[Sca-cooks] sour cabbage - german recipe

[Adele de Maisieres]

Sandra Jakl wrote:

>Greetings all!
>
>I am looking for a period German recipe for sourcraut.
>I've found a couple of recipes that reference
>saurkraut (saures Kraut) in Ein New Kochbuch and the
>Preserved Cabbage (Eynngemacht Crautt), from Ein
>Kochbuch aus dem Archiv des Deutschen Ordens, but not
>actually anything that describes the appropriate
>method to make specifically "sour cabbage". 
>
>Any help would be appreciated. I feel like I'm
>overlooking it or something silly like that. *sigh*
>  
>

OK, there's absolutely nothing mystical about making salted, preserved 
vegetables like sauerkraut.  It's just shredded vegetables and salt. 

You will need to use only non-reactive containers and utensils for this. 

Shred 5lbs of cabbage finely. (this is about one medium-sized white 
cabbage)  Make the slices about 2mm thick.
Layer it in a large crock or stone jar with 1/4c salt.  (preferably 
something tallish and narrowish-- a large preserving jar, tupperware 
container, ceramic cookie jar, whatever).
IMPORTANT:  If you do not have exactly the right amount of cabbage, you 
must increase or decrease the salt so that the proportions are the same.
Cover it lightly and leave it for a few hours-- the cabbage will produce 
quite a bit of liquid.
Cover and weight the cabbage in such a way that it's all immersed in the 
brine and protected from the outside air.  I've done this by putting a 
plastic bag of cold water on top of the cabbage, but also by the simpler 
method of putting a well-fitted weight on top of the cabbage and 
covering the crock not-too-tightly.  Now, leave the whole thing to 
ferment at room temperature for 2-6 weeks, depending on how sour you 
like it.  Then keep refrigerated until it's all eaten.

I served this at a feast a while ago, with roast beef and freshly-baked 
rye bread. It was very well received and nearly all of it got eaten.

-- 
Adele de Maisieres

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Habeo metrum - musicamque,
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