Kraut Making 2000

“Making kraut?  It’s too early,” was the astonished response I received on telling a friend what I was doing.  It does seem too early; however, John put out the cabbage plants back in February and they grew off without any problem.  I didn’t know anybody who makes kraut nowadays, so I had to put together what John and I remembered.

When we made kraut in my growing up days it was a big ordeal.  After lunch we took the oilcloth off the kitchen table and the table was moved out in the backyard under the large oak tree.  First we scrubbed the naked table top, and then we washed the cabbage heads in a wash tub (using water hand-drawn from the well).  Then the chopping began.  First the head was split, the core removed and the first chopping was done with a large butcher knife, turning and twisting, turning and twisting the cabbage around as we chopped on the table until it was fine enough to put in the churn.  This process was continued as the chopped cabbage was layered in the churn with a generous sprinkling of salt.

The chopping continued even after the cabbage was added to the churn, as we had a kraut chopper – actually it was a hoe with the neck straightened out with a handle about three feet long.  Lots of eating took place during the time of kraut making, too.  I loved to chomp on the stalk (or core) as I worked away.

The chopped cabbage mixture was covered with water, and then the search for a rock the appropriate size was begun.  After it was found, it was washed and placed on top of the large cabbage leaves which, too, had been washed and were now covering the mixture – the rock was to hold it all down below the water level.  Next a guano sack was tied over the churn and it was allowed to set for nine days -being checked periodically to see if enough water remained to cover the aging kraut.  After nine days the mixture was canned and put away for winter eating.

Last week John brought the cabbage heads in from the garden and the rest of the job was mine.  I must admit that I used the food processor which makes the kraut a little finer than I like — however.

We have a large three-gallon crock that was taken down from off the top of the kitchen cabinets and was washed to hold the kraut.  It was pure luck that I happened to have canning salt on hand — I don’t’ even know if it can be bought anymore or not.  I remembered the salt with iodine is not supposed to be used in kraut making.

I was washing the large cabbage leaves to use on top when John entered with a rock to be washed and used for the holding-down job.  I finally found an old sack large enough to tie around the top of the crock and the job was completed – or so I thought.

By now it’s time for lunch and the kraut maker was soooo tired.  You might have guessed it – for lunch I had cooked-cabbage and slaw along with some hash made from the leftover Sunday roast.  After a morning of all this, I crashed in my chair for a nap, but as nighttime approached I began to wonder just where would be the best place to set the crock for the duration – remembering that my mother did not have air-conditioning in the olden days.

Entering the kitchen for supper, we thought we had decided on the right (warm) spot and John was about to move the heavy crock when he remarked (as he felt the cabinet top), “Bill, this is running over.”  To which I replied, “It can’t be, there was not that much water in it.”  Boy, was I surprised!  Not only was the cabinet top wet, but so was everything else  it could get to.  On the short end of my cabinet top I try to keep a “pretty” area just for enjoyment and my arrangent there included an old Southern Living Cookbook along with a beautiful, new dishtowel (they are my weakness) and both were soaked with brine! .

What a mess!  We had no choice but to wash Mother’s churn and transfer the kraut over to it.  Even after the transfer, cleanup had to be completed and the washing machine loaded with wet dishtowels, etc.  We found no hole in the crock and it had been used before for such things with no problem.  We couldn’tbelieve the sack had acted as a siphon and put the brine on the cabinet top!  It’s a mystery still.  However, at this point canning day is fast approaching – I just hope I can tell when the mixture is ready for that next step.  This is how it is with our style of country living.