The Great Sauerkraut Experiment Has Begun

Discussion in 'Food & Drinks' started by Yvonne Smith, Aug 14, 2016.

  1. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    I always cook it with. I'll braise the pork chops, then add the kraut and the brown sugar, put a lid on it, and let it finish cooking. I'm thinking I might add a liquid but can't find such an ingredient in my recipes. It would either be beer (most likely), a port or apple juice.

    If I'm doing hot dogs & kraut, I always simmer the dogs and the kraut together in beer. I can not recall ever having had kraut as a side dish, either hot or cold...and I can't imagine eating it cold. If I were going to ferment cabbage for the probiotic benefits (meaning to eat unheated), I'd probably make Kimchi.
     
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  2. Yvonne Smith

    Yvonne Smith Senior Staff
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    I like just plain cold sauerkraut , especially on a hot dog. When we used to go to Sam’s Club, we often had the hots dogs there, and they included little packets of sauerkraut as an option for a condiment, along with the usual ketchup and mustard.

    At home, I cut one of the ring polish sausages into smallish chunks, chop up 2-3 potatoes, and add the sauerkraut and a can of cream of mushroom soup, and let it all simmer together until the potatoes are soft and ready to eat. It is delicious and so easy to do, and I could probably do it in the crockpot if I wanted. Sometimes, I add red or green peppers, onions, and mushrooms if I have those.
     
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  3. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    Now that you mention it, I have had unheated sauerkraut on hot dogs & brats at fixins bars. That's a counter-productive way to get one's probiotics, huh? I guess I'm gonna need them...
     
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  4. Beth Gallagher

    Beth Gallagher Supreme Member
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    I ended up cooking the sauerkraut like this:
    - cooked 2 pieces of bacon, removed from pan
    - sauteed chopped onion in bacon grease till translucent
    - added drained sauerkraut to the pan and about a tablespoon of sugar, 1/2 teasp. carraway seed
    - simmered for about 10-15 minutes till heated through

    I cooked the brats separately and served them with horseradish mustard.

    It was pretty good, but I still don't like sauerkraut so this definitely won't be "in rotation." :D
     
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  5. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    That sounds good!!! You added sugar AND bacon, and it did not overcome the aversion??? Make, that's a strong dislike you got there.
     
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  6. Beth Gallagher

    Beth Gallagher Supreme Member
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    LOL. Well, my husband liked it. I could eat it but it's definitely not something I'd like very often. I saute' raw cabbage with bacon and onions (no sugar) occasionally.
     
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  7. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    I like cooked cabbage. A chef friend once clued me in to simmering cabbage until it was cooked, then you drain it, add salt & butter and take a potato masher to it and break it down a bit. It makes for an easy side dish, and is surprisingly sweet. He served it in his restaurant. I really need to make it more often than I do, it's so simple.
     
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  8. Mary Stetler

    Mary Stetler Veteran Member
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    For probiotics I think you need to get lacto-fermented saurkraut because canned or commercially prepared kraut kills the good stuff with heat.
     
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  9. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    I didn't think of that. I usually buy Double H brand because it comes refrigerated in a bag, so does not pick up a metallic taste...I guess it would be cooked.
     
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  10. Beth Gallagher

    Beth Gallagher Supreme Member
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    John, the fermented kraut is so easy to make that you should just make some. You just need a quart jar, some salt, and a small head of cabbage.
     
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  11. Mary Stetler

    Mary Stetler Veteran Member
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    Just look at the ingredients. If it is 'fermented' by vinegar, instead of salt it is not lacto fermented. I always thought lacto had something to do with milk but might have to look that up sometime. Don't want to rush into anything.
     
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  12. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    *****************************************************​
    The "lacto" portion of lactose fermentation refers to Lactobacillus, a species of beneficial bacteria which are present on the surface of all plants. This beneficial bacteria converts lactose or other sugars into lactic acid.

    link
    *****************************************************​

    I, too, think "lactose," "lactate," etc.
     
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  13. Mary Stetler

    Mary Stetler Veteran Member
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    Thinking about it, I am not sure they can use high heat on plastic bags.
     
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  14. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    They could heat-ferment the stuff, chill it, then package it, I guess. I could find nothing on Double-H (is this another discontinued brand?), but I found another packaged sauerkraut at a regional chain store that is "naturally fermented."

    The website Probiotics Talk says "A 2-tablespoon serving of sauerkraut meets the recommended CFUs, or colony-forming units, that you need per day." So all you have to do is choke down a little bit unheated for the health benefits. The brine also contains probiotics, so they recommend diluting it 50/50 with water for a Detox Shot. According to this site, ALDI brand (Craft Beer) bagged sauerkraut is lacto-fermented.

    Here's a 90 second vid from their website talking about sauerkraut being good for a detox.

    Meet Karen, their CFO (Chief Fermentation Officer)


    Food Fermented also has a sauerkraut page. It's short and very informative. They reiterate what you said regarding the use of vinegar-killing bacteria. Both sites remind us that canned foods--including sauerkraut--are pasteurized (heat-processed), so only the bagged stuff (and apparently refrigerated in-the-jar) could potentially contain probiotics. Food Fermented lists 3 brands that have probiotics, including one jarred organic brand and the bagged brand I found at my regional chain and at Walmart:

    [​IMG]
    This brand contains sodium bisulphite. The other 2 they list do not.
     
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  15. Beth Gallagher

    Beth Gallagher Supreme Member
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