Boyeeeee you better call me!!!! My first try at Kraut turned out perfect, and I'm still eating it each day. I'm 2-3 weeks into it. Made Carrots & ginger tonight. I'm on my WAY! Kiefer in the Morning.
Thank you for showing how to make this kraut! Yes, I have all the Mason Top tools for fermenting - they are awesome. The term used to "squish" the cabbage, or any fruits, etc. is called to macerate it - macerating, maceration. Just FYI. Have a blessed day!
Just put a layer of salt on top! Grinding on a grater helps fermenting. Also grinding horseradish into mix is old world anti-bad-bacteria solution to mold growth!
I just chop my cabbage add salt and start smashing till my cabbage is soft and has lots of juice then I add to jar or jars I check every 3 days usually I start eating in a week
I do also! Sometimes just a couple days & its delish BUT r we still getting/benefitting from the probiotics @ such an early time in the process? I can tell this, my cabbage, that is only fermented for a day or so, is preserved & does not spoil in taste or smell spoiled, after I relocated it 2 the refrigerated environment. I'd like 2 think so, but at the least, I'm extending the life & time 4 me to eat it my cabbage & veggies without rotting. Amazing preservation! Has anyone had same experience? or thoughts?
Thanks pal. I love Kimchi, but I eat like elephant. The price she do bite. I uses this method to make sauurkraut, but I add all the Kimchi ingredients. The Napi cabbage runs about two smack pound, while the old hard head is two buck a head. I do love the Napi, but I live with my means.
Kiki Lang new kimchi maker here and had great success with classic recipe made w/rice porridge, chopped veggies, spices, fish sauce, Asian pear So love this combo that is like to use it on other veggies? Any reason why it’d be a bad idea?
Good video, I'll try this sometime! Couldn't help but notice the convoluted bit of math though.. We have it easy, get 2kg of cabbage, that's 2000g * 0.03 = 60g of salt, pretty easy to figure out in your head.
Ahhh. I was wondering why it was so hard to smoosh down the cabbage! I didn't think to add the salt first. Thanks for that. I made tepache from your instructions a few days ago. I'm sorry to see some people have given you issues over making kimchi.
THANKYOU sir for such a prompt reply to my questions ACV organic cabbage from Kroger clean jars from my dishwasher pink Salt mason tops pickle plunger pickle pebbles 10 days time and I’ll be eating the best sauerkraut of all time probiotics included AMEN
Hey John you should do a video I’m sure others would like to see this as well. And I’m gonna need to use dry turmeric as the rizones??? Are not available. I have 3 large heads of cauliflower 5 to 8 pints of goodness. After it ferments I’m gonna add vinegar and Texas Pete great stuff.
I've noticed a lot of people will chop their Cabbage in half or quarter it, then go about cutting off the dense, fibrous "heart" which is unnecessary imo. Simply use a use a paring knife to carve out the core of the Cabbage and then chop it accordingly.
John I was. Seriously wondering if you have a video on fermented turmeric cauliflower, and or a recipe for this? I did your sauerkraut and it is GREAT. I recently purchased a old clear glass pickle jug in a junk store. It has DOSSINS on the side of it. From Detroit 1950. I'm making Texas Pete later after I do fermented dill pickles. Yes anything on fermenting peppers would also be helpful. Masontopps worked great. I like the pickle packer for working the cabbage.Thankyou you for your videos William C. Winstead
William Winstead If I were to make it I would slice the turmeric into discs and the cauliflower into bite size pieces. Mix and cover with 2-3% brine. Ferment for at least a week. Hmm. I think I want to make some for myself now!
Hi, I'm very glad to have found you! I like the fact that you've done your research and you have a great deal of experience. Is it safe to use those ziploc plastic bags? You give out lots of good information in your videos, I hope you keep them coming! Thank you!!!
Loved your video. Definitely will be trying my first Kraut using my home grown cabbages! My question is, if you have a lot of cabbage brine on top, do you still need to weight it down? Will the cabbage naturally float up during process?
The largest sour kraut manufacture in the United States closed it's location, and moved. I keep think, if I could get some money together. I would buy the factory, employ the farmer to grom Chinese cabbage start up Kimchi factory. I should write to Korenan manufacture.
I have refrigerated a jar that was good, but it's sister jar became even better... Can I remove the first from the fridge and restart fermentation Safely? And thank you for all your educational videos.
Season the chops with salt, pepper, and paprika. Fry in a tablespoon of oil. Very hot. Very fast. Yes, you will get grease all over your stove. Cook to an internal temp of 145. Keep the chops warm in the oven. In the same pan, stir in a tablespoon of butter and melt. Stir in a spoonful of flour and cook to form a roux. Stir in some milk, broth or water to make a gravy. Stir in the sauerkraut. (Warm slightly. Above 120F and you'll start to kill the probiotics in the kraut.) Plate the chops. Pour over the gravy. Serve with spaetzle.
Better Done Yourself ive just started the process.so far it's looking good. but meanwhile i thought I'll try a good store bought one as well. on the jar it's written " keep refrigerated b/w 4-5 °c" my qn is if it needs refrigeration now.how do they survive inside our bodies once we consume? a bit daft i know .. but really curious :)
You give lots of great information, thank you! I've just tasted my first batch of sauerkraut and find that it has a bitter note to it. Is this normal? Perhaps it just needs to age for a more mellow flavor? It certainly doesn't look bad and it smells like sauerkraut should.
Yes! I've been doing exactly that more and more. I do a carrot/ginger slaw for just a few days on the counter (72 deg F) and then right into the fridge (36F) for a couple of weeks. Nice slow ferment so it doesn't get too sour and my wife loves it!
Great video, one question I have is once the kraut is ready for the fridge, do you still have to make sure it's submerged or will it be fine just put into a container? I believe it stays good for a couple months right?
I told you already that you're an inspiration to me right? The fermented drinks are a new daily aspect of my healthy regimen now!! So, I read somewhere that it's best to use different types of ferments throughout the day so I did the organic onions, and mixed veg first (which were so good they inspired the drinks btw 😁). I had some nice sizes of organic cabbage growing so I made sauerkraut and kimchi last week. I'm a bit confused though... Alot of water bubbled out of the kimchi after a few days and I'm not sure if I'm supposed to add some salt water back in, or if it's done or I wait a few more days??? And did you say to wait 2 weeks for both of them or just the sauerkraut?
HealingTea Yes, it's fine to add more brine if you lost some sure to overflow. Push the vegetables back down it the jar and to it off with a little more brine. Ferment from as long as you like. Taste every couple of days and see how the taste changes over time. When it tastes good, stick it in the fridge to maintain that level of tartness or let it go a little longer and see if it gets better!
When fermenting the kraut, does it need to always be submerged in liquid? Is it okay if it becomes moist, but not wet (and there is no mold on it)? Thanks. EDIT: I thought I should be a little more specific, though you may already know what I am referring to you. My kraut at the 2-week mark looked like kraut. Tasted like kraut (salty too) but it did seem to be a little drier than what yours looks like here. Almost like the liquid evaporated. Everything seems fine though. I used the bag on top to weigh the kraut down, just like you did. My first time doing this though, so I wanted to make sure it was correct. At least, as best as you can tell. Thanks.
keith connell I would double check for mold and then give it a good stir. Press everything down as hard as you can and you should get some moisture. If you need to, add some filtered water. The cabbage is best under the level of the liquid. The stuff that gets pushed above is safe, but it is susceptible to mold and oxidation, so keep it down. I have no trouble skimming off the top inch or so and just throwing some away.
I have a question. Does it matter what kind of salt you use? Ive seen people usually use celtic salt, I was just wondering if you could just use kosher salt?
I tried my hand at sauerkraut years ago, but I had no clue what I was doing and ruined 4 cabbages. I am going to try it agian, but in a quart jar. Thanks for all the info.
I have yet yet to yet to try yet to try this because I thought I would try Brussels Sprouts first. Have you done these? It is day 4 and the sprouts are turning brown.
Are you completely submerging the shred? Brown is a sign of to much oxygen. I've never done Brussel sprouts but they should fermenti just just cabbage.
I would like to Thankyou for videos on fermenting. I grew up eating saurkraut at my grandmothers house. I like kraut that has a strong vinegar taste. Her recipe for kraut was very different from yours. I have bought kraut at health food stores and is very good without the vinegar taste. Will it kill the necessary bacteria for fermentation by adding a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to each quart of kraut? I could add the vinegar to the finished product,however it would finish out better by adding as part of the process. My question is will the vinegar kill the fermentation or enhance it? I ordered 8 mason tops, pickle pebbles ,wooden packing tool ,as well as the silicone tops for the finished product. OH YES can I transfer from 1/2 gallon jars to sterile quart jars. Will this cause spoilage? And what city is your home close to? I live close to Bowling Green Ky Thanks a lot
William Winstead Yes adding a little vinegar is a nice finish on the kraut. Make the kraut add I show here. Add a splash of vinegar when you warm it up to eat it. Adding the ACV to the ferment will take you down a slightly different road because it will alter the ferment slightly. You don't need to sterilize the jars that you move it to. I just run them through the dishwasher or give them a good hot sudsy bath. The acid in the finished kraut will kill anything bad. That's why this is such an awesome preservation technique!
i started my first sauerkraut experiment 5 days ago, I hadn't watched this video and didn't mash it, just chopped it up finely. the brine has now turned thicker and it smells a bit chlorine like, do you have any idea what that is and if this is normal?
Bertine Steenbergen Maybe the water was chlorinated and that smell came out of the water. The brine getting thick is not uncommon. That will go away in a couple days.
I have some time before the jalapeño peppers are red and I can buy cukes fresh organic from the Mennonite family’s in western Ky close to Greenville. I’m wanting to make pepper mash for a Texas Pete copy cat recipe. I am in a serious search for a recipe. Do you have any information on this? THANKYOU. William C. Winstead
Depends on how sour you like it. I eat mine pretty sour, so most of the sugars are converted to lactic acid and the whole thing is pretty well preserved. Keep it cool as you can to maintain the taste and texture, but is refrigeration required? No.
Great video. One question though, what if I don't know if the cabbage I buy from the supermarket is 100% organic (very doubtful) and probably has been treated with pesticides. Can it still work?
Hi, thanks for the answer, it's day 3 into fermentation and I can see bubbling and there are much more brine now that it's over flowing a big. Is it safe to pour some out (as long as the cabbage is submerged? Will there be more liquid as the weeks goes on?
yuri dantes yes you can put some off to prevent overflowing but you're probably going to need that extra liquid later in the ferment because the cabbage will swell and rise up as well. Can you press the cabbage down in to the jar? Or do you need a bigger jar?
Day 5 into fermentation. I just checked all the jars (4 of them). I used the outer leaves and stalk of cabbage to weigh the kraut down. One of the jars (the stalk weren't fully submerged) had some small maggots and mold on it. so i threw them out and replaced it with a plastic bag with water in it. Now all the kraut are submerged. Just wondering the one with maggot in them is still safe to eat later on? (the cabbage underneath the rotten stalk were fine and I didn't see any bugs. Thanks!
yuri dantes I don't know what those bugs are or more importantly where they've been. I wouldn't eat it. Stick with my method. I don't know what they might have contaminated the cabbage with.
one more question for you :)..as this l be my first experience of a probiotic...would you have a any thoughts on what to expect.will i see a dramatic change in digestion or energy.. or will it take time to show any effects.. in short how soon does the sauerkraut begin to show it's effects..:)
Sparkle'nShine Some people do! Depends on how sick your gut is currently. Start slow. You may need to use the bathroom a little more frequently than usual for the first day or two. I would start with just a 1/4 cup of kraut if you're concerned.
My mom and neighbor made a big batch of kraut and the neighbor canned it all while my mom was out of town, obviously killing all the good stuff. We tried it and it was underfermented so it tasted like vinegar and cabbage instead of one flavor. Could they get a fresh cabbage and mix it with the kraut and re-ferment the original stuff?
+Jimmy J No. Start over and change the locks. Cabbage can take abuse but not boiling in jars and then refermenting. It will get really soggy. Also your ferment should never taste like vinegar because there's no vinegar in it.
Better Done Yourself thank you for your response. The vinegar taste is the simplest thing I could compare it to in order to say it was two separate flavors.
Hello! I was wondering if you knew why some of the ferments I make turn to alcohol? It's literally just sugar and water with probiotics added...and it will occasionally turn to alcohol instead. I have no idea why and there's nothing worse than patiently waiting for it to complete, only to find out it's ruined. Thank you!
Also another thing I've been wondering...if I have a completed ferment sealed in a jar, does it have to be refrigerated? I get strange results sometimes and I can't understand why... Thank you!
I've never bought processed probiotics. I don't know what you're really culturing with when you use those. I just take advantage of the free enzymes and bacteria that come with the vegetables I'm fermenting. Search for my kefir video where I do the closest thing to this only I've using a bottle of Kevita. You're getting alcohol in your ferments because you've got mostly yeasts working and breaking down the sugars into alcohols. If the probiotics were viable, you'd get more of the tart, acid taste from the bacteria purported to be in them breaking the sugars down into acids. Also, working against you is the temperature. Yeasts love that warm environment and tend to take over. Lactobacters in the souring ferments prefer temps closer to 20C.
Oooooh...that's it! I thought the higher temps would make them grow faster! Man...to think of how many ferments and how much time I wasted because of this. Thank you so much man! 😁 Btw I love your videos so much...they're so wholesome...I could just listen to you talk all day. So comforting :)
Better Done Yourself ive just started the process.so far it's looking good. but meanwhile i thought I'll try a good store bought one as well. on the jar it's written " keep refrigerated b/w 4-5 °c" my qn is if it needs refrigeration now.how do they survive inside our bodies once we consume? a bit daft i know .. but really curious :)
Plastic containers get scratched and can harbor the wrong types of bacteria and could innoculate your ferment with the wrong types of bacteria. The plastic bags are new and clean. I'm showing a cheap and readily available way to keep your ferment submerged. For my own home use, I always use glass or glazed ceramic weights.
I am new to this.just to check if my homemade sauerkraut is correct tasting and salt content is correct wanted to compare with an authentic one.can you suggest me which brand will be good to buy i am thinking of buying Healing brand organic raw sauerkraut .My son has autism so i was planing to give probiotic .I give him fermented indian food like dosa ,idli etc and home made curd But now he is on Gluten and cesein free diet some parents are giving Gutpro raw probiotic it is 100 $ is it worth as you said we can get it from sauerkraut , what about raw apple cider but they say to have it in morning i can only give that in evening .But will he get all strains from food.Sorry for so many Qs.
Devi Vinod The best sauerkraut is your homemade. Taste it every week. It's good when you like it. Nothing in the store will taste as good so you'd be aiming for a low target. Make it as salty as tastes good to you. You can't do this wrong and the probiotics will be there unless you cook it.
💃🏻💃🏻 Just made my first batch of sauerkraut. AWESOME!! Thank you for your 'How To' videos. Next, Kimchi and garlic.
Detailed explanations, cautions, and scientific info are appreciated. Another video done right.
Paul Rakos Gotcha covered! Hit the share button and get this out on your social media!
Boyeeeee you better call me!!!! My first try at Kraut turned out perfect, and I'm still eating it each day. I'm 2-3 weeks into it. Made Carrots & ginger tonight. I'm on my WAY! Kiefer in the Morning.
Thank you for all the scientific info I like to know what and why
great vid, thanks. i've seen the water bag weight before, but the baggie vapor lock is awesome!
Thank you for showing how to make this kraut! Yes, I have all the Mason Top tools for fermenting - they are awesome. The term used to "squish" the cabbage, or any fruits, etc. is called to macerate it - macerating, maceration. Just FYI.
Have a blessed day!
Pamela Prizant he’s been to professional chef school, pretty sure he knows what macerate means. Just an FYI.
"We'll give it a little party hat" 🎉 lol 😂
Subbing - I'm going to start fermenting some foods.
Just put a layer of salt on top! Grinding on a grater helps fermenting. Also grinding horseradish into mix is old world anti-bad-bacteria solution to mold growth!
Really enjoyed your enthusiasm! Makes me wanna try this. Subbed
Enthusiasm makes the difference, every time!
I just chop my cabbage add salt and start smashing till my cabbage is soft and has lots of juice then I add to jar or jars I check every 3 days usually I start eating in a week
I do also! Sometimes just a couple days & its delish BUT r we still getting/benefitting from the probiotics @ such an early time in the process? I can tell this, my cabbage, that is only fermented for a day or so, is preserved & does not spoil in taste or smell spoiled, after I relocated it 2 the refrigerated environment. I'd like 2 think so, but at the least, I'm extending the life & time 4 me to eat it my cabbage & veggies without rotting. Amazing preservation! Has anyone had same experience? or thoughts?
Anse Chastanet/Jade MTN... now I really like this guy!!! We were at Anse Chastanet in 2007 in hurricane Dean. Went back in 2013 too!
Jc Clopton Awesome! We honeymooned there in 2013! Can't wait to go back to our sanctuary!
Where are you? You're channel is so helpful!
Thanks pal. I love Kimchi, but I eat like elephant. The price she do bite. I uses this method to make sauurkraut, but I add all the Kimchi ingredients. The Napi cabbage runs about two smack pound, while the old hard head is two buck a head. I do love the Napi, but I live with my means.
Kiki Lang new kimchi maker here and had great success with classic recipe made w/rice porridge, chopped veggies, spices, fish sauce, Asian pear
So love this combo that is like to use it on other veggies? Any reason why it’d be a bad idea?
The cabbage looks so fresh, a lot of water coming out. I bet it will taste great
what happen to you. you have been missed by youtube viewers i hope you start some new videos people love watching you and learn a lot from you
Potato masher makes a good smasher. I use a deep 2 gallon slow cooker for my fermenting. Ceramic.
Potato masher! I don't know why I never thought of that. Good idea!
Thank you for that!
Denfktinso Noyb i
I goto Fish & Chip shops in UK, & ask for pickling jars, which, they only throw away! Ill use those for Kombucha, too!
Love your videos. Sad you've not posted anything recently.
Good job.
Good video, I'll try this sometime! Couldn't help but notice the convoluted bit of math though.. We have it easy, get 2kg of cabbage, that's 2000g * 0.03 = 60g of salt, pretty easy to figure out in your head.
Thanks, I'm new to fermenting and I really like your recipes and how you do your fermenting process
You are heaven sent! Keep up the optimism! You just gained a new subscriber ^_^ you deserve a million subs!!!
Ei Vi Thanks!! Click the share arrow and get this out on your social media! Spread the goodness!!
Thank you for going into detail. Mine is at the same stage and I was wondering . . . yes, it’s okay. Thank you.
I love dill! I always flavor and create my mother-in-law's receipe for "Dilly Cabbage". Yummmm!
Ahhh. I was wondering why it was so hard to smoosh down the cabbage! I didn't think to add the salt first. Thanks for that.
I made tepache from your instructions a few days ago. I'm sorry to see some people have given you issues over making kimchi.
Ratio for sauerkraut . for .1 kilo cabbage head add 1 tablespoon Coarse salt.
Excellent vid & info!! Thanks a trillion probiotics!
not just a proposal, corn gives it a beautiful yellow color and it speeds up fermentation
yes but the today's corn are gmo.
@@wjdc893, grow it yourself from heirloom seeds. no GMOs there.
@@wjdc893 You can get organic corn, even canned.
I like the way you attacked the core.. Will try this tonight.
THANKYOU sir for such a prompt reply to my questions ACV organic cabbage from Kroger clean jars from my dishwasher pink Salt mason tops pickle plunger pickle pebbles 10 days time and I’ll be eating the best sauerkraut of all time probiotics included
AMEN
How did it come out?
Hey John you should do a video I’m sure others would like to see this as well. And I’m gonna need to use dry turmeric as the rizones??? Are not available. I have 3 large heads of cauliflower 5 to 8 pints of goodness. After it ferments I’m gonna add vinegar and Texas Pete great stuff.
This is great! I want to go organic. Organic pre-made sauerkraut is very expensive. Organic cabbage is cheap.
Wandering Wade Everything pre-made is expensive! Everything is better done yourself!
I've noticed a lot of people will chop their Cabbage in half or quarter it, then go about cutting off the dense, fibrous "heart" which is unnecessary imo. Simply use a use a paring knife to carve out the core of the Cabbage and then chop it accordingly.
John I was. Seriously wondering if you have a video on fermented turmeric cauliflower, and or a recipe for this? I did your sauerkraut and it is GREAT. I recently purchased a old clear glass pickle jug in a junk store. It has DOSSINS on the side of it. From Detroit 1950. I'm making Texas Pete later after I do fermented dill pickles. Yes anything on fermenting peppers would also be helpful. Masontopps worked great. I like the pickle packer for working the cabbage.Thankyou you for your videos William C. Winstead
William Winstead If I were to make it I would slice the turmeric into discs and the cauliflower into bite size pieces. Mix and cover with 2-3% brine. Ferment for at least a week. Hmm. I think I want to make some for myself now!
Went to a TACA conference & it was mentioned that this is the best probiotic
Hi, I'm very glad to have found you! I like the fact that you've done your research and you have a great deal of experience. Is it safe to use those ziploc plastic bags? You give out lots of good information in your videos, I hope you keep them coming! Thank you!!!
There's a link in the description.
Great I love it,thanks
Loved your video. Definitely will be trying my first Kraut using my home grown cabbages! My question is, if you have a lot of cabbage brine on top, do you still need to weight it down? Will the cabbage naturally float up during process?
HealingTea Yes. Keep it submerged!! Otherwise it will mold or oxidize.
Good job. keep it up
What if the brine oozes out of the jar within the first 2days? Should i open the jar and replace the brine?
Open the jar to allow air out. Dont replace brune thats where you flavor is. If you need to poursome out you can ..
The largest sour kraut manufacture in the United States closed it's location, and moved. I keep think, if I could get some money together. I would buy the factory, employ the farmer to grom Chinese cabbage start up Kimchi factory. I should write to Korenan manufacture.
how much money do you need?
I just found some Bubbies Sauerkraut at my local Oliver's here in Sonoma County. Maybe try and join forces with them?
a wide mouth canning funnel would be great for packing in jar
I have refrigerated a jar that was good, but it's sister jar became even better... Can I remove the first from the fridge and restart fermentation Safely? And thank you for all your educational videos.
ROY ? Yes. It will start fermenting again once it warms up. No safety issues at all. The brine and the acidity keep away the bad bugs.
I need your recipe for sauerkraut and pork chops. My grandmother used to make it for me as a kid.
Season the chops with salt, pepper, and paprika. Fry in a tablespoon of oil. Very hot. Very fast. Yes, you will get grease all over your stove. Cook to an internal temp of 145. Keep the chops warm in the oven. In the same pan, stir in a tablespoon of butter and melt. Stir in a spoonful of flour and cook to form a roux. Stir in some milk, broth or water to make a gravy. Stir in the sauerkraut. (Warm slightly. Above 120F and you'll start to kill the probiotics in the kraut.) Plate the chops. Pour over the gravy. Serve with spaetzle.
Better Done Yourself ive just started the process.so far it's looking good.
but meanwhile i thought I'll try a good store bought one as well. on the jar it's written " keep refrigerated b/w 4-5 °c" my qn is if it needs refrigeration now.how do they survive inside our bodies once we consume? a bit daft i know .. but really curious :)
You give lots of great information, thank you! I've just tasted my first batch of sauerkraut and find that it has a bitter note to it. Is this normal? Perhaps it just needs to age for a more mellow flavor? It certainly doesn't look bad and it smells like sauerkraut should.
Alison Wiebe Yes. It will ferment in about a week but it really needs to age before it's really tasty. Keep going!!
Will do! I'm having a blast with all this fermenting I'm doing, thanks for the support.
Thanks for the simple process, I will try adding apple flavor. Do you chop apples fine or is course ok.
Doesn't matter to the ferment. Think about how you want them in the finished product.
I have a question. When it gets to the aging stage, can you put it in the refrigerator with a cap and no weight? How cool for the fermenting process?
Yes! I've been doing exactly that more and more. I do a carrot/ginger slaw for just a few days on the counter (72 deg F) and then right into the fridge (36F) for a couple of weeks. Nice slow ferment so it doesn't get too sour and my wife loves it!
Great video, one question I have is once the kraut is ready for the fridge, do you still have to make sure it's submerged or will it be fine just put into a container? I believe it stays good for a couple months right?
Daniel Staff That's right! It stays fresher under the brine but it's not as critical in the fridge.
@@BetterDoneYourself Great stuff thanks again :)
I've seen sauerkraut ferment in 5 to 7 days
Tammy Short You are increasing your chances of a very soft end result. Better to go slow for something crispy and delicious!
You can but 6 weeks you get all this good bacteria for your stomach health
I told you already that you're an inspiration to me right? The fermented drinks are a new daily aspect of my healthy regimen now!! So, I read somewhere that it's best to use different types of ferments throughout the day so I did the organic onions, and mixed veg first (which were so good they inspired the drinks btw 😁). I had some nice sizes of organic cabbage growing so I made sauerkraut and kimchi last week. I'm a bit confused though... Alot of water bubbled out of the kimchi after a few days and I'm not sure if I'm supposed to add some salt water back in, or if it's done or I wait a few more days???
And did you say to wait 2 weeks for both of them or just the sauerkraut?
HealingTea Yes, it's fine to add more brine if you lost some sure to overflow. Push the vegetables back down it the jar and to it off with a little more brine.
Ferment from as long as you like. Taste every couple of days and see how the taste changes over time. When it tastes good, stick it in the fridge to maintain that level of tartness or let it go a little longer and see if it gets better!
Better Done Yourself Thanks. And is the timing different for kimchi and Kraut?
HealingTea Same rules apply. Eat it or store it when you like it!
Better Done Yourself Thank you!
When fermenting the kraut, does it need to always be submerged in liquid? Is it okay if it becomes moist, but not wet (and there is no mold on it)? Thanks.
EDIT: I thought I should be a little more specific, though you may already know what I am referring to you. My kraut at the 2-week mark looked like kraut. Tasted like kraut (salty too) but it did seem to be a little drier than what yours looks like here. Almost like the liquid evaporated. Everything seems fine though. I used the bag on top to weigh the kraut down, just like you did. My first time doing this though, so I wanted to make sure it was correct. At least, as best as you can tell. Thanks.
keith connell I would double check for mold and then give it a good stir. Press everything down as hard as you can and you should get some moisture. If you need to, add some filtered water. The cabbage is best under the level of the liquid. The stuff that gets pushed above is safe, but it is susceptible to mold and oxidation, so keep it down. I have no trouble skimming off the top inch or so and just throwing some away.
Sounds good. Thanks again.
I grind my cabbage: easier to chew! On a grater so it takes 3 days after I put in jar!
How did you grind it?
I have a question. Does it matter what kind of salt you use? Ive seen people usually use celtic salt, I was just wondering if you could just use kosher salt?
LilY Hutsell You can use your favorite kind of salt.
Do you us just tap water?
Does the added ring help with good bacteria?
Fedora Spacedragon as in his wedding band?
Oh jeez, ya know- do you suppose if he washed his hands prior to working, his wedding band was also washed?
I tried my hand at sauerkraut years ago, but I had no clue what I was doing and ruined 4 cabbages. I am going to try it agian, but in a quart jar. Thanks for all the info.
I have yet yet to yet to try yet to try this because I thought I would try Brussels Sprouts first. Have you done these? It is day 4 and the sprouts are turning brown.
Are you completely submerging the shred? Brown is a sign of to much oxygen. I've never done Brussel sprouts but they should fermenti just just cabbage.
Better Done Yourself they did not turn as brown as I feard. Yes, everything was submerged. They turned out crisp and yummy. Thank you!
I would like to Thankyou for videos on fermenting. I grew up eating saurkraut at my grandmothers house. I like kraut that has a strong vinegar taste. Her recipe for kraut was very different from yours. I have bought kraut at health food stores and is very good without the vinegar taste. Will it kill the necessary bacteria for fermentation by adding a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to each quart of kraut? I could add the vinegar to the finished product,however it would finish out better by adding as part of the process. My question is will the vinegar kill the fermentation or enhance it? I ordered 8 mason tops, pickle pebbles ,wooden packing tool ,as well as the silicone tops for the finished product. OH YES can I transfer from 1/2 gallon jars to sterile quart jars. Will this cause spoilage? And what city is your home close to? I live close to Bowling Green Ky Thanks a lot
William Winstead Yes adding a little vinegar is a nice finish on the kraut. Make the kraut add I show here. Add a splash of vinegar when you warm it up to eat it. Adding the ACV to the ferment will take you down a slightly different road because it will alter the ferment slightly.
You don't need to sterilize the jars that you move it to. I just run them through the dishwasher or give them a good hot sudsy bath. The acid in the finished kraut will kill anything bad. That's why this is such an awesome preservation technique!
If you kept the cabbage under a salty brine, could you let this ferment for year? I'd imagine it would be too sour to eat?
Brismo it only gets so sour. The longer that you leave it, the softer it gets. But the bitter cabbage taste mellows over time.
i started my first sauerkraut experiment 5 days ago, I hadn't watched this video and didn't mash it, just chopped it up finely. the brine has now turned thicker and it smells a bit chlorine like, do you have any idea what that is and if this is normal?
Bertine Steenbergen Maybe the water was chlorinated and that smell came out of the water. The brine getting thick is not uncommon. That will go away in a couple days.
I have some time before the jalapeño peppers are red and I can buy cukes fresh organic from the Mennonite family’s in western Ky close to Greenville. I’m wanting to make pepper mash for a Texas Pete copy cat recipe. I am in a serious search for a recipe. Do you have any information on this? THANKYOU. William C. Winstead
William Winstead No. Sorry. I don't eat much hot peppers.
So you dont need to refridgerate to stop the fermentation, or keep it refrigerated after at all/
Depends on how sour you like it. I eat mine pretty sour, so most of the sugars are converted to lactic acid and the whole thing is pretty well preserved. Keep it cool as you can to maintain the taste and texture, but is refrigeration required? No.
Great video. One question though, what if I don't know if the cabbage I buy from the supermarket is 100% organic (very doubtful) and probably has been treated with pesticides. Can it still work?
yuri dantes Yes, you really never can be sure if what you've bought. The fermentation works on all kinds of produce. You should be fine.
Hi, thanks for the answer, it's day 3 into fermentation and I can see bubbling and there are much more brine now that it's over flowing a big. Is it safe to pour some out (as long as the cabbage is submerged? Will there be more liquid as the weeks goes on?
yuri dantes yes you can put some off to prevent overflowing but you're probably going to need that extra liquid later in the ferment because the cabbage will swell and rise up as well. Can you press the cabbage down in to the jar? Or do you need a bigger jar?
Day 5 into fermentation. I just checked all the jars (4 of them). I used the outer leaves and stalk of cabbage to weigh the kraut down. One of the jars (the stalk weren't fully submerged) had some small maggots and mold on it. so i threw them out and replaced it with a plastic bag with water in it. Now all the kraut are submerged. Just wondering the one with maggot in them is still safe to eat later on? (the cabbage underneath the rotten stalk were fine and I didn't see any bugs.
Thanks!
yuri dantes I don't know what those bugs are or more importantly where they've been. I wouldn't eat it. Stick with my method. I don't know what they might have contaminated the cabbage with.
one more question for you :)..as this l be my first experience of a probiotic...would you have a any thoughts on what to expect.will i see a dramatic change in digestion or energy.. or will it take time to show any effects.. in short how soon does the sauerkraut begin to show it's effects..:)
Sparkle'nShine Some people do! Depends on how sick your gut is currently. Start slow. You may need to use the bathroom a little more frequently than usual for the first day or two. I would start with just a 1/4 cup of kraut if you're concerned.
Better Done Yourself Thanks again for the quickie! I'll come back with effects after a good 2 months or less :)
My mom and neighbor made a big batch of kraut and the neighbor canned it all while my mom was out of town, obviously killing all the good stuff. We tried it and it was underfermented so it tasted like vinegar and cabbage instead of one flavor. Could they get a fresh cabbage and mix it with the kraut and re-ferment the original stuff?
+Jimmy J No. Start over and change the locks. Cabbage can take abuse but not boiling in jars and then refermenting. It will get really soggy. Also your ferment should never taste like vinegar because there's no vinegar in it.
Better Done Yourself thank you for your response. The vinegar taste is the simplest thing I could compare it to in order to say it was two separate flavors.
I have had mine fermenting for seven days now and it smells like sulfur. What should I do?
SS earl wait another week or two, it should go away. If it gets worse, then you might have dump that batch and start over.
Hello!
I was wondering if you knew why some of the ferments I make turn to alcohol? It's literally just sugar and water with probiotics added...and it will occasionally turn to alcohol instead. I have no idea why and there's nothing worse than patiently waiting for it to complete, only to find out it's ruined.
Thank you!
Also another thing I've been wondering...if I have a completed ferment sealed in a jar, does it have to be refrigerated?
I get strange results sometimes and I can't understand why...
Thank you!
I've never bought processed probiotics. I don't know what you're really culturing with when you use those. I just take advantage of the free enzymes and bacteria that come with the vegetables I'm fermenting. Search for my kefir video where I do the closest thing to this only I've using a bottle of Kevita. You're getting alcohol in your ferments because you've got mostly yeasts working and breaking down the sugars into alcohols. If the probiotics were viable, you'd get more of the tart, acid taste from the bacteria purported to be in them breaking the sugars down into acids.
Also, working against you is the temperature. Yeasts love that warm environment and tend to take over. Lactobacters in the souring ferments prefer temps closer to 20C.
Oooooh...that's it! I thought the higher temps would make them grow faster!
Man...to think of how many ferments and how much time I wasted because of this.
Thank you so much man! 😁
Btw I love your videos so much...they're so wholesome...I could just listen to you talk all day. So comforting :)
Paul J Thanks Paul. I'll make you some more!
+Better Done Yourself love it! 👍🏼
The juice is suppose to be covering
Can wash my cabbage before any process?
Thank you
.
Matthias Exler if you think you need to.
I keep squeezing until it's all broke down
What if it dries out, can brine be added?
Carol S if it dries out, you've only lost water. Don't add more salt. Just water.
is it possible to make sourkrout without salt?
Yes, it is possible without salt. You would have to create your own fermentation starter. You can pull up vids on how to do it.
Just plain kraut is good nothing added
once made how long and how should you store it please?
Sparkle'nShine I just keep a jar full in my pantry. It is good until I eat it all with a couple of months. Just keep it under the brine.
Better Done Yourself Thanks for the quick reply 😊
Better Done Yourself ive just started the process.so far it's looking good.
but meanwhile i thought I'll try a good store bought one as well. on the jar it's written " keep refrigerated b/w 4-5 °c" my qn is if it needs refrigeration now.how do they survive inside our bodies once we consume? a bit daft i know .. but really curious :)
I have 1 of those anchor locking jars. Can i use that? Do i have to open it every few days to let the pressure out? Thanks in advance
Don't clamp it shut. Use a rubberband around the locking mechanism and it will "burp" itself.
Fermented pig flesh
You are not using plastic container..why dump a plastic bag on top of it?
Plastic containers get scratched and can harbor the wrong types of bacteria and could innoculate your ferment with the wrong types of bacteria. The plastic bags are new and clean. I'm showing a cheap and readily available way to keep your ferment submerged. For my own home use, I always use glass or glazed ceramic weights.
Just put corn
Did you have a question?
2 months is to long in my opinion, 2 weeks is enough.
I would not want plastic in my ferment
phoggee Why?
I am new to this.just to check if my homemade sauerkraut is correct tasting and salt content is correct wanted to compare with an authentic one.can you suggest me which brand will be good to buy i am thinking of buying Healing brand organic raw sauerkraut .My son has autism so i was planing to give probiotic .I give him fermented indian food like dosa ,idli etc and home made curd But now he is on Gluten and cesein free diet some parents are giving Gutpro raw probiotic it is 100 $ is it worth as you said we can get it from sauerkraut , what about raw apple cider but they say to have it in morning i can only give that in evening .But will he get all strains from food.Sorry for so many Qs.
Devi Vinod The best sauerkraut is your homemade. Taste it every week. It's good when you like it. Nothing in the store will taste as good so you'd be aiming for a low target. Make it as salty as tastes good to you. You can't do this wrong and the probiotics will be there unless you cook it.
I salt to taste and I don't like salt! So less is more for me!
Fine with me! Use as little as you want. Putting it just on top is a great idea!
I did not see yu add salt, there is such a thing as a canning funnel if you don't want to make a mess, yeah right contaminate it with plastic NOT
wholly mary I discussed salt pretty extensively starting at 04:10.
meat yuk! if you cook it all the goodness is gone!!!!!!!!!!
andreas obuaculla it still has lots of vitamins and nutrients. You don't have to eat everything cold and raw.
No metals on fermented foods please
Beverly Bangasan That only applies to reactive metals like silver or copper. Stainless steel is fine.
It's horrible. No carrots, no apples, cabbage broken into porridge... (((
Дядя Вася Plain sauerkraut is not horrible.
When you shift the cabbage in the jar, try to add to the cabbage sliced into strips carrots. Mix evenly. The taste will be better.