Tuesday, February 08, 2011

Sauerkraut

When I was small, Mother would sometimes fix sauerkraut and wieners.  I never cared for the kraut, but I liked the taste of the hot dogs that had been cooked in it.  Mother made her own kraut back then and canned it.  That's something I've never tried, mainly because I never became a big fan of sauerkraut.  Oh, there were a couple of times during my marriage that I bought a can at the store and heated it up; I just didn't care for it.  Too sour. 
That's why it's strange that a couple of weeks ago I suddenly developed a yen for kraut.  It's high in sodium, but quite low in calories, so I decided to see if perhaps I liked it any better these days.  I bought some turkey kielbasa to cook with it, another high-salt product that isn't too high on calories.  We do very well limiting sodium most of the time, so once in awhile we go ahead and enjoy something salty.  
I was shopping in a local grocery store and saw that kraut came in two different sizes of cans.  I chose the larger can (hardly any calories, remember).  I believe the price was something like $1.83, which seemed high.  Then I happened by the refrigerated cases and noticed plastic bags of kraut there.  Comparing the price and the amount of kraut in both the bag and the can I'd picked up, I saw the bag was the better bargain.  
Now I'm still not sure what triggered my craving for this dish (I knew I wasn't pregnant), because it was always too sour for my taste; but I wanted some, so I'd try doing some experimenting with it.  
Next day I googled a few things and got some ideas:  One recipe suggested rinsing and draining it in a colander; several others said to add brown sugar, which seemed like a good idea to take some of the tartness away.  
Then I got on Facebook and asked the question, "Does anybody have suggestions for cooking kraut?"  
I got some excellent ideas!  Some folks cook it with baby back rips, some with pork chops.  
The first person to answer my query said to put brown sugar on it, and some caraway seeds.  Someone else mentioned apple, so I sliced the last apple in the house and added that.  The first person came back yet again and said to serve mashed potatoes with the kraut, an idea I knew Cliff would like.  Yet another person said, "Always buy the kraut in a bag; don't buy the cans."
How about that?  I was just trying to save money, but the bag had been the right choice anyhow.  
Choosing bits and pieces of all the ideas I'd been handed, I managed to make the first batch of sauerkraut in my life that I would call delicious!  I have added it to my grocery list again; I can almost taste it now.   
Oh, and I will never have kraut without mashed potatoes.  Ever.  


We won't talk about how the house smelled after I'd cooked it.

7 comments:

  1. I ate my share of kraut & dogs...it was a family staple. I don't believe if my Mom ever added anything to the kraut...whether she did or not I loved them.

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  2. American kraut is so sour I can't eat it without rinsing. I rinse it, then add some oil and sliced onions and just eat it as a salad. However, for even more favorite salad, I add boiled and cubed potatoes.I can eat this stuff every day.Russian kraut is completely different (and much better):-).

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  3. I used to do my own kraut. I loved it fried and have creamed potatoes and cornbread with it. Been a long time ago. Helen

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  4. I absolutely love kraut and your versions of it sound great also. But I can eat it straight out of the can cold and still enjoy it. :)

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  5. I love kraut with brown sugar and apples added. I like it on hot dogs, with pork roast and on Reuben sandwiches. We made a crock pot full last fall with Brats and added in some potatoes too. It was delicious cooked together.

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  6. what's unfortunate is that, from what I've gathered over the years, true German kraut is much milder and not the bitter, nasty stuff they put in cans over here in the States and sell at grocery stores. The things you're doing--throwing in brown sugar, etc.--are likely making it much more like what Germans would naturally serve so not only are you making it more palatable, you're likely making it more authentically German, too.

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  7. Lindie4:44 PM

    My mother always rinced her saurkraut. It made it quite mild. She cooked it with kielbasa and a recipe called parmesan potatoes. My younger daughter still makes it like that. Very good!

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