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Post by Peter on Jul 16, 2018 22:39:10 GMT 10
Sliced green cabbage: 3,365g
Celtic sea salt: 62g
Carraway seed: 3g
Salt and caraway was added to sliced cabbage and vigorously massaged; this was done in batches of around 600g cabbage. Added to 5L Fido jar (no airlock) and thoroughly tamped down.
Bright, fresh light green colour (ie natural colour of cabbage enhanced by salt) present; this will likely fade over coming days.
I was hoping to do a couple more ferments tonight, but as I've had a mongrel of a day it's now officially beer o'clock. And Mrs Pete is baking sweets...
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Post by WolfDen on Jul 16, 2018 23:31:43 GMT 10
Sauerkraut! Aww yeah! Peter you are a man after my own heart. I hope it turns out great. How long you reckon before it’ll be ready?
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Post by SA Hunter on Jul 16, 2018 23:45:51 GMT 10
Yum - I'm off to buy cabbage in the morning - this I gotta try!
Thanks.
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Post by Peter on Jul 16, 2018 23:46:05 GMT 10
It'll be okay after about a week, very good after two weeks, or outstanding after 3-4 weeks. I'll probably lose patience this time around and open it after 2-3 weeks. Once opened it really needs to be refrigerated or it goes off quickly.
I see bratwurst, bread rolls, sauerkraut and curry ketchup in my near future...
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Post by SA Hunter on Jul 16, 2018 23:58:56 GMT 10
It'll be okay after about a week, very good after two weeks, or outstanding after 3-4 weeks. I'll probably lose patience this time around and open it after 2-3 weeks. Once opened it really needs to be refrigerated or it goes off quickly. I see bratwurst, bread rolls, sauerkraut and curry ketchup in my near future... How long can it be stored before opening? |
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Post by Peter on Jul 17, 2018 0:06:14 GMT 10
The times shown are fermentation time; that is, time left unopened at room temperature. once opened it's important that it's kept refrigerated or it tends to go off quite quickly.
Traditionally it would've been stored in a cellar, but for some unknown reason cellars aren't popular in Australia. Crazy.
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Post by Peter on Jul 17, 2018 0:59:20 GMT 10
These are the four ferments from the last couple of days... Rear left: Cider Rear right: Mead Front left: Sauerkraut Front Right: Carrot & Ginger  |
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Post by SA Hunter on Jul 17, 2018 20:49:09 GMT 10
Sliced green cabbage: 3,365g Celtic sea salt: 62g Carraway seed: 3g Salt and caraway was added to sliced cabbage and vigorously massaged; this was done in batches of around 600g cabbage. Added to 5L Fido jar (no airlock) and thoroughly tamped down. Bright, fresh light green colour (ie natural colour of cabbage enhanced by salt) present; this will likely fade over coming days. I was hoping to do a couple more ferments tonight, but as I've had a mongrel of a day it's now officially beer o'clock. And Mrs Pete is baking sweets... No vinegar? |
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Post by Peter on Jul 17, 2018 21:30:35 GMT 10
No, this is lacto-fermented. Lactic acid will be produced by the bacteria (I'll do a post on it one day).
Vinegar is normally used in quick-pickles.
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Post by Peter on Jul 18, 2018 19:29:47 GMT 10
Hmmm... no sign of fermentation as yet (apart from a little expansion of the jar contents, which could be the result of either good or bad activity).
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Post by Peter on Jul 21, 2018 19:01:14 GMT 10
I added a cup of 3.5% brine on Thursday as more cabbage was exposed than I was happy with; it's clearly fermenting now. Unfortunately there seems to be a slight leak in the gasket, but given the state of the sauerkraut I think it's only big enough to allow pressure out. I'll stop this ferment earlier than normal to ensure no bad stuff can enter the jar.
As always, time will tell.
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Post by spinifex on Aug 13, 2018 19:51:07 GMT 10
Hey Pete, any updates on the fermentations?
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Post by Peter on Aug 13, 2018 20:12:15 GMT 10
Nothing to report at this stage; I'm just letting them mature for the moment. I'll try the sauerkraut on Thursday night when I make some proper German hot dogs.
I have a few beetroots left over from last night's dinner, so I may well grate them and see how they ferment.
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Post by WolfDen on Aug 13, 2018 21:51:43 GMT 10
German hotdogs with Sauerkraut! Can I come over?! Haha
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Post by Peter on Aug 13, 2018 23:32:30 GMT 10
Mate, we'll have to meet up when I light up the Schwenkergrill. If you thought the meal at Old Faithful was good, you've never experienced proper, authentic German barbecue. It's on another level altogether... Unfortunately the weather dictates that this week I'll be cooking in the kitchen...
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Post by Peter on Aug 16, 2018 22:11:26 GMT 10
I opened the sauerkraut tonight and it was awesome. Perfect tangy flavour. If any change was to be made I possibly may add a little more caraway seed next time.
I had it with smoked Bratwurst, potato salad (Mrs Pete makes the best potato salad I've ever had), and some of the fermented red onion I also made. Happy days.
I can't recall if I've mentioned this before, but whenever you ferment any food it's important to refrigerate (or cellar) it from that moment on to mitigate the risk of spoilage. By opening the lid you've allowed the ingress of mould spores, yeast, etc.
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Post by spinifex on Aug 17, 2018 16:46:19 GMT 10
What does fermented onion taste like? I can't picture that.
Can you put up some pictures?
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Post by Peter on Aug 17, 2018 21:16:09 GMT 10
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Post by spinifex on Aug 18, 2018 20:49:18 GMT 10
I like the fact it doesn't require vinegar. I love picked vegetables, especially carrot, but in an austere future I don't want to have to make vinegar from scratch. I'd rather consume it in its unoxidised form ... alcohol.
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Post by Peter on Aug 18, 2018 22:07:21 GMT 10
Agreed 100%.
I also like the health benefits of lacto-fermented vegetables. Here's an interesting story from my perspective:
Quite a few years ago I had my appendix removed, and I never felt quite right since. Some years later I was at a Saturday market and saw a "traditional Sauerkraut" for sale; I bought some hoping for memories of my German Opa and the Sauerkraut he used to make. I tried it and couldn't get enough. It was awesome. But apart from the flavour, I felt that my general "sense of wellbeing" improved after a while, and I found it easier to digest some foods that hadn't sat well with me for a while...
I tried looking up information online (I hesitate to say I "researched on the internet" as I don't consider it to be proper research), but I stumbled across a paper from Duke University which proposed that the function of the appendix involves the reproduction, growth, and storage of gut bacteria. I hope to one-day look into this properly, but so far I've lacked the time and technical knowledge to properly understand the paper.
But - based on my experience at least - it fits. Whether this is some type of placebo effect or not I neither know nor care. I enjoy the food, it makes me feel better, and it's an excellent way of preserving foods that has served many cultures in times of hardship over many centuries.
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