SC - keeping of saurkraut

[Stefan li Rous]

Adamantius replied to me with:
> > If Saurkraut is pickled cabbage, and it was originally pickled as a
> > preservative technique, why does it need to be stored in the
> > refrigerator section today?
> > 
> > Is this simply overkill and a waste of resouces? Or is today's saurkraut
> > indeed changed from the way it was done a hundred years ago, before
> > commercial refrigeration such that it now needs refrigeration?
> > 
> > They sell jars of pickles (pickled cucumbers), pickled peppers,
> > pickled carrots and pickled onions on the non-refrigerated shelves.
> 
> There's a degree of pickling (and remember sauerkraut is a lactic
> fermentation, not a vinegar pickle) at which things like sauerkraut and
> dill pickles become, well, nasty and unattractive, while still perfectly
> safe to eat. Overpickled vegetables lose their crunch and acquire a
> flavor most people find too strong.

So are you saying that the saurkraut sold in the store today has
less pickling than that needed when used for preservation without
refrigeration? In that case, it would appear that the "modern" 
saurkraut is not similar to period saurkraut and may be a poor
choice for one of our feasts.

- -- 
THLord  Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
Mark S. Harris             Austin, Texas         stefan at texas.net
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