Sauerkraut for every season

Oktoberfest celebrations are already upon us.

You know what that means. Ompah-pah-ing at biergartens. Bavarian beer flowing. Wursts at their best, all dressed up with mustard and sauerkraut.

If this is the only time of the year you find yourself craving kraut, reconsider. As Reuben sandwich lovers know, sauerkraut is good anytime. And not to be a buzzkill, but sauerkraut is good for you.

Sauerkraut is one of many fermented foods — kimchi, pickles, sourdough, tempeh, etc. — that are prized for being rich in vitamin C, probiotics and fiber. Fermented foods foster the growth of healthy bacteria that promote gut health.

“Fermentation is one of the most ancient forms of food preservation,” says David Klingenberger, founder and owner of Ann Arbor-based shop the Brinery, which produces sauerkraut and other fermented foods. “Our ancestors survived via food that was preserved and kept safe.”

A preservation tradition

“I came to it as a lover of food preservation,” says Klingenberger. “I remember my dad telling me about his mom making sauerkraut. My mom was Hungarian, and her grandparents pickled and fermented a lot of things.”

Making sauerkraut is easy. The ingredient list is short— cabbage and salt. Equipment needs are minimal: a stoneware crock with weights (or a large food-safe plastic bucket); jars for storing sauerkraut; and a pH meter (that can be purchased at hannainst.com).

“When making sauerkraut, the pH of the finished product should be 3.2 to 3.4, according to USDA,” notes Karen L. Fifield, LLMSW, Montmorency County Michigan State University Extension Educator- Food Safety.

Store kraut in the fridge. Tightly covered, it will keep there for several months.

Getting sweet on sauerkraut

Cabbage is cheap and plentiful, and adding sauerkraut to recipes can help stretch dishes and your food budget.

“Most types of cabbage can be used for making sauerkraut,” Fifield says. “Generally, late flathead varieties are used because they’re white on the inside and their leaves wrap very tightly together. They also can weigh anywhere from 6 to 15 pounds, therefore providing a nice amount of cabbage to ferment.”

Eat it raw. “Because raw sauerkraut is rich in probiotics, you can make any dish healthier by adding a heaping forkful of it,” Klingenberger says. “It can act as an exciting salty-sour condiment that jazzes up simple foods like grain dishes and vegetable dishes.”

Plop sauerkraut onto everything from burgers and sloppy Joes to soups, chilis, Buddha bowls, salads, yogurt, etc. Puree it up to use in compound butters and blended condiments.

“Some people eat it right out of the jar when they’re hankering for something salty,” Klingenberger adds. “They’ll eat a couple forkfuls, and that saves them from grabbing a handful of chips.”

Cook with kraut. Add sauerkraut to braises. Incorporate it into your meatloaf mix and mashed potatoes. Puree it for marinades and sauces. Saute it with onions and red wine for a side dish.

Alternate sauerkrauts

“Just as there are variations on traditional pizza from Italy, the same goes for sauerkraut,” Klingenberger says. “Any seasonings, herbs or root crops can be fermented with cabbage. There are infinite variations.”

The Brinery (thebrinery.com), for example, produces sauerkrauts with red beets, fresh ginger, carrots, burdock root, seaweed, turmeric and watermelon radish.

Sauerkrauts known as choucroute from the Alsace region of France are enriched with goose or duck fat, bacon, wine, additional vegetables, herbs and spices. Find them online at frenchfeast.com.

Classic Sauerkraut

Yield: 6 pints

24 cups  green cabbage, sliced finely or shredded

¼ cup + 4 tablespoons kosher salt, divided

½ cup    Pickling Spice Mix, optional (see recipe)

In a tall, large stoneware or ceramic crock or food-grade plastic container, mix the cabbage with the ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon of the salt. Using a mallet, pound the cabbage to encourage it to release water. Or simply crush the salt into the cabbage with clean hands (it may be easier to do this in a large, wide bowl first). Cover the cabbage and set it aside. It will take about 12 hours for the cabbage to release enough water to form a brine. Once the brine forms, keep the cabbage submerged by using the weights that come with your crock.

Or, if you’re using a plastic container, simmer together 4½ cups of water with the remaining 3 tablespoons of salt. Cool to room temperature, then pour the brine into 1 or 2 heavy-duty resealable plastic storage bags. Place a plate or plastic lid over the cabbage and place the brine-filled bag(s) on top.

Store the sauerkraut at a cool room temperature (60 to 65 degrees) for 2 to 3 weeks, or until the fermentation stops. Bubbles in the surface will indicate that the fermentation is going strong. Periodically skim off foam with a ladle and scrape away any mold that may adhere to the sides of the container or surface of the brine. When bubbles no longer appear on the surface and the cabbage has a pleasant, tangy flavor, the fermentation is done. You will have about 12 cups of sauerkraut. Transfer the sauerkraut to a clean container(s) and refrigerate it, covered tightly. As long as the cabbage stays submerged in the brine, the sauerkraut will keep for a few months in the refrigerator.

Pickling Spice Mix

Yield: ½ cup

2 tablespoons  coriander seeds

2 tablespoons mustard seeds

2 tablespoons    caraway seeds

1 tablespoon  fennel seeds

1 tablespoon  black peppercorns

1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

Mix all the ingredients together, cover and store in a cool, dry area until ready to use. Before using, toast the spices in a dry saute pan until aromatic. When using the spice mix in sauerkraut, add it when you add the salt.

Recipe reprinted with permission from Chef Paul Virant from his book, “The Preservation Kitchen” (Ten Speed Press) by Paul Virant with Kate Leahy.

Classic Reuben Sandwich

8 slices rye bread

8 slices   Swiss cheese

12 ounces   Grobbel's cooked corned beef, sliced thinly

1 cup   sauerkraut

2 fluid ounces   Thousand Island dressing or mustard

For each sandwich:

Place 1 slice of cheese on a slice of bread. Top with 3 ounces of the corned beef, then ¼ cup of the sauerkraut, then another slice of cheese. Spread the other slice of bread with ½ ounce of the dressing or mustard and place it, sauce-side down, over the bread with the cheese, meat and sauerkraut.

Place the sandwiches on a nonstick cooking surface over medium heat. Grill to a golden-brown on each side and until the cheese is melted. For best flavor and texture, grill without butter or margarine. Serve immediately.

Recipe: Grobbel's

Sauerkraut Soup

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 onion, chopped

2  garlic cloves, chopped

1  carrot, chopped

2 stalks  celery, chopped

6 ounces  fresh mushrooms, chopped

1 tablespoon   all-purpose flour

½ pound  smoked kielbasa, sliced and cut into half-rounds

½ pound  ham, diced

14½ ounces  diced, canned tomatoes with their juice

3  small potatoes, peeled and diced

½ cup white wine

1 pound  sauerkraut, drained

8 cups   beef or chicken stock

1 teaspoon dried dill

To taste   salt

To taste ground black pepper

To taste  sour cream

Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrot, celery and mushrooms and cook until softened. Add the flour and stir to blend. Add the kielbasa and ham and saute briefly. Stir in the diced tomatoes, potatoes, white wine, sauerkraut and stock. Bring the soup just to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for about an hour, or until the potatoes are cooked through. Add the dill, salt and pepper and stir to blend. Serve in bowls topped with sour cream.

Recipe: Robin Watson