed mine to seal the jars and seems OK.
i was told however that if you hotbath it, it stops the cabbage from doing what it does to ferment??????? i personally dont see a difference??
good luck.
I also heard if you process it. The processing will kill the good bacteria in the kraut.
Did anyone that tried the canning process like it? Any tips? I would like to try and process it and put it on the shelf. I’m afraid of it getting mushy. Thanks.
We keep a couple jars fresh in the fridge and can the rest. I’ve never noticed a big difference between fresh and canned kraut. Mine certainly doesn’t get mushy when it’s canned. I have also read two ways to can it… the hot pack and cold pack methods. When you hot pack it, you cook the kraut, add it to the cans, and then process it. That’s how I think some folks who can it say it turns out mushy because it’s cooked to death. I cold pack it, meaning I add the kraut directly to the jars and process. Mine always comes out nice and crispy.
FWIW, canned kraut does kill the probiotic bacteria, but you process it after the bugs have already done the ferment so it’s not like you’re stopping anything. The sugars have been fermented, lactic acid has already been formed, and the cabbage is preserved. All the work is done.
I’d freeze it, but I make a lot of kraut and freezer space is at a premium in our house.
Ended up with 160# of kraut from 14 heads!
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<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>riverruns wrote:</div>
Did anyone that tried the canning process like it? Any tips? I would like to try and process it and put it on the shelf. I’m afraid of it getting mushy. Thanks.We keep a couple jars fresh in the fridge and can the rest. I’ve never noticed a big difference between fresh and canned kraut. Mine certainly doesn’t get mushy when it’s canned. I have also read two ways to can it… the hot pack and cold pack methods. When you hot pack it, you cook the kraut, add it to the cans, and then process it. That’s how I think some folks who can it say it turns out mushy because it’s cooked to death. I cold pack it, meaning I add the kraut directly to the jars and process. Mine always comes out nice and crispy.
FWIW, canned kraut does kill the probiotic bacteria, but you process kjit after the bugs have already done the ferment so it’s not like you’re stopping anything. The sugars have been fermented, lactic acid has already been formed, and the cabbage is preserved. All the work is done.
I’d freeze it, but I make a lot of kraut and freezer space is at a premium in our house.
so what kind of time frame are you talking about after all the fermenting etc is complete?!
FWIW, canned kraut does kill the probiotic bacteria, but you process it after the bugs have already done the ferment so it’s not like you’re stopping anything. The sugars have been fermented, lactic acid has already been formed, and the cabbage is preserved. All the work is done
So, does this still have the same benefits as non processed kraut? Once the probiotic bacteria is killed you’ll lose that benefit.
I would pack it cold in pint or quart jars and process it that way.
I let mine ferment for about 4-6 weeks, and then I can it. By that point whatever sugars that are easily fermentable are probably pretty much gone. Or… The pH gets so low that the lactobacillus can’t carry out the fermentation any more. Either way, their metabolic activity is probably slow to none. My bet would be on the latter, pH limitation. For shits and giggles, maybe I’ll check the pH of the brine when I can my current batch. See if it’s low enough to stop/kill lactobacillus.
Canning does sterilize the kraut, so it looses the probiotic benefits. Freezing would leave the bacteria intact (but dormant) and would be a more healthy alternative. I may try to freeze a little this year, but like I said it’s a busy time of the year for the big freezer, and I still have to fit two quarter cows and if I’m lucky a deer or two. Not to mention whatever is left of our spring chickens, and garden veggies.
And holy crap riverruns, you must really like kraut!
i usually let it set for roughly that long before i hot bath it too!!!!!! seems to work.
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