Weinkraut Recipes

GRANDMA JEANETTE'S AMAZING GERMAN RED CABBAGE

Steps:

• Place butter, cabbage, apples, and sugar into a large pot. Pour in the vinegar and water, and season with salt, pepper, and clove.
• Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until the cabbage is tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

WEINKRAUT

Steps:

• Drain kraut slightly.
• Cook onion in butter or drippings until transparent.
• Add sauerkraut and stir; cook slowly.
• Wash, peel, and core apples; dice fruit and add to sauerkraut.
• Add wine and enough stock or bouillon to cover.
• Cook slowly, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
• Add sugar and celery seeds; cover and finish cooking in moderate 325° oven 30 minutes longer.

WEINKRAUT (SAUERKRAUT WITH WINE AND APPLES)

Steps:

• Drain sauerkraut slightly.
• Cook onion in butter or drippings until transparent and very lightly browned;
• Add sauerkraut and stir; cook slowly.
• Wash, peel, and core apples (I usually leave the peel on one of them for color); dice fruit and add to sauerkraut.
• Add wine and enough stock or bouillon to cover. Cook slowly on the medium heat, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
• Add sugar, caraway if using and celery seeds; cover and finish cooking in moderate 325° oven 30 minutes longer until most of the liquid has cooked off but it is not dried out.

BAVARIAN SAUERKRAUT

Steps:

• Heat bacon drippings in a large skillet over medium heat; cook and stir onion until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Place sauerkraut with juice into a large bowl and cover with water. Stir and use your hands to squeeze out as much of the water and juice as possible. Add squeezed sauerkraut to onion.
• Stir brown sugar, caraway seeds, chicken stock, and cooking sherry into the sauerkraut mixture. Reduce heat to low and simmer until almost all the liquid has evaporated, 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

BAVARIAN SAUERKRAUT - WINE KRAUT

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat the bacon drippings and saute the onion until soft (medium heat works well). Place sauerkraut (with juices) in a large bowl. Cover completely with water. Hand stir to mix water throughout the sauerkraut. Collect sauerkraut by handfuls and squeeze out "most" of the liquid and add the sauerkraut (one handful at a time) to the skillet. Then add the caraway seeds, sugar, chicken stock and sherry and combine thoroughly. Heat to a slow boil and then reduce the heat and simmer until just about all the liquid is evaporated. I cooked at very low heat, for about 30-40 minutes. Also make sure you stir occassionally to incorporate all of the ingredients. Serve immediately.
• Fantastic on hot dogs, and perfect used as a side dish with Roast Pork Shoulder and Mashed Potatoes.

HOMEMADE SAUERKRAUT

Steps:

• Quarter cabbages and remove cores; slice 1/8 in. thick. In an extra-large bowl, combine salt and cabbage. With clean hands, squeeze cabbage until it wilts and releases liquid, about 10 minutes. If desired, add optional ingredients., Firmly pack cabbage mixture into 4-quart fermenting crock or large glass container, removing as many air bubbles as possible. If cabbage mixture is not covered by 1-2 inches of liquid, make enough brine to cover by 1-2 inches. To make brine, combine 4-1/2 teaspoons canning salt per 1 quart of water in a saucepan; bring to a boil until salt is dissolved. Cool brine before adding to crock., Place crock weight over cabbage; the weight should be submerged in the brine. Or, place an inverted dinner plate or glass pie plate over cabbage. The plate should be slightly smaller than the container opening, but large enough to cover most of the shredded cabbage mixture. Weigh down the plate with 2 or 3 sealed quart jars filled with water. If using a glass container with a lid, cover the opening loosely so any gas produced by the fermenting cabbage can escape. Alternately, you can cover the opening with a clean, heavy towel. If using a crock, seal according to manufacturer's instructions. , Store crock, undisturbed, at 70°-75° for 3-4 weeks (bubbles will form and aroma will change). Cabbage must be kept submerged below surface of the fermenting liquid throughout fermentation. Check crock 2-3 times each week; skim and remove any scum that may form on top of liquid. Fermentation is complete when bubbling stops. Transfer to individual containers. Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.