[Crealcritter]

I harvested 18 heads of Brunswick cabbage yesterday. I used battery operated sawsall with a long limb cutting blade to cut them loose from the stalk, this worked well.Today is making 10 gallons of sauerkraut.

18 heads

5 gallon bucket for reference.

11lbs 10oz

Jesus is Lord and Christ 🙏❤🇺🇸

 

[Crealcritter]

My wife and I decided on 5 gallons instead of 10, 5 gallons is plenty for us. I gave the rest of the heads away to my daughter in law and our neighbor.

Jesus is Lord and Christ 🙏❤🇺🇸

 

[po boy]

Those are nice cabbages.

 

[Evons hubby]

I love cabbage! So many ways to use it, and it keeps well too.

 

[Crealcritter]

I love cabbage! So many ways to use it, and it keeps well too.

Jesus is Lord and Christ 🙏❤🇺🇸

 

[B. White]

Nice cabbage. I'm picking some, but just getting average size. I'm trying to just pick what we cook and keep an eye on the rest make sure not start to split. I'll grab a few for kraut when they get close.

 

[Crealcritter]

Nice cabbage. I'm picking some, but just getting average size. I'm trying to just pick what we cook and keep an eye on the rest make sure not start to split. I'll grab a few for kraut when they get close.

Kraut from this Brunswick variety is coming a long nicely. It'll be a week tomorrow since starting ferment. The first skim, there was no scum, which I like to see. Just little bits floating on top of the brine. I skimmed those off and eat them all . Still salty needs more time to ferment but tasting like kraut already.

Jesus is Lord and Christ 🙏❤🇺🇸

 

[po boy]

Do u put a weight on the cabbage?
I did a batch in the spring and covered it with a plate then put a bag of brine on top. I didn't have any scum but did have some yeast.

 

[geo in mi]

What's your cutting method, and how much pounding do you do?

geo

 

[Crealcritter]

Do u put a weight on the cabbage?
I did a batch in the spring and covered it with a plate then put a bag of brine on top. I didn't have any scum but did have some yeast.

I like to use food grade 5 gallon bucket and gamma lid. I lay a good clean outer leafs overtop the shredded and salted cabbage. Then a upside down dinner plate. And push down as much as possible so the brine comes over top the dinner plate. Then I add a pint of brine (water & salt) I use a 1/2 pint canning jar that fits snug in the center of the game lid. Screw the gamma lid down tight then back off the lid a bit so the bucket can burp. Seven 5lb layers of cored & shredded cabbage with salt works great in the bucket with the above mentioned technique.

Post #5 shows the gamma lid and 1/2 pint canning jar firmly seated in the center of the gamma lid.

Jesus is Lord and Christ 🙏❤🇺🇸

 

[Crealcritter]

What's your cutting method, and how much pounding do you do?

geo

I used our kitchen aid with a slicer attachment this time. But I have just sliced into long thin stripe and also used my wife's food processor. I have a Louisville slugger that I cut the end of a little bit so it's flat. You need to tromp pretty good so the salt will draw the water out of the cabbage. We do ours in 5 lbs cored and shredded cabbage with salt massaged in then tromp it well with the ball bat.

I follow the old farmers almanac recipe for salt & cabbage and spring water & salt. The only time I had it fail is when I used our tap water for the brine instead of bottled spring water.

Jesus is Lord and Christ 🙏❤🇺🇸

 

[B. White]

Our cabbage from this past spring was my first attempt. It was so dry and hot I ignored the cabbage expecting it to give up, but still got a few heads. I cut a dishpan full and weighted it in grams and then multiplied by .02 and added that much sea salt. I squeezed the cabbage and salt together and kneaded it until I had a lot of juice, probably about 10 mins total.

I packed cabbage in 1/2 gallon jars using flat end of a wooden rolling pin and poured in juice from the dishpan. I did not have to add any liquid other than what came out of the cabbage. It sat about 2 weeks and then I moved it to a fridge. I just finished some off last week and it still had that fresh squeakiness to it.

It turned out so good it inspired me to do a few more jars of pickles and other vegetables. I used sea salt and boiled tap water that had cooled, so pretty cheap to do. I've got some water boiled and cooling today and will try a version of kimchi using swiss chard and few radishes tomorrow.

 

[Crealcritter]

Checked the kraut a few days ago, smells like sauerkraut and no scum to skim, just little bits of cabbage floating on top of the brine again. The brine is starting to clear some but I still seen fermentation bubbles. So I'll let it roll another week and check again.

Jesus is Lord and Christ 🙏❤🇺🇸

 

[Crealcritter]

My wife canned 18 quarts of sauerkraut. The old German Brunswick variety, made a wonderful delicious sauerkraut. If you can, try fall harvest brunswick for fermenting kraut, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

We don't know the traditional way to fix sauerkraut and sausage. But sauerkraut and polish sausage over cornbread, makes for some mighty fine eating.

Jesus is Lord and Christ 🙏❤🇺🇸