Operation Sauerkraut

NOTE: This post is actually a cleaned up version(debatable) of an email I sent out to my brother and dad in early February. It was because of that email that my brother suggested I start this thing so it feels somewhat appropriate to use that email as my first post. I turn 30 today, and this blog turns BORN!


Happy 30th to me and happy Born day to this blog (I chose Knob Creek to kick this thing off.)

In early February, I came into possession of a purple cabbage. It found itself into my fridge, like some sort of Polish/Ukrainian Christmas in February miracle. Or by my good bud Jaime putting it in there. Either way, Polish/Ukrainian Christmas in February miracle!

Like any good Polish/Ukrainian boy on Polish/Ukrainian February Christmas morning , I decided to dive into the world of fermentation; Sauerkraut.

I chose a simple recipe. The simpler, the better. My philosophy was that Sauerkraut wasn't the result of an assembly of the finest culinary minds gathering together to create rotting/fermenting cabbage. It was food of the people!This is how mine manifested:

Stage one: Sliced cabbage into thin ribbons. Put in big bowl. Dumped couple tablespoons of coarse salt on top, and started smashing it all up to draw the liquid out of the cabbage. Once the volume of the cabbage had decreased by about ⅓, I transferred the mess of the People to a mason jar (dipped in boiling water). 


I stored the jar in a cool corner of my living room for 2 weeks, occasionally opening the lid and removing any film gathering on top of the liquid.

Note: The gas released while opening the lid smells BAD. If I didn't already know the end result would be delicious, this smell would have been more than enough to deter me from proceeding any further with this experiment. I would have probably tossed it. Maybe thats how it all happened. People scrapping for whatever they could to survive, not wanting to waste any food, even if past due.


Stage two: 2 Weeks later, I opened the jar and investigated the contents: Looked and smelled like Sauerkraut. I stuck a fork in, exchanged a nervous look with Rhiannon and plunged a big forkful into my mouth.

Chew. Chew. Swallow. Taste like Sauerkraut. Had a couple more forkfuls, and although a bit salty (use less salt next time), it was pretty damn good. Probably needs to ferment for 3 weeks to really get that kick but was digging the crunch and snap so I put it in the fridge to halt the fermenting process.

- Maciej