Sauerkraut or Kimchi- the History Plus How to Make Your Own
Does sauerkraut have a German heritage? Yes and no. The sauerkraut we have now that is fermented with salt is from Eastern Europe but the original sauerkraut is from China. It was called Kimchi or Kimchee. It was eaten about 2000 years ago by the men who were building the Great Wall of China. It was not fermented with salt. The Chinese version was made with rice wine. The word Kimchi means natural energy or inner energy.
Genghis Kahn plundered the Chinese a thousand years ago and he brought back to Eastern Europe the recipe for Kimchi which was later named sauerkraut. The word sauerkraut means literally rotten cabbage. But sauerkraut is not rotten. It is fermented which is a big difference. The Germans eliminated the rice wine and used salt to ferment. Sauerkraut was often used on ships because it was easy to keep but it was also healthy because it is so high in vitamin C that it prevented scurvy which was a big problem for men on ships many years ago before refrigeration. It has been said that Captain James Cook ordered 25,000 pounds to outfit his two ships for a long journey. Sauerkraut is also a source of vitamin B. Some health expects tell us if we eat several servings of sauerkraut each week, it can reduce the risk of colon cancer.
Sauerkraut is thought to have come to the United States with German immigrants who became the Pennsylvania Dutch. To this day when traveling throughout Lancaster, Pennsylvania area, you can go to many restaurants and there will be sauerkraut on the menu. It is usually cooked with pork. Jewish people also eat sauerkraut but they cook it with goose or duck.
How do you make your own sauerkraut? It is easy. The items to assemble first are a large stone crock or a plastic bucket can be used. Also you will need a large knife to shred the cabbage or you can use an old fashioned wooden framed shredder. Also a food processor can be used with an attachment that will shred the cabbage about the thinness of coleslaw slaw or shredded no thicker than a dime.
You will need either pickling salt or sea salt. Do not use regular salt. You also need a piece of cheese cloth, a round plate or board that will fit snuggly inside the crock or bucket. A large rock for weight is needed too.
Cut your cabbage in quarters. Take the core out of the cabbage. Chop as much cabbage as you need to make the amount of sauerkraut you want to have. Now it is time to assemble your sauerkraut.
It will be made in layers. First add the shredded cabbage then salt. If you only want to make 1 pound of sauerkraut then use one pound of cabbage with 2 teaspoons of pickling or sea salt. . If you want to make 5 pounds then use 2 tablespoons of salt with 5 pounds of shredded cabbage. Layer a few inches of cabbage in bottom of crock or bucket. Then sprinkle part of the salt over it and mix it. Pack down with a potato masher or wooden mallet. Add another layer of cabbage and salt. Pound down. Continue this process till you get within a few inches of the top of the crock or bucket or till you have put in as much cabbage as you want to make into sauerkraut. There will be a brine on the top surface of the cabbage as the salt draws the liquid out of the cabbage. Now add the cheese cloth to the top. Put the tight fitting plate or board on top of the cloth. Now weigh it down with a heavy rock. This is important. The weight helps it to compress so the cabbage can ferment. Make sure your cloth, plate or board and rock are cleaned with hot water before you add them to the crock or bucket so that dirt will not contaminate the cabbage.
Let the crock or bucket ferment in a temperature of around 70 degrees F. (give or take 5 degrees) for 3 days. Then transfer the crock or bucket to a root cellar or a cool basement area. Try to keep the temperature between 50 to 60 degrees F. so the cabbage ferments and does not rot. This is important. Every day you will need to take the rock, plate or board and cloth off the top and you will need to take the scum off the top of the sauerkraut. Also you need to rinse the rock, plate or board and cloth under hot water to clean them. Then add the cloth, plate or board then the rock back on top of the sauerkraut. The sauerkraut can be eaten in 3 weeks but it can be left for up to 8 weeks. The flavor will be stronger as the time goes on. It can be eaten raw or cooked so taste it after you take the scum off and see if you like the taste at 3 weeks. If you do then you can either put it in zip lock freezer bags and freeze it or you can put it in clean glass jars and can it according to manufacturer’s instructions. If a bag or jar is opened, it will keep for weeks if not months in the refrigerator.
My Mom always cooked it with a pork roast. She would cook the roast with a small amount (maybe a cup or two) of water in a large pot on the the top of the stove for about 2 hours then add the sauerkraut and cook till the roast is fork tender (the meat comes off the pork bone without a knife by just pulling it with a fork.) If you do not want to make a big roast, just use boneless pork tenderloins. Put a pot on top of the stove and cook the tenderloins for about 20 minutes in a small amount of water then add sauerkraut and cook till the meat is again fork tender. We always had mashed potatoes with our pork and sauerkraut. We would put the sauerkraut with some of the juices on top of our mashed potatoes and eat it together. If you like apples with your sauerkraut then you can cut up a couple of peeled apples that have been sliced up into your pot about 10 minutes before your pork and sauerkraut is done. Some people also like to add a little bit of caraway seeds to their recipe though I have never liked this in my meals.
I hope you enjoyed this story on the history of sauerkraut and how to make your own. Enjoy!
