Sauerkraut
From Antivist
Raw sauerkraut “is wonderful and strengthening for the digestion, full of lactic acid (which regenerates the bowel flora), all kinds of enzymes, live lacto-bacillus bacteria, choline, acetylcholine, Vitamin C, B-complex vitamins (including B12) and other good things.”
One Step Sauerkraut
This is the quick recipe I use every week when I'm juicing. It makes one pint (1/2 liter) of cabbage kraut.
6 cups chopped cabbage, 1/4 cup pineapple juice (or apple juice). Run cabbage through Samson Juicer (with mincing screen) into bowl, add 1/4t salt and enough juice so that when you press down on cabbage, juice seeps up through your fingers.
Press mixture down into Mason jar, making sure you get all air pockets out. Fill to just under rim of jar, then add water to brim and screw lid on. Place jar in a bowl as the whey seeps out. Leave for 6 days (less in hot summer).
I love this recipe because I never get mold or scum. There's nothing to scrape off the top. You simply unscrew the lid to delicious kraut. Flavor is awesome!
More labor-intensive is to add any other veggies you like such as beets, carrots. And for crunchier kraut, use some shredded, don't mince it all in your Juicer.
To receive the benefits of the live lactobacillus bacteria, consume the sauerkraut as soon as possible. After a short period of time the bacteria will die out. That's why I make mine fresh weekly.
Hungarian Sauerkraut
1 medium green cabbage 1/2 medium red cabbage 2 small muslin bags with 2 tsp. caraway seeds in each a few bay leaves 1/2 quince or 1 apple small bunch of grapes or 1/2 cup raisins 1 tsp. Celtic sea salt
(1) Peel the outer leaves from the cabbage and set them aside. You’ll need about 5 or 6 large leaves.
(2) Cut the green cabbage and put it through the Samson Juicer with the Mincing Cone in place. Cut the red cabbage and juice it, using the Juicing Screen. Mix the red cabbage juice and the red cabbage pulp (left over from making the juice) together. Then with your hands, blend the two cabbage mixtures together and add in the Celtic sea salt (salt is optional).
This method saves a whole lot of trouble. In the olden days, you would have had to grate and pound the cabbage to get it to mush up and release the juices. The Samson juicer now does the same job easily.
If you want more texture or crunch in your sauerkraut, grate or shred part of the cabbage (about two cups) and add it into the above mixture.
(3) In a large glass bowl or ceramic crock, put in one layer of the cabbage mixture about 2 inches high. Slice the quince (or apple) into thin slices and lay a few pieces on top of the cabbage, add a few raisins (or mashed grapes), then place one of the bags with the caraway seeds on top, along with 3 bay leaves.
Put another layer of cabbage on top and repeat the same thing (quince, grapes, caraway bag and bay leaves). Add a final layer of cabbage on top.
(4) Then cover the mixture with the large cabbage leaves you saved in the beginning. Push the mixture down firmly to get rid of any air pockets. Put a cotton cloth over the cabbage leaves in the bowl.
(5) Set this bowl into a larger bowl and then take a one gallon plastic water jug and fill with water, cap the top and set the jug on top of the cotton cloth. You need to have weight on top of the cabbage so that it will ferment properly.
(6) Put a cotton towel over the whole thing and set this out at room temperature for about 6 days (half as long in warmer weather), after which time vou will have some wonderful sauerkraut.
(7) When it's ready, take the cabbage leaves off and discard. Also spoon off any dark or off-color spots or white scum that may be on top of the sauerkraut. This is a harmless yeast called kahm.
(8) Put the sauerkraut (minus the quince, bay leaves and caraway bags) into a large glass jar and store in the refrigerator. This recipe makes over a quart.
Classic Dilly Kraut
1 green cabbage, 1/2 red onion, 2 garlic cloves and 1.5 Tbl dill weed. Run all through Samson with Mincing Screen. Pack down into bowl with hands, getting all the air out. End with steps (4) to (8) above.
