Have you thought about making sauerkraut?  Do you already make sauerkraut? Or, have you made sauerkraut, and something went terribly wrong and you don't want to make it again?  These are questions many of us have asked and continue to ask ourselves.  By following a few key steps to keep your workspace orderly and very clean, you too can be successful in your production of this crunchy tangy goodness in just a few weeks.

You can use green or red cabbage.  Fermenting red cabbage may result in a duller color but it will taste delicious all the same.  So, let's get started…

Before you begin, wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds. Make sure your equipment, utensils, and countertops are clean and sanitized.  These cleaning steps help prevent unwanted visitors invading your sauerkraut!  Next, you need to gather your ingredients and supplies.  Your cabbage should be fresh, free of bruises, mold, or any rot.  Use a pure salt such as canning salt without additives or other impurities, and fresh drinkable room temperature water.  Rinse your cabbage using cool tap water.  Do not use any soap, vegetable washes, or bleach to clean your cabbage!  This will interfere with the lovely fermentation you will be encouraging to happen, not to mention it might make you SICK!!!

You should also sterilize your fermentation crock or jar to reduce the risk of any unwanted microbes causing your sauerkraut to become contaminated.

Just in case you can't extract enough juice from your cabbage, it's good to have some brine made before you begin and cooled to room temperature just in case you need more liquid to cover the cabbage. (Recipe for the extra brine will be included at the end of this post.) It is important to use the exact amount of salt called for in your recipe.  Cutting back on the salt will inhibit the balance of microbes you are encouraging to flourish and could cause unwanted and dangerous bacteria to grow instead! 

After you have washed your cabbage heads under running water and allowed to drain, you will need to remove the tough outer leaves.  Depending on your cabbage, it may just be a couple of leaves per head.

Then take the core out of the cabbage.   I find it easiest to cut my cabbage head into quarters and then slice down from the top to the base of the core.  Do this for each head of cabbage you are planning to use for your sauerkraut.

Slice the quartered heads about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick.  You want the slices to be thin enough to crush as you massage them with the added salt to begin extracting the juice from you cabbage. I use a knife for this job, but you could use a mandolin or large capacity food processor instead.

Place your cabbage into a large stainless-steel bowl.

Add the exact amount of salt specified in the recipe.  Sprinkle it all over the top of the sliced cabbage.

Massage the salt into the cabbage crushing the slices with your hands while mixing.  This step is extracting the juice from the cabbage and thoroughly mixing the salt throughout.

You can see how the briny cabbage juice is beginning to flow after massaging for several minutes.

Once you feel like you have massaged enough liquid from the cabbage, you can begin to pack your crock or container.  Use any food safe storage container that will adequately hold the amount of sauerkraut you want to make and is deep enough to allow at least 4-5 inches from the rim of the container.  A one-gallon container will handle 5 pounds of prepared cabbage adequately.

Continue packing the cabbage into your container pushing down to extrude the juice.  Once you have finished packing the container, you should have at least 1-2 inches of brine covering your cabbage.  If there is not enough liquid, add some of the prepared brine you made ahead to your container until you have adequate coverage.  It is critical your cabbage is fully submerged under your brine.  This will help prevent spoilage from mold and other microbes from invading your product.

Use a plate to keep the cabbage submerged.  I don't have a plate that fits my crock, so I like to use a piece of sterilized cheesecloth to help keep my cabbage in place and prevent “floaties”.  You can use a double layer of cheesecloth that you've trimmed to allow for “tucking in” around the edges of your cabbage.

Next you need to add a weight to keep the cabbage submerged under the brine.  I use a food grade plastic bag filled with brine that covers the top of my cabbage to keep everything in place.   It is important to fill the bag with brine just in case a leak occurs.  You don't want freshwater seeping into your crock diluting your brine making it unsafe.   You may also use a brine filled mason jar (size depends on your crock) with a lid used as a weight. Or use special crock weights designed specifically for fermentation.   Cover your container with a loose-fitting lid or clean dish towel to keep out unwanted pests and debris from falling into your container.

Set in a dark space to ferment.  Time to ferment may take as few as a couple of weeks or up to a month or more.  The time depends on the temperature of the space where it is kept (70-75 degrees is ideal) and the tartness you prefer.

When you are happy with tartness of your sauerkraut (taste it every few days) if using crock weights or jars, remove the weights and the cheesecloth.  If you weighed the cabbage down using a brine-filled bag, do not disturb the crock until normal fermentation is complete (bubbling stops).   It is now ready for the refrigerator, or you may process it using a boiling water canner to make shelf stable.

I chose to can this batch.  Once canned using a tested recipe (see end of blog post), it may be kept on your pantry shelf up to 1 year.   You may keep it refrigerated for several months if it is not processed.  If refrigerating is your choice, I would suggest transferring the sauerkraut to several smaller jars or containers from the original fermentation container.  This will help reduce the potential for cross contamination and spoilage as you use it.

I processed my sauerkraut using my steam canner, but you may also use a boiling water canner.

Sauerkraut has just a couple of ingredients, and it is a good first recipe to try when learning how to ferment foods.  It's a fun project and the taste is nothing like what you purchase commercially!  Many folks who say they don't like sauerkraut change their minds when they try a batch made at home.  Pair this delicious tart and salty food with your favorite sausage, use it in soups, or just eat it alone!

Here is the recipe for a 5lb. batch of sauerkraut:

Yield: about 7 cups

5 lbs. cabbage

3 Tbsp. canning or pickling salt

Procedure: Discard outer leaves.  Rinse heads under cold running water and drain. Cut heads in quarters and remove cores.  Shred or slice to a thickness of a quarter.  Put cabbage in a suitable fermentation container and add the salt.  Mix thoroughly, using clean hands.  Pack firmly until salt draws juices from cabbage.  The container should be deep enough so that its rim is at least 4 or 5 inches above the cabbage.  If juice does not cover cabbage, add boiled and cooled brine (1 ½ tablespoons of salt per quart of water).  Add plate (or cheesecloth) and weights, cover container with a clean dish towel.

Sauerkraut fermentation can take place under variable temperature and time combinations. For obtaining a good quality sauerkraut at home, the USDA recommendation is to store at 70º to 75ºF while fermenting. At temperatures between 70º and 75ºF, kraut will be fully fermented in about 3 to 4 weeks; at 60º to 65ºF, fermentation may take 5 to 6 weeks. At temperatures lower than 60ºF, kraut may not ferment. Above 75ºF, kraut may become soft.

If you weigh the cabbage down with a brine-filled bag, do not disturb the crock until normal fermentation is completed (when bubbling ceases). If you use jars as weight, you will have to check the kraut 2 to 3 times each week and remove scum if it forms. Fully fermented kraut may be kept tightly covered in the refrigerator for several months or it may be canned as follows:

Hot pack – Bring kraut and liquid slowly to a boil in a large kettle, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and fill jars rather firmly with kraut and juices, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.

Raw pack – Fill jars firmly with kraut and cover with juices, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.

Adjust lids and process according to the recommendations in Table 1.

This recipe and process was adapted from the "Complete Guide to Home Canning," Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA, revised 2015.

I stood by our courtyard wall and worked my spade into the hard, clay soil. I'd always wanted to grow pomegranates, but my shaded half acre of Monterey pines and oaks in Cambria ruled out that possibility. Here I stood at my new/old 1930's home in sunny San Luis Obispo, and I saw pomegranates in my future.

Gardeners are patient optimists. It took about 12 years before my trees began to produce, but when they did, we were buried under their cargo of hand-sized, rosy fruits. Their fleshy, garnet arils were better than any I'd ever bought in a grocery store, but frustration became the byword of the harvest. How to break into the leathery skins? How to preserve them once I finally pried the gem-like morsels from their pithy, white beds?

This year, after graduating from the UC Master Food Preserver volunteer training program, I felt hopeful that I could process and preserve baskets of the ripening autumn fruit, but I was overwhelmed. It took about two hours and a dozen tries before I finally figured out how to extricate the arils without damaging them.

I washed the pomegranates, and with a sharp paring knife made a 1/2-inch-deep incision circling the fruit from bud to stem. I placed it on a cutting board covered with parchment paper (to prevent staining) and thumped it gently with a big, wooden spoon. With one quick twist (hands on each side of the cut fruit), I was able to separate them and expose the arils.

I tried various methods of preserving my harvest and turned to So Easy to Preserve, my dog-eared Co-operative Extension book from the University of Georgia. This year's crop is one big experiment, and I won't know for another couple of months what worked best for me.

About a third of my arils were packed into mason jars and covered with a cold, 30 percent syrup, 1 3/4 cups of sugar mixed with 4 cups of water. I sealed them tightly and tucked them into my freezer.

Another third were done in the tray pack method, spread onto a layer of parchment paper on a cookie sheet, and put into the freezer for two hours, then poured into labeled, quart bags and returned to the freezer.

The final third was simply dry packed into containers and frozen. I've used a few bags of them for salads, rice dishes, desserts, syrups, and snacks. They taste good, but the texture is slightly different from that of the fresh arils.

All of my unprocessed pomegranates are stored whole in the refrigerator, but not in the produce drawer, which is too humid and causes molding.

Next year, if my crop is as bountiful as this one, I hope to make some jelly, and I'll use this recipe suggested by the University of Florida Extension.

One last word of wisdom. Cover all your work surfaces with wax, parchment, or freezer paper and wear a dark apron! The juice from the pomegranate will stain everything. I found splotches of red from my floor to my ceiling!

Thanksgiving is upon us.  This recipe has layers of flavor and texture and has become a family favorite – at least among the family members who aren't die-hard canned jellied cranberry sauce fans.  The recipe below is as-printed and was clipped from the Florida Today newspaper many years ago.  I follow it with some of the modifications I've made over the years.

12 oz. raw cranberries

1 ½ cups granulated sugar*

1 orange, peeled, seeded, coarsely chopped

1 medium onion, minced

4 dried figs, coarsely chopped

1 T. fresh ginger, minced or 1 t. dried ginger

½ t. salt

½ t. ground cinnamon

½ t. dried mustard

¼ t. ground black pepper

1 T. apple cider vinegar

¼ c. water

Put all the ingredients into a stainless-steel saucepot, bring to a boil and cook until cranberries pop.  Lower the heat and simmer 4-5 minutes.  Cool and serve with turkey, chicken, pork, or lamb.

*I usually cut the sugar by about half and have also made it using stevia (the granular type that replaces sugar at a 1:1 ratio).  There is some change in texture, but the recipe has enough going on flavor-wise to mask the change in taste.  When I reduce the sweetener, I also add additional figs and some raisins (not in the original recipe) which contribute sweetness as well as texture.  I've taken to using the zest from the orange (why waste it?) and waiting to add the orange pieces until after the cooking period to preserve its texture.

This recipe can be easily doubled for a large group and also freezes well if you want to get a jump on holiday cooking. Canning jars with a plastic lid closure, food grade plastic freezer containers, or zipper-top freezer bags can be used.  Be sure to leave sufficient headspace in the containers to allow for expansion during freezing (containers with a wide top opening – pint ½ inch, quart 1 inch; containers with a narrow top opening – pint ¾ inch, quart 1 ½ inch).  Use within 8-12 months for best quality. 

I always welcome leftovers and love to use it for a topping on pancakes with Greek yogurt.

Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving!!

It is that time of the year when gardens are still producing, but maybe starting to slow down.  Are you tired of canning and dehydrating your harvest?  It's been so hot; I know I'm looking for any excuse not to heat up my kitchen.  There is a simple fix, and it's called REFRIGERATOR PICKLED VEGETABLES!  Pickling is not just for cucumbers, although they are delicious too!  This simple ingredient and equipment light preservation method can be helpful in managing some of our seasonal abundance, or just give us a reason to make something delicious.

Cleanliness is important.  Make sure and wash your hands with soap and water (20 seconds please).  Clean all your kitchen surfaces before you get started.  Make sure and clean your produce well.  It's simple.  Use only running water.  You should never use soap, bleach, or any other types of cleaners on your produce.

First things first.  Once you decide what produce you want to pickle, you will also want to decide what spices you would like to include.  My favorite is mustard seeds, oregano, black peppercorns, chili flakes, and garlic.  But this is where you can really individualize your pickles!  Remember to use only whole spices to help keep the brine nice and clear, using powdered spices can make your brine look a bit on the cloudy, muddy side.  Keep your dried spices to about 2TBSP. per quart jar.  If you are using fresh, you can bump that up a little.  You don't want the spices to overwhelm the fresh vegetable flavor. 

Your choice of vinegar is also important.  Use one with 5% acidity for safety.  It's OK to use apple cider or even a white wine vinegar as long as the label states it has 5% acidity.  I like white distilled vinegar.  I think it keeps the flavor profile cleaner and doesn't interfere with the spices I choose to add.  But it's up to you.

Prepare your jars or containers before you get your brine ready.  I like to use canning jars, but it's not necessary.  You can use any food grade container that has a tight-fitting lid.  Wash them in hot soapy water and rinse well.  Allow to air dry while you are preparing the vegetables and brine.

In the meantime, get your veggies prepared into the shapes and sizes you prefer.  If your cut pieces are too big, the brine won't penetrate as well, and if they are cut too small, they may become too soft.  You can pack your jars using two different methods:

1. Place all the cut vegetables into a bowl and pour your hot brine over them.  Allow to steep at room temperature for about 30 minutes and then pack them into the prepared jars.
2. Pack your jars with the cut vegetables and spices first and pour the hot brine over the vegetables.

To make the brine, add the water, vinegar, sugar, spices, and salt into a stainless-steel saucepan and bring to a boil. (I like to add my spices into the brine to be heated together.  Heating the brine and spices together seems to allow the spices to release their flavor a bit better this way. Turn off the heat and allow to cool slightly.

Leave about 1 inch of headspace (space from the top of the brine to the top of the jar) to prevent overflow and spillage.  Lid the jars or containers and place into the refrigerator.  They should be ready to eat within 24-48 hours.  These will keep for a couple weeks in your refrigerator if they last that long!  These pickled vegetables keep their vibrant color and retain more crunch than a traditionally canned giardiniere or cucumber pickle.

Of course eating them from the jar is great, but try adding them to a fresh green salad, use as a crunchy addition to a charcuterie board, chopped into a cold pasta salad,  or added to a sandwich in place of lettuce.  The possibilities are limitless!

Here is a basic recipe for the brine enough for about 2-quart size jars:

3 cups of white or apple cider vinegar (5% acidity)

3 cups of water

3 TBSP. canning salt

2 TBSP. granulated sugar

2 TBSP. dried spices (your choice)

1. Add all ingredients into a stainless-steel saucepan, bring to a boil, and boil for 2 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
3. Pour spiced brine over cut vegetables in a bowl and allow to sit for 30 minutes at room temperature. *
4. Pack jars with vegetables and pour the spiced brine over them to within 1 inch of jar top.
5. Lid jars/containers and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 day before eating.  Store in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.

*Jars can be packed with vegetables and spices first and then hot brine without spices can be poured over the top immediately. Lid and store as stated above.