I have been told saurkraut can be made directly in quart jars and bypassing the crock route. Can anyone tell me how. Thanks.

-- Joan (egavasnok@email.com), April 14, 2001

Answers

Haven't made kraut that way but last summer I did make pickled corn that way. Just mixed up the brine, packed the jars with corn, filled with the brine and loosely screwed on a lid. Whatever you do don't tighten that lid or it will explode!!! After you fill them all, set them on something to catch the overflow while it is "working". Keep the liqiud level topped off every few days until the bubbles stop. After its done you can process the jars in your canner like you would anything else. Somewhere I have directions for doing kraut this way. If I can find it i will e-mail you early next week. I plan on doing my kraut this way too since the pickled corn came out better than any I've ever made before!!

-- Kathy Linger (plinger25045@yahoo.com), April 14, 2001.

pack the cut cabbage tightly in the jars. Leave 1/2 inch space. Put 1 tsp salt & 1 tsp sugar on top of cabbage. Pour boiling water on top. Work with a knife down the sides and center to work out the air bubbles. Add more boiling water till filled to 1/2 inch from top.

Wipe rim of jars carefully, put on the rings and flats. Set in a cool, dark place for six weeks. Liquid will work up and out of the jars as the crout makes. Set near a drain, or in a plastic tub.

After about six weeks, it will be obvious which jars "made" and are nice and bright and which ones darkened and didn't "make".

At this point, I wipe off the good jars of crout and put them on the shelf and feed the darkened ones. to the chickens. Many people open the good jars at this point and put on a new flat and process in boiling water bath. I have tried this, but found that it cooked the crout to mush and lost the nice bite it had. We like a crisp, bright tangy crout. Processing the crout at this point will insure that it will keep on the shelf, but I don't like the trade off in texture and flavor.

We have made crout many ways ( in a crock, etc) but consider making it in the jars like this to be the most practical and dependable.

-- homestead2 (homestead@localnetplus.com), April 14, 2001.

Homestead2, what percentage of the jars do you lose to spoilage? Just curious, I tried this once and had poor results. Maybe I need to try once more?

-- Cathy in NY (hrnofplnty@yahoo.com), April 15, 2001.

Sometimes I lose two quarts out of twelve and on rare occasions, I have lost a third of it. On very rare occasions, I have had twelve successful quarts out of twelve.

Females need to watch the calendar. After 23 years of making crout, I will tell you - that is no old wive's tale about "dont' make crout during your period". I was a young, new homesteader, determined to prove that old silly beliefs are old and silly.

I found out that it took too much work to make crout and I wasted a lot of work and cabbage before I admitted that some of the old timer's advice is good advice. I decided that, maybe, a woman's PH is off kilter during her period. Too much work involved to gamble. I don't touch the cabbage - not pick it, cut it, or wash the jars - nothing - during that week. I lost too much crout trying to prove that old timer's were wrong.

If folks have been making crout all their lives, they forget that new homesteaders may not know not to make crout during their period. If you have had no success with crout - and have never heard this - think back.

-- homestead2 (homestead@localnetplus.com), April 15, 2001.

I make it by packing shreded cabbage tightly into sterilized jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace, to each jar I add 1 tsp. pickeling salt and then pour over that distilled water (right out of the jug it was purchased from, no need to heat it), to 1/4 of the top of the jars. place the lids on snug but not too tight,then place them in a cool dry place and they will start to work and will boil over some so set them in trays or put them where it won't matter. After they stop working (about 2-4 weeks) tighten the band down really good. Let them sit for 3-4 months to finish. This is the best kraut I have ever had anywhere. The finished product has a very mild and pleasant flavor, color will be a pale/green-creamy/white, and the texture has a slight crunch to it. It is very easy to make and my family loves it. Paul loves to eat it right out of the jar. This recipe was given to me by a very dear friend who I believe, could do anything. Anyway, this is how we have made it for a good many years, and it has always produced excellent results for us. Best wishes! Teresa

-- teresa (t1noodles@aol.com), April 17, 2001.

I always make my saurkraut in jars since failing at the crock method. My recipe is for 5 lb. of cabbage, finely shredded. Sprinkle with 3 1/2 T. salt , mix well and let stand for 30-60 minutes. Firmly pack in room temp. jars leaving a 2" headspace. Fill with cold water, leaving 1/2" headspace. Adjust lids, screw band tight, place in a pan to catch brine that overflows. Keep cabbage covered with brine (1 1/2T. salt in 1 qt. water). If necessary open jars and add more brine. Should be cured in 6-8 wks. Clean rims of jars and replace lids if necessary, screw band tight. Set jars in water bath canner filled with cold water. Cover jars with 2" of water. Bring water slowly to boiling. Process 30 minutes. (Makes 7 pints.) Good luck. I really like the taste of it.

-- Marlene (mleiby@caprock-spur.com), April 17, 2001.

Countrysiders---your responses to my saurkraut question were great. Can't thank you enough. It sounds easy enough and I'll give it a try. Thanks again.

-- Joan (egavasnok@email.com), April 19, 2001.