[Sca-cooks] sauerkraut

[Stefan li Rous]

  Selene declared:
> > otsisto <otsisto at socket.net> wrote:
> > I found this
> > http://www.canningpantry.com/sauerkraut-crocks.html
> >
> > Lyse
>
> *sheesh*  The smallest on that page was $99 for a 5 liter crock.   
> The Korean
> market near my old house has comparable crocks for kim chee for  
> under $20.
>
> The lesson:  shop the ethnic markets with the people who really  
> make this
> stuff at home, rather than the upscale catalogs with upscale prices  
> for
> yuppie dilettantes.  I don't want to get fooled again!

That link does have a lot of interesting info about making sauerkraut  
and similar fermented vegetables. And it confirms the idea that there  
is fermentation going on and it isn't just salted cabbage.

If the comments on the page are to be believed, it sounds like this  
particular style of sauerkraut pot has some design features which may  
lead to more consistently getting sauerkraut instead of ... something  
else with yeast invasions.

So, perhaps you do get more for the higher price. That price does  
include shipping and they specifically say they don't ship express  
because of the much higher cost. Even if you do shop for this crock  
at an ethnic market, it might be wise to examine the particular  
features of this particular type and see if you can find them in the  
ones at the ethnic market.

We've been specifically talking about fermented cabbage (sauerkraut).  
Are there any period references to other fermented vegetables such as  
they mention on this website? Perhaps some of what have been  
discussed as period pickled vegetables references are actually  
fermented ones?

Stefan
--------
THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
    Mark S. Harris           Austin, Texas           
StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****